14 
KANSAS. 
he would be abused and probably killed if he challenged a vote. 
He was at length compelled to seek the protection of the judges. 
After the election these men mounted into their wagons, crying 
out, “ All aboard for Westport and Kansas City! ” 
* Similar frauds were practised in the other districts. In the 
eighth district, five hundred and eighty-four illegal votes were cast, 
and only twenty legal. It was a remote district, with a sparse 
population. At Leavenworth, then a little village, several hundred 
men came over from Platte, Clay and Kay counties, camped around 
the town, and controlled the polls. Many of them were men of 
influence in Missouri. Gen. Whitfield was, by these illegal votes, 
elected delegate to Congress. . 
In January and February, 1855, Gov. Reeder caused the census 
to be taken. The whole number of inhabitants was found to be 
eight thousand five hundred and one. 
The same day that the census returns were brought in complete, 
Gov. Reeder issued his proclamation for an election to be held 
March 80th, 1855, for the Legislative Assembly. 
The winter in Kansas was very mild and pleasant. There was 
not a day that the people could not follow their out-door employ- 
ments, and but little snow fell. With occasional lectures before 
the Athenaeum just formed, and a general prevalence of kindly 
feeling, the pioneers passed a pleasant winter amid the uncouth 
arrangements of the new home. 
Before the time of the election in March, the border papers were 
again rife with their threats of outrage. The following, from the 
Leavenworth Herald , will suffice to show the character of the lead- 
Brs of the pro-slavery party, and their intentions regarding the 
manner in which Kansas was to be made a slave state. The plan 
of operation was laid down in an address to a crowd at St. Joseph, 
Missouri, by Stringfellow. “ I tell you to mark every scoundrel 
among you that is the least tainted with free-soilism, or abolition¬ 
ism, and exterminate him. Neither give nor take quarter from the 
d—d rascals. I propose to mark them in this house, and on the 
present occasion, so you may crush them out. To those having 
qualms of conscience, as to violating laws, state or national, the 
time has come when such impositions must be disregarded, as your 
