entitled to vote, the slave party saw a rare opportunity for the
manufacture of faggot votes. What was to hinder the inhabitants
of Missouri, the neighbouring State--who were slavery men--from
going over in a body and voting! Couldn't men migrate and change
their minds? Scandalous, you say. It was. But the scandal was
actually perpetrated. None other than the acting Vice-President
of the United States advised this course, and he found many ready
to improve upon his instructions. One official stated: 'To
those who have qualms of conscience as to violating laws, State
or National, I say the time has come when such impositions must
be disregarded, since your rights and property are at stake. And
I advise you one and all to enter every election district in
Kansas and vote at the point of the bowie-knife and, the
revolver.'

Thus, a thousand strong, with two cannon in their procession, the
armed ruffians went to vote at an election out of their own
State. If brave election judges protested--and some did, in
spite of cocked pistols at their heads (like true lawyers ready
to die for justice' sake)--and required the mob to establish
their claims, they were overpowered; the ruffians seized the
ballot-boxes, and in the end there were 4,908 votes cast, though
there were only 1,410 genuine voters in the State. Such was the
deliberate report of a committee years after. The Legislature
thus elected met and were suffered to make a Statute Book for the
young State. Penalties of imprisonment and death were liberally
appointed for all who should dare to resist the institution of
slavery.

With such legislation to shield their lawlessness, ruffians