Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-08-14
For the Bulistin.
THE CONC CONTEST m
DCBUQCG COUNTY.
DrsueuE, Aug. Il, 1863

campaign. ives, Of New York or Baltimore
Mr.. u. Z. Lyon, Chairman Of the ward com
/ mit,ee, had no sooner called the caucus I,
order, than it was taken possession Of BY
" mob" las Mr.. Lyon rightfuly denomina
ted i.,) Of several hundred ofths rcughs an,
rowiies, rum sellers and rum soakers, shoul
der>h,,ers and jail>birds, the dregs and OF
scourings Of both political parties Of Dubu
que, which constitute the " Graves party.
The frs, sentence Of the chairman Of tn,
ward committee, preliminary ts the formali'
~ ETA regular organization, WAS drowned
BY the elamorous and persistent calls Of the
crowd, 70 majority Of those then present be
ing Unknown and life>loug Democrats
from oil parts of,he city, for . chairman
Of their own naming. Mr.. Lyon refused 70
put any question ill arrangements had been
made whereby the Republicans of the ward,
exclusive Of Democrats and persons FROM
other wards, could participate in the csr ,us
His voice was drowned and be ". ordered
10 sit down the person NJ. asd bv The mob
4 1870
assumed the caairms. uship Of The mes,;nr
and 'henceior.. ard The mob conducted the
caSS-s.
/ Many Of Mr.. Allisou's friends at once
ceased working, intending to let the mob
have shinRs their own way, and in the coun.
~ convention contest the action Of this he,-
erogsnsous rabble dozens Of Republicans,
the 'rnest IN the wara, went home without,
voting bu, as the Graves party graciously
allowed Mr.. AlGspn's friends to have . sec i.
rotary and teller - we'll Is themselves, the
caucus proceeded, under protest from the
Chairman OF the ward committee, and occas-
ioaal 6shts insagurassd By drunken and in.
furiated bro,ss whose right to vote vas chal.
lsngsd on account Of their being non>resi>
dents Or non, Republicans, or both, and IN
occasional cheer for "Seynour and
Gaves.'
A Aight Of half . dozen steps led up from
the street to the room in which the ballot
box was placed. These steps were at the
outset taken possession Of By dozen or SO
lo~>livsd, shiskey- bloated, prize-rins bull,
lies, belonging to both parties and dis
grace to both. When . known Graves man
came to vote, hs ~as afforded free access.
When known Allison man approached,
every hindrance was placed in his way;
could name men in this city Who struggled
for half IN hour to crowd their way through
that press-gsng, and were then obliged TO |
cave without voting. Dozens Of persons OF |
The class Of omnibus drivers, railroad con-
duc'ors, baggage men and brakemen, ETC.,
Who we're obliged to be At their places at . |
set time, we're thus prevented from voting
1t all.
Each party had challenger, in conse>
lasnce Of which, seventy votes, handed in
BY persons known to be non.rssiden,s or
Democrats, we're placed BY the tellers in .
bar, and no, in the hallo,,box. o. count.
ing The votes Afterwards, were found to be
for Allison and IS for Graves. Exclusive
Of these, Allison-to the surprise Of every.
body--had 22l votes to Caves 2O6-shov>
ing that one fourth # all the votes attempt.
ed to be cast for Graves we're BY well-known
DemocrAss, or non.residents Of the ward
on both sides, At the conclusion
Of the counting, conceded the victory to the
Allison ticket The chairman, and Graves
teller and secretary, oil acknowledged that
the Graves ticket uss fairly beaten.
But during the night, Mr.. Graves, Who
can concoct more yillainy in his dreams than
. scoundrel Of common caliber in his best
waking hours, be and his clan de-.
vised the plan Of demanding count Of the
full rote, iselading those thrown ou, Is be-
ing fraudulent, and having certificates of
election made out TO the Graves delegates
on that basis, signed BY the Graves seere-
tary and teller, by which means two delega.
tons from the fourth ward would present
., the county conven.ion-which,I
if Graves could carry ell the other wards
and New Wine township, would be Graves
convention BY one vote, (exclusive Of the
fourth ward, and would let in the Graves
delegation from the fourth ward, whether
they had any credentials or not. And ear
ly Saturday morning Graves sent letters and
ielegraphc dispatches oil over the district,
stating that be had carried the fourth ward |
By over ffiy majority.
Saturday nigh, the New Wine township
caucus was held. II never cast larger Re-
publican vote than seventy or seventy FIVE T;
bat in the caucus. so Republican votes we're |
given for Allison, and 50, Republican aud |
Democratic, for Graves. To show how this
result vas effected when the caucus Was
about half through, the following CONVERSE
ton occurred between Graves man and An
Allison man whom the former supposed to
be one Of bis Own clique:
Have you voted r.
"Not yet."
"wsll, aren't you going To give Graves .
InY"
"Of course am /; but they've only offer.
ed me IN dollars yet, and / am hanging
back, awhile, for they have given my bro,h>
in>law fifteen, aud can get the same, for
it's going to be d-n close fight"
Icould give the names Of the parties, but
il would be useless to your readers, Who are
unscquainled with them.
Julien township held its caucus Saturday
night, electing six Allison delegates by o
vote Of 62 to 81. .
Last night caucuses we're held in the 9th.
er four wards Of the city. Each was taken
possession Of BY mob, and Republican and
Democratic votes Unfortunately cast. In
the second ward alone the Allison men OBJ
tanned control Of the organization, and it
was carried Cor Mr. Allison, - every ward
would have been but for Democratic votes.
The 6rst ward in years past has given from
| 10 TO los Republican votes last night il
gave 60 votes for Allison and l07 for Graves.
The challenges Of the Allison challenger
we're utterly disregarded, and Of the last ffty
votes polled, forty we're by we!l-known Dem
ocrats. Third and fifth wards ditto. Third
ward last spring polIsd 1903 Republican
votes last night in caucus 1853 votes wers
cast. Fifth ward last spring polled $50 Re
publican votes last night the caucus open,