Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-11-05
WEST VIRGINIA,
How the Radicals Secured the
Election,

nj parties In this State can be likened 90
q game Of cards played in the following
manner The Radicals furnish the cards,
they shuttle them, they cut them; they al
so deal them and make the lead. After
playing the game through, with q confed-
crate holding a United States bayOnet at
The Democrats back, the Radical counts
the camel What chance has the Demo.
crai1 And what chance has our party In
this State, under present Radical arrang-
nents?
CHARACTER or THE REGISTRY LAVE.
From the earliest history every human
Law creating an Office has partaken Of
three characteristics. One commanding
the officer what to do, one prohibiting him
what he is not TO do, and The third pro-
viding punishment in case he trans.
crosses the law, II has been reserved for
the Legislature Of West Virginia 10 enact
law placing al once both the popular
will Of the ballot and the jury system in
the hands Of chosen few, with absolute
and unrestricted authority. By special
enactment the Registers are exempt from
punishment for any violation of duties
| for any crime either Of omission or COM
mission. No Court or tribune in tbe State
has any Jurisdiction over them. The
agrieved has no remedy at Law against
them.
The consequences Of this has been that
they have enfranchised and disfranchised
at will Thousands who had an undoub;-
cd right under the Radical laW--had il
been impartislly exouled-to bave been
re egistered, were refused, Hundreds who
were registered and voted the Republi
can ticket In time past, but who have
joined the Democratic party, have for this
sole reason, been stricken from the list.
sYsTEMATlc INTIMIDATION BEFORE THE
! ELECTION.
Another game in an attempt To carry
the State was to endeavOr TO intimidate
the Democracy. In different parts Of the
State, just previous to the election, the
Radicals carried on o system Of night
meetings, parading through the country,
visiting Democrats, hooting, kissing, FIR
ing off pistols, and, in some instances
not stopping short Of personal violence.
In Marion county their conduct was SPEC
tally outrageous. Armed bands of par
tisans dressed in every Outlandish style
lin parti-solored suits and masquerade
hats--prowlsd through the country on the
two nights before the election, outrsging
decenoy and law.
THEIR CONDUCT ON ELEcTroN DAY.
In many instances there was gross mis-
conduct on the part Of RBdical Commits.
sioners Of Election on the day Of election.
In Pleasant County, The name ofa Rad.
ical candidate was aecidently left off the
ticket, and It was not discovered until
Some three hours after the voting had
commenced. An adjournment. was had
| for dinner, and the ballot was taken
away. The voting wac resumed after
dinner: When the ballots we're finally
counted /. was found that the candidate
whose name had been left of, through ac
oident in the early part Of the day, was
even with his ticket, BY some means
his lost votes bad been fully restored
This facts needs no comment. In Woods
county there we're frauds in several pre-,
eincts. In one precinct votes were re.
ceived after nine o'clock at night, aud
after half the votes had been counted
While at dinner the ballot box was taker
off, unsealed by one Of the officers Of elect
ion, contrary 10 law. In another precinct
the ballot was taken charge Of by dep
uty clerk after the votin & was closed, un
sealed and the key remaining in the
lock. He kept until nine o'clock th,
following day. aud when the votes were
counted the Radicals had q greater ma
forily than they claim ed. AT precinc
in Writ County, one Of the officers Of cleo
tion, when he received the votes Of (
Democrat, would open 1t, contrary 10 Law
and exclaim; "IIere is another rebel busl
whacker's vote" Similar remarks Wert
frequently made to intimidate voters.
Notwithstanding oil the hundreds OF in
stances which might be mentioned as hay
ing been committed during the day O.
election, there is no doubt that the Dem
: ocrats polled enough votes to elect theil
candidates. In ell the precincts through
out the State, when the vote was counted
on the night Of the election. the Demo
cratic gains we're so great that this re.
suit clearly indicated but in large ma
jority the vote was only partially counted
on the night Of the election, or entirely
postponed until the following day. l
was so arranged that riders were sent ou
in most Of the counties, directing the Jus
tices of The Peace 10 bold the ballots un
til tie following day before counting. II
most cases the boxes were unsealed. TIL,
shn, % rsvssl"5 ~ ~ wv S- INV O'"''
Tbs nsonIs ~ w.st v;ro;n,a h.,. :,
vsvs at tbair vo,s Nina rec, nn,;i ;,S %. o.
rsni,sijor into 4 ~sw ststs Tho. s y. y.
Sot ,hsrators sI;iIsd n Ista,s.,ir a. ~
msthods ~ fraud vS;cb car hs rr".s, -, y,
on ,bs nrsuanstt;n. bv ,Se bsi,ot S,Hs' sv.,sN
in n; ths h.nds ~ adan,s tn" Rad,c.,: Ss", 49,
4 had s,orythinr in THAR own hands mn
. | -raro 1atarminnd Ia ,,;n h, Haiv rn.a~. :.
u WIZ "es0An'" =" WIN ~ i@AA '"Vans "