The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-10-26
The Vote United In M0nOngalia
A Break i'm the Machine VOt-
ing Business.

The vote In MOnongalia, for Dele
gates, which was supposed to have
resulted in tie between Messrs.
Hagans and Cox, has been united
by a recount. An error OF four votes
was discovered in favor of Mr.. la
gans. which, Of course, elects that
gentleman.
Mr.. Hagans will Sring som e cxpe-
rience to his position as representa-
tive in the Legislature. and while
his colleague, Mr.. Hare, has not this
advantage, he is Il man of strong,
practical sense, and the two Will
make respectable delegation from
that county.
But the feature in.the late election
upon which we feel like congratulate
ing this and other old Republican
counties, is the break in the system
of machine voting, al / show of in
dependence among the masses that,
in MOnongalia at least, has not before
manifested itself since the war. The
Republican party lash no sooner
cracked than the slaviSh ranks were
closed, and no private dared step out
of tune till he reached the polls and
deposited ballot previously prepar-
ed and pronounced beyond suspicion.
Things have been!runninZ in this
rut 80 long that almost ali independ-
ence of thought has been v,tiated.
and the political sense has become
40 depraved am ,ns the masses that
the principle of resurret ton seemed
almost destroyed. In one or two or
more of these counties every man
has "a record" The political ere
cord" is to man what his hat Is to
his head-he murt not 60 abou
without it. He must carry it with
him and exemp'ify it with not less
fidelity than his religion, on all oc-
casiOns. These must he no swerving
no suspicion OF change or depart
ure. He must he roote or ground
ed in the faith. The "record" is the
thing. Without "recur'i" he is of
no political consequence no m IRE
than a blood horse without pedi-
gree. Moreover the "rccord" must
be shown to have been unsul'ed
since the voter came to the age of re-
sponsibility. To he unsullied, means
that he has stuck to his opinions,
right or wrong. that he voted with
the Republican party since he came
of age, and has no particle of toler-
ance for any opinion that antagonizes
his own and his paIty's.
1t was costly step to man to
his charact ter, his standing among his
neighbors, If not to his business, to
sully this thing of IA "record" by any
departure from the party code, which
his viction3 rendered necessary,
or by any independence of thought
or action ON political topics. He was
an apostate that everybody spotted
on the inst ant.
If some of these record" politi-
clans in these counties had lived dur
ing the FIRST days of creation they
would be still, at this day spotting
the man who voted fur an improve
inent on chaos, record of votes on
this subject had been taken and in
any way influenced the progress Of
| the earth out of its original chaotic
| condition.
We never think Of the election
but we feel like exulting over the
smashing Of this "recor' and ma
chine voting proce ~ that has held
some OF these counties in bondage for
so many years.
We congratulate OH Monongaiia
and her sister counties that have
been regenerateu and disenthralled
from the slivish tracking to the ere
cord-keeperS," as evinced by tine
election OF some representatives who
represent free thought, free speech
and untr ammelcd political progress
and independence on all SUBJECTS
Register.