The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-18

pcan nation &c. This statement is a
false one, and mason" must have known
it to be SO. You will see that he does mol
take the responsibility OF making the
charge over his own proper signature, bul
like the thief in the night, nc prefers 10 10
the deed in the dark, and salllcs loTth I'M
der an assumed name, take the rrSpOn.
sibility ul saving over my own signature,
Thai The friends al the new State were
>ious fora nll, fair and free vote on the
adupiun or rejection Of the Constitution,
and that they used every effort in their
power to obtain such vote So lar rs |
know or have heard, it was the Conicdcr.
myOntCs that prevented Il .tW pohc. In
Mason county and the kanawha Valley,
all who sympathiAcd with the COnirdrr.
aCy refused, If their O,oH dcd0Hi, 10 vote,
declaring that they would not recognize
anything done ut Wheeling, or by the
Wheeling government, rs ii was u bogus
concern, and they used every means in their
power to prevent Union men from going 10
the polls; threatening them with arres /,
and in very many cases prevented com.
missionCrs and shCrills from holding the
election by threats OF Confederate bayO-
nets, and it can be proved by the most
UNREASONABLE testimony that they did
make many such arrests. These hCtsarc
too well known to be questioned by any
intelligent, iair.mindcd, honorable citizen
then in West Virginia. But Mason was
not then in West Virginia, he having by
his violent, extreme course md counsel
rendered himself so obnoxious that he did
not feel sale among his own ncighbors,
and he had sought residence with those
whom lie knew not. 1t is, then, wholly
untrue and utterly false, that the voters
were kept from the polls by the fear of
Federal bayOnCls, but the reverse is true;
they were in very many cases Kept from
the polls by the persuasion of the COnIed-
crates, and threats and fears OF Conledcr-
atC bayOnGts. The general cry OF the
COnlCdCratCs was have nothing to do.
with the bogus concern; il you do have,
you will suiIGr for it,
II Is possible that ] may have misln.
ClCrst0Od and misCOnstruCd the real object
that mason had in writing his unprO'
vOkCd and slandGrOus communication
lie has frequently been heard to express
great hostility TO the new State and utter
contempt for everything done ut Wheel
ing in connection herewith. May it not,
then, ask, be his intention to prepare
the minds of the members Of the C0nycn.
ton (if one should be CaledD to set aside
and render null and void every act that
brought into existence, and has so far per.
peLuatcd the new State, and thus wipe
out West Virginia aud restore its terrific
ry to the old State, and subject us To the
same partial and unfair legislation which
was imposed upon us previous TO the d.
vision OF the StatGy
One word to my Democratic and Con.
lcdCratC friends WO NrC now in full pos.
session and control Of the State Govern.
mGnt, with majority ut least OF about
twenty thousand OF the popular vote 10
sustain lis. This majority We may hold
Tor many years, II wO will act but con.
Scryatvely and prlldcntly; but do we not
CndangCr our control OF the State by act.
ing under the advice and counsel Of Cx-
like "MasOn" and his associate
leaders, Radical Republicans in this
State held il ut one time by large mNjOri- |
ties, and had full and unGucstioned con.
troll Of 1t in all Of its departments, but
they lost the control Of the State by their
resort to the counsel Of extreme prOscrip-
tive men; and such will he our late If We
follow the leadership Of such extreme
men rs mason" beg you who listened
IL the advice and counsel of "MasOn" in
1861, and seen where II led then, TO reflect
whether ii would be safe to follow him
now.
In conclusion, would say that | have
heretofore, since tho close Of the war,
acted in good filth with tho Democratic
party, and expect to continue TO do so rs
long as II is the more conservative party
" The two. While am strongly opposed
to Radical prescription, ! am free TO say
am equally opposed to Confederate pro-
This discussion Is far from pleasant TO
nc. take no pleasure in It; but II will
not suffer my nGighbOr, without prOvOCa-
liOn, TO spit in my face, and rub 1t in by
false and malicious statements, without
rcscnting it. Very respectfully,
john HALL