Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1859 — The Morgan County Contested Election Case. [ARTICLE]

The Morgan County Contested Election Case.

A few days ago a contested election case, involving the right to the office of Treasurer of Morgan county, was concluded in the Circuit Court of that county by a judgment against the Republican occupant. The election was held in 1858. The parties were Mr. Fessler, Republican, and occupant of the office, and Mr. Knox, Democratic defeated candidate, now successful contestant. The ground of contest was alleged fraud in two townships, Clay and Monroe. On the trial it was proved that about eighty Democratic votes were given in the latter of these townships, and that the election board had only returned about fifty. The thirty missing, were struck oft’the poll list, and their places | supplied with men who were dead, moved away, or were entirely unknown to the citi , zens. One man was returned as a votei in 1858, among these manufactured “sovereigns,” who it was proved had died in 18 13, and had been dissected! The Democrat who made Salmon P. Chase and Horace Greeley vote for the pro-slavery ticket in Kansas by the Kickapoo frauds, achieved a novel and striking feat of election rascality, but this’ Republican who makes a man dead and dissected for fifteen years vote, a Republican ticket, has certainly surpassed them. The amount of fraud proved, some thirty votes, would not have changed the election, as Fessler had a majority of one hundred and sixteen, but" he, with a manly resolution, that we suspect would find but few imitators among the Democracy, abandoned the contest and gave up the office to his opponent. He and his attorneys said, that though the extent of fraud proved was not sufficient to destroy his majority, it was sufficient to show that the election in that township had been corrupted, and he would not have an office obtained by such an election. The case was abandoned on the part of the Republicans. As to Clay township, there was nothing of itn porta nee el ic it cd. There i.s one feature of this affair that deserves s ecial attention. It was not a fraud committed by the voters. T.vo, or at most, three men composing the election board were the guilty parlies. The Voters had no part in it. Nor had any prominent Republican of the county. Nor had the candidate lor whom the fraud was committed. When it was discovered, lie at once gave np the office to his opponent, which he certainly would not have done if he had known of it previously. And there was no evidence in the least connecting him with it, or indicating that he had ever heard of it. It was the act of the two or three men alone. Their motive, of course, we cannot know; but probably it sprang in the first place out of Bets oofethe election, that prolific source of dishonesty and fraud. I fit was party devotion only, it was the mwst suicidal devotion possible, for the party had a majority fairly without the thirty manufactured votes, and the fraud could only work mischief whether successful or not.

Dishonesty is wretched policy in elections as well as everything else. Next to its unscrupulous advocacy or acquiescence in slavery propagandism, election frauds, systematic, constant and widespread corruption,has done most to demoralize and defeat the Democracy. Republicans, with the noblest object that any party 7 ever contended for, the emancipation of our Government from the disgrace and shame of strengthening and extending slavery, will follow to the same ruin if they pursue the same road. We have no excuse or palliations to make for this disgraceful transaction. Those who were concerned in it must bear the full weight of its dishonor. But. against the party use that will be made ol it we beg to suggest a single consideration to the Democracy. This fraud is not excused or defended by the Republicans of Morgan, or any other county. The beneficiaries of it repudiated it. How does this straightforward, manly conduct contrast with the course of the Democracy in regard to the Kansas frauds! There, 1 though manufactured poll lists containing hundreds of names were used, and the frauds admitted on all hands, the whole party, with few exceptions sustained the fraud, palliated the villainy, and used both to consummate the outrage of depriving the people of the right o make their own Constitution. We have no excuse for a Republican fraud any more than for a Democratic fraud. Democrats, however, stand to the last in support of every villainy in which they are detected, and lie bravely through every discovery of corruption. We don't admire the example and shall not follow it.— Stale Journal. We indorse everj' word the Journal says, and hope that those three Republicans who committed the fraud will be shunned by all good citizens. There place should be in the Penitentiary, or the Gid Line party Re-■

I publicans cannot tolerate such rascality. But why don’t the Journal publish the names of the rascally Election Board! Pass them round. A Correction.—ln our notice of the , contested election case in Morgan county yesterday, we spoke of the Republican candidate. Mr. Fessler, as the occupant of the office in dispute, the Treasurer’s, and of Mr. Knox, the Democrat, as contesting his right to it. This was an error. Mr. Knox was in possession of the office, holding over from a former term, and by an injunction had prevented a certificate of election from issuing to his opponent, who was thus made the contestant although with a nominal majority. The error is not material to the matter we were discussing, but it is as well to correct it.— Stale Journal.