The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-11-13

concerning the Justification of the cleo
ton returns from jefferson County. Inc
Supervisors of that County met accor-
ding to law, twelve days after the eiec-
ton to make out theirreport for transmits
sion to the proper officer. They had
probably received reports from the other
counties of the judicial circuit and the
senatorial district, showing that KENNE-
DY was elected Judge, and DowNEY
State Senator. Accordingly, in, order to
make it appear that HALL and Cha LIN n
were the successful candidates, and to
give the Offices they sought to these ex-
Founders of the radical faith, in defiance
of the will of the people, the supervisors
agreed to reject the votes Of Charleston"
borough from the official count LII
Charlestown KENNEDY had 2o6 votes ana
HALL one. Charlestown was not counted
the returns thus garbled and falsifed
were sent to the proper officers, and
Governor FOREMAN is expected to pro-
claim the election of the Judge whom
the supervisors have seen fit to foist upon
the unwilling people Hundreds of vo-
tsrs legally qualified to vote by the consti-
tuition of the State, and who would have
deposited their ballots in favor oftne
conservative candidates were distran-
chisad by the test oath Hundreds more
were deferred from exercising the right
ofsufrage by intimidation and force, and
there were many instances Jefferson and
Berkeley counties ot'the rejection of con-
sentative votes even alter the persons of
fering them had complied with every re-
quirement, whether constitutional or not
which the election officers saw fit to inn
pose. But notwithstanding all these
things, enough conservative votes We're
cast to elect fairly and lawfully, by ma
jority of more than two hundred votes,
Hon. j. l.. KENNEDY. to be Judge OF the
tenth Judicial Circuit, and O d. DOwNEy
State Senator Having failed to defeat
these men at the polls, the election is, in
effect, set aside and ascOundrelly board of
supervisors assume authority 10 appoint
to the judicial bench and to seats in the
Legislature of the State, men who have
been repudiated by the people. Can
radical villany or despotism go further!
1t may be asked, will Messrs HALL and
CHAPLINE accept offices obtained by
these means? Certainly not, if they are
honorable men and friends of republican
institutions. Should Mr. HALL accept,
during the whole six years of his judicial
term he will have the consciousness. ill.,
tolerable to any high minded man, that
he is not the choice of the people oven
whose courts he presides, and that the
manner of his induction into Office has
deprived him of that honor his position
should confer and that respect which it
should command. IfMr CHAPLINE takes
his seat i'm the Senate next winter, he
will know that he does not represent the
people Of his district; that at the election
held on the fourth Thursday OF October
a majority of votes was cast for his op
ponent aud that had full vote been per-
mitted and the wishes of all the people
obeyed, the majority against himself
would have been much larger than it
was. Such reflections would silence the
voice of any believer in republican insti-
tutions aud paralyze his tongue when he
attempted to vote.
The outrage committed in Jefferson
county is blow at the liberties and
rights of the entire State. By it two men
will be sent to the House of Delegates
and one to the Senate, neither of whom are
Justly entitled to be legislators. These
men, if they accept the Offices to which
they have been appointed by miserable
faction composed of mere handful of
the people of their county and district,
will aid in making laws for the govern
eminent of the entire State and, by their
unauthorized votes, may further the
adoption of measures ,iinpolitic and i'll
advised and contrary to the wishes Of
the people of the State. If we pretend
to be republic, the DEGREES of the bal
lot-box must be sacredly obeyed, and no
punishment can be too severe for those
who attempt to defeat the will of the
people and by cascality and fraud foist
upon MS officers contrary to the consent
Of the governed.
If the gentleman to whom the super
visors of Jefferson county have given
certificates of election attempt to cXer-
else the functions of their respective Off
ees, we presume their right To do so will
be contested. and it will be determined
before the proper tribunals whether the
constitution and the laws shall be obey
cd In the election of officers, or whether
an irresponsible board of township poll
ticians whose maligpity is only exceeded
by their ignorance can appoint whopso-
ever they viii.
The Test Oath in Missouri.
T \ u