Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-09-21
From the wheeling Register.I
REGISTRATION OUTRAGES.


Legislature in October without any difficulty.
This the Radicals of that region are striving
to prevent. Heretofore they have generally
succeeded by rejecting returns from Demo-
cratic townships, in having Jefferson repre-
sented by Radical members. But that game
has been played SO often that it can hardly be
repeated. Since their Radical members from
Jefferson cannot be got into the House by
hook or crook, the next best thing, it Is
thought, will be to prevent any election at all.
This can easily be done by preventing any
registration.
Governor Stevenson has aided this shame
full purpose. Through his dereliction the
Board of Registration in Jefferson county has
never been organized There have been no
township registrars appointed. There have
been no steps taken to prepare the registra-
ton books for the coming election. And yet
without that preparation no qelection can be
held. Can human ingenuity deg ar dirtier
trick to thwart the will of the people.
In order that our readers may understand
the case, we present an extract from letter
written by gentleman of standing, influence
and responsibility in Jefferson county, whose
name we will be happy to furnish Governor
Stevenson if he desires to investigate the mat
ter with view to allowing the people of JEFF
ferson county to hold an election this Fall
x x The old Board of Registra-
ton, composed of Onderdonk, Turner and
Traynor, was re>appointed some time since,
but from the fact of Onderdonk being post
master at Shepherdstown, he could not serve,
or refused to do so, and as 1 am informed the
others either refused to serve or resigned, and
up to the present no others have been ap>
pointed in their places. The motives for
this mastery inactivity on their part am at
loss to account for, EXCEPT thatit is the only
way to prevent an election in our county, and
thereby by some means only known to them
selves secure the return offs Senator and Dele
gates from old Jefferson.
We are in the dark and can't find out any
thing. The Governor and some in our county
out of which no good can come. If there is
any other county in the State misruled and
misgoverned to the same extent that we are,
God help its people.
The above statements are corroborated by
another letter from an equally respectable
gentleman in different part of the county.
We quote:
The County Board of Registration appointed
by his Excellency, Governor Stevenson, have
so far failed to meet or take any action. In
fact it is generally conceded that they will
not act. Onderdonk is disqualified, being
Postmaster. Another, Charles Traynor, is
Assistant Postmaster, and in reply to my
asking him when the Board would sit answer
ed that there would be no election in Jeffer-
son county that there was no Board or books
1 demonstrated at such language, on account
of the peculiar status of two townships (Har-
per's Ferry and Charestown) being CONSOLE
dated with Bolivar and Grant, giving the Rad
icals all the advantages, being both large Con-
servative townships. But he still argued no
election, which I look upon as a trick, they
knowing full well that the Conservatives can
elect both Delegates even with the very scant
registration that voted last Fall.
y
I have urged our friends here to join me in
q letter to the Governor stating the facts in
our county and asking Board to register the
legal voters, at least 400 or 500, that are not
on the old books, which 1 still hope will be
We ask the candid consideration of these
statements from the fair minded men of all
parties. If there is any doubt as to their
correctness, the records in the State House
will verify them so far as to show that there
is no Board of Registration in Jefferson county.
The registration law itself clearly renders it
impossible to hold elections without books of
UIok h. g h. TofF
son Radicals is in desiring no election we can
understand very clearly. But we cannot un>
derstand why the powers of the Executive
Office should be exerted in furtherance of such
a monstrous scheme. The people Of Jefferson
are just as much entitled to an election next
month, as are the people of Ohio county. If
Governor Stevenson can wink or conniVe at
fraud in the one case he can in the other. IF
be allows his subordinates to cheat the people
out of their franchises and elective privileges
in Jefferson county this year, why may he not
do it in Ohio county next year?
As stated elsewhere, we have now, at this
late day, Board of Registration, but ap-
pointed too late for compliance with the law
rs to township registration. The effect of this
will be to compel every man who desires to
secure his right of franchise to go before the
Board, which will hold its meetings at Shep-
herdstown. So far as our own township is
concerned, this game was played upon it last
year, and of the large number who travelled,
some twelve and some fifteen miles to the
county seat, only eleven were suffered to re-
main upon the books. This will doubtless be
the case again, under the maneuvreing of
Stevenson and his Board of Registration
Is IT So ?-For several days we have been
entertained with rumor-vague it is true