The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-01-09
BuckshOt War.

| RI 1000 I'LL 61Uc1upO Wdo u1SaUC W
overthrow the legitimate government
of Pennsylvania. In 1885, owing to
the discussions in the Democratic
party Joseph Ritner had been elected
governor. In 1888 the party in power
sought by every means without regard
to fairness and honesty to perpetuate
their hold on the State government.
The general election had demonstrated
the fact that David r. Porter had re-
ceived a majority of the popular vote
for Governor and that the Democrats
had elected a majority of the house of
representatives. A corrupt conspiracy
was entered into by high officers tode-
feat the will of the people by organic
ing the house of representatives with q
majority of spurious members and
with the assistance of the Senate which
contained an adverse majority and the
concurrence of the governor who held
over few weeks to contest Governor
Porter's election and to elect Thaddeus
Stevens to the U. s. Senate, to elect a
state treasurer and canal commissioner
and if they could not manipulate re-
turns for governor so as to elect Ritner
then to pass laws which in a measure
deprive him of any patronage.
In accordance with this programme
Thomas II. Burrowes, secretary of
State, shortly after election issued an
address to the friends of Gov. Ritner,
exhorting them to treat the election as
though they had not been defeated.
The organization of the house depend
ed on the returns from the county of
Philadelphia and to this the conspi-
ratOrs turned their attention. There
had been great frauds in one district of
the city. The board of return judges
was composed of seventeen persons.
Ten of these judges finding on exam
inatiOn that the frauds did not make
any difference in the election of sen-
ators and representatives made out
and returned certificates for the per-
sons having the highest number of
votes and adjourned sine die. Later
the same day six judges who took no
another part of thessbuilding, procured
the attendance ofone of the clerks, made
out other returns, certifying merely
that the persons named received the
number of votes opposite their names.
These were given to the sheriff who
forwarded them to the secretary of
state by an engine. The secretary of
state withheld from both houses the
true return. When the houses met
the false returns were read by the
clerk whereupOn member legally
elected from Philadelphia read a copy
of the correct return showing who had
been elected. Thaddeus Stevens of
Adams who held fraudulent certifi-
cate, contrary to all precedents arose
and moved the appointment of tellers
for the purpose Of electing a speaker.
He put the motion and declared it |
sustained. The tellers in calling the |
names called the eight spurious ones
from Philadelphia. A speaker was
declared elected and the house adj
journed. The Democratic members
in the regular way but the |
spurious house kept its organization |
for several weeks. A great multitude
had been called from all over the
State by this action. The governor |
made this pretext for calling out the
militia, Ostensibly to preserve the
peace, but really to Overawe the leg
islature, from which circumstance, to-
gether with the fact that the troops |
were ordered to load their guns with
buckshOt the affair became known as |
the "Buckshot War;"
AS we said, the spurious body con-
tinued to meet in the hall until three
members seeded, the others, however,
persisting in their course. Finally,
some ten days later the senate was COM
PEELED to recognize the legitimate
house owing to the pressure Of public
opinion. The attorney general had
all the time been advising with the
secretary ofstate.
The recent and important events oc-
curing in Maine have attracted uni
versal attention. yet we have seen no
account of this transaction which was |
in many respects as important as the
Maine business. The one was Wing, |
the other Democratic steal.