The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1876-07-08

line 70 be, visited by the gangs of ruff
ans from beyond the border who con
trolled the elections of 1856. As w
have seen before. no poll was opened il
the county for the election in October o
this year, as the free State men through
out the Territory generally refused Il
take any part in the election. John w
Whitfield was reelected to Congress ant
the Legislature, Is the first had been, wa
almost unanimously pro-slavery. In th1
Legislature of rs VIM. Barbee of Fl
Scott brother of J. s. Barbee who fig
ured in this county, represented in thu
council large aud indefinite extent o
Territory including Allen county and s
A. Williams represented in the House 9
somewhat similar district. In the sec
ond Territorial Legislature elected DC
tober 1856. which met at Lecomptor
January IL, 1857, B. Brantly and w. w
Spratt represented in the House, Bour
bon and number of adjoining counties
and in the council, Blake Little, a noted
border rufian, succeeded VIM. Barbee
deceased.
A census was taken in April 1857 un.
der an act of the Territorial Legislature,
preparatory to new Legislative appor-
tionment and for the election of dele
gates to the Lecompton Constitutional
Convention. By this census the Pcpula-
ton of Bourbon, MCGEE, Dorm and Allen
counties was 1922, and the legal votes
645, and were entitled to delegates in
the convention. III. T. Wilson, Blake
Little, Miles Greenwood and G. P. Ham,
ilton were elected. J. 5. Barbee of
Allen being defeated. The candidates
were all pro-slavery, the free state men
refusing to recognize the proceeding in
any way. In the Legislative apportion-
ment, the counties of Shawnee, Rich.
ardson, Davis, Wise, Breckenridge,
Bourbon, Godfrey, Wilson, Dorm, MCGEE,
Butler, Hunter, Greenwood, Madison,
Wilson, Coffee, Woodson and Allen were
allowed two members of the council, and
in the House nineteen counties includ-
ing Allen were allowed three representa-
tives. The election took place October
9Th, 1857. Under the assurance of Gov.
Robt, ]. Walker that the election should
be fair and free, the free state party now
for the first time determined to muster
their strength at the ballot box. The
result after throwing out some illegal
votes in johnson and MCGEE counties
was a complete victory, nine Free State
council men were elected and four pro-
slavery, and in the House "a Free State
to Is pro-slavery. The political complex
ION of the county at this time is shown by
the vote for delegate in Congress, as
follows: Deer Creek, NJ. J. Parrot Free
State SO, E. Ransom pro-slavery l. Cof-
achique, Parrott 20, Ransom 16. Cole
Creek, Parrot -, Ransom 8. Total vote
So. Free State majority As.
o. E. Learnard and G. K. Halliday
represented in the Council the district
of which Allen county formed a part,
and in the House of Representatives were
Christopher Columbia, John Curtiss and
Samuel 1. Stewart, the first citizen of
Allen county who occupied a legislative
position in the Territory.
The affairs of the county were still
conducted by the original county
board, Brown, Cowdep and Owens, al
though it seems that Owens now seldom
met with them. At their first meeting
in 1857, January 9th, they again under
took to levy a tax. This time it was
435 per cent on 100 dollars. They ap-
pointed Jacob B. Sherlock assessor, Of
fered bounty of % cts for wolf scalps
and allowed Barbee so cts house rent.
On the 10Th they had another meeting
and appointed Nimrod Hankins assessor,
because as the record says, Sherlock re-
fused to take oath. On March 80, the
assessment role was returned and showed
a total of taxable property in the
county S3i,515.5O. The board allowed
the assessor "a dollars for his services.
Having apparently discovered that 49s
per cent was rather heavy tax the
Board at this meeting rescinded their for
mer action and levied tax of ] of one
per cent, which was much more reason
able. Having thus satisfactorily ar
ranged the financial affairs of the county,
the board adjourned, as the record
quantity says, till there is other business
before the court. This seems to have
been we'll put in for there was but one
other meeting during the year, and that
was to organize some voting precincts in
Greenwood county. This was model
county board and their example is ear
nestly commended to the imitation of
their successors of the present day, what
happy people we should be if our pres
ent board would only meet when there is
Cuisines before the court" We might
soon return to tax Of Of per cent,
and find some meaning in the catch
words of retrenchment and reform with
which our willy politicians are accustcm-
ed to amuse us
During the summer and fall of 1857
large additions were made to the popu-
lation of the county, So many new set
tiers arrived that it is impossible to give