, 1863-01-24
The Chicago Contested Election Case
Statement Ofmr. Gage.

vote. deprived me Of my seat yesterday as
Of the Goth district Of this
State. Theirs will not probably be any ex-
tended notice Of tho debate, or Of the minority
and minority reports, and perhaps the case is
of sufficient importance to demand brief
statement Of its leading points.
The returns in tho County Clerks Office,
show my majority to be twenty To
overcome this majority they attempt to show l.
that State md county ballot, were found in
the town box, which, if proved and counted,
would overcome this majority, and elect
Brandt by thirteen yotes- Twenty of these
votes are fairly proved provided the reason
for their rejection is not sound; leaving me
but ecyen majority.
10 nrove tie balance, they rely upon the |
testimony Of Peter Caldwell, Niclolas Berde], |
Charles Mcdonnell, and Martin Jennings; the |
first three candidates for Town Justices, the |
other, (5ennings) candidate for Constable all |
important local offices, and to be elected for
tour years. A contest Of the right Of these |
PARTIES to their commissions was pending, |
and corresponding evidence which would I'M |
seat me, would give them their commissions. |
Caldwell swears that be took some ballots at |
the third wall poll, which were found in the |
town boz; he did not know how many nor
Mr., Goudy's Office, and he {Goudy) counted |
them and said there were eighty-six for Brandt |
and two for me. Mr.. Goudy told him to take |
care ofthem. He swears that they were not
out Of his possession after he received |
the same time he gaye his deposition |
On his Cross examination, it is shown that he |
did not receive them from any one who had /
anything to do with cenyassing the votes;
tlat they were out Of his possession most Of |
tho time, put away in 4 wardrobe or bureau.
upon on the street to 60 and give his ueposi-
tion, 1c sent man {he said he vas an honest
1Ian) to his wife for them; anu when the man
brought them, there turned up but six-four
for Brand and two for me-. Remember,
election, were asked anythlng in regard to
these bol1ots. Now, I submit that Caldwell
could just as easily have taken twenty votes
to Mr.. GoudJ's Office, and had them counted
for Brandt, Us the number he did take; for, OF
the number taken no one occupying an official
there we're no numbers on them to indicate
that they were ever cast for anybody.
st the Fourth Ward Poll, Berdell and Nc
Donneu-yetcrans in the cause Of Democracy
were two Of the Judges, with young Ger
citizen By the aae Of LampftT ts3 a tner
jority managed affairs to suit themselves:
Bcrdell, Mcdonnell and Jennings swear that
there were found eighteen QS) State and
county ballots in the town hox-seyenteen for
finding Of tie ballots, the disposition of them,
| and the conducting of the election generally.
the dcpositions arc very conflicting. BcrdeI
| swcars that they {the bal1ots) were destroyed
by Jennings; Mcdonnell swcars that thcy
were thrown on. the floor by the stove; Jcn-
peril; Lampertz swears he took them home
with him, and produced them at the time he
gave his deposition, and shows six to be the
nu,nbcr-foar for Brandt and tWo for me.
Two witnesses swear TINT they called
on Berdel the next 1,. 3d9g morning after the the
found six or seven votes in the town box;
and they threw them out, as they made no
difference iu the result. Atthfs time they sup
posed they were all elected to the Offices tor
which they had been candidates. Subse-
quently they discovered that more votes were
and county ballots were found in the town
box, and thirty-two town ballots were found
in tie State and county box, is put in clrcula-
ton. Of the thirty-two town tickets found,
twenty-five were for Berdel and Mcdonnell
They knew the contest for these town officers
throw away these votes? Now, is not the
story Berdel told the two witnesses the next
morning after Tie election most probably cor
rect! That IL, that there were six or seven
ballots found in the wrong box; but that they
threw them away, as they did not affect the
result.
make no charge against any one; simply
state the facts as they appear in the evidence,
and each one can draw his own conclusions.
They exhibit twcnty-fonr votes against me,
leaving me three majority. Allowing that
Mr.. G0udy was correct in his count, and that
Caldwell afterwards lost the Two votes, still
am ahead one. For enough to defeat nc they
rely upon deeply Interested witnesses, whose
rcco11cctions arc vague, and who are directly
contradicted By parties entirely disinterested.
This is their whole ease.
Allowing that ell they claim is proved, still
/ rfpH At 1e1S3 Six3T 1nnSr
the following statement will show:
Three companies Tor parts Of three) Of the
Irish Legion, stationed at Camp Dunn, voted
for Air Brandt. The proof is this: The mus.
ter rolls Of Capt. Barretts, Capt. Kel}y's and
Capt; 0'Mears companies were p procured q 2!
to be correct These companies, with thei,
officers, appeared Mt the polls of the Second
District Of the Fourth Ward, and claimed te
| vote, not because they were residents of tht
at one district they voted the State and count,
: ticket only; at the others they voted both TIL
: tickets. At these districts the votes wcr,
numbered, and an enrolling officer took dow
tile names OF the voters. Now, the names o.
l the enrolling book, the names on the pol
, agree. Officers voted first, as the,
stood on the muster rolls. The muster rolls o
; these companies show that they were enliste'
/; III various parts Of the State, Ottawa, Spring
: | uetd, LOckpOTLt ctc. lHC BALLOT, WlIH LII
number opposite each soldiers name, W:
taken from the ballot box by the Couut
: Clerk, and they we're all for Brandt. Now
J. how can They be mistake hcre9 The eel
=. titled muster roll, the poll book and the en-
: on the ballot corresponding with the soldiers
> number, show that they all voted for Brandt
= Had these votes been rejected. rs they shonl
j. have been, my majority would have been a
; least sixty, with Ill the votes they CLAIM
!. against me.
I do not make this statement In any spiri
;, Of ffault-Gnlipg, Iharc no regrets, and CON
planning is not my style, but it is done to SO!
isfy those friends who laye stood by me, an
l. who believed Was fairly elected, My dcsir
= is that they believe SO still.
l have received notking bnt considerat
treatment from nll Tic members of the Houst
!, with one exception. The privilege to spea
= Inst and close the debate OIL the report Of til
n committee was asked Of the majority. 1toI
n. n. Fuller, one Of the Representatives
:, Cook county, said he should move the prey
: ons question, unless the sitting member
J wished to speak. I stated my Intention
q speak, and my desire to close the dsbat
- which had been accorded to Inc by some men
n bers Of the dominant party. He then e
5 down, when / rose to make what I suppose
B, | the closing speech. did not occupy Qui
;; half MI hour, and sat down prcsunliilg TIL
!; the vote would at once be taken. To my utt
=, astonishinent the gentleman above referred
- got up and made i violent speech against NJ
). occupying ever forty minutes. Commcnt
]. not required. GEO. ". GAGE.
J; Springfield; Jan. alst, 1853
=