The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-22

ticket the Republicans had on absolute
majority Of nearly 5000 on the popular
vote. This was the result shown by
official returns made BY the city and town
clerks and Immediately made public by
the Secretary OF State. When sealed re.
turns were opened some weeks later 10 be
counted by the Governor and Council,
they disclosed the same result that had
been published from the clerks re.
turns and common honesty and common
decency, TO say nothing Of official
integrity, required that the men
chosen by the people should be declared
elected and receive their certificates; but
the Governor aad Council have declared
otherwise, and in collision with other
well-known men, they entered into q con.
BpiraCy TO change the result and deprive
the people Of their choice; and then be.
gan the remarkable count which has Just
closed TO the lasting dishonor and disgrace
Of all who had u part or lot in il. They
began 10 discover "iatal defects" as Gov
ernor Garcelon termed them, in the re-
turns from Republican towns. Here and
there an ii" was not dotted, or a Vt" not
crossed, or a nan had "Jr." left of his
name, or the initial letter OF his middle
name was wrong, or the ballot that elect
ed him had names printed at right angles
to the narrow side when they should have
been parallel, or the signatures OF all the
town officers, TO the acute eye Of a single
councillor, without any other evidence,
were written in the same hand, or the
total number q votes was not Oiled out liz
the right part oil the collection blank, or one
Of the town officers was an alien, or the
seleCtmen were permitted 10 swear away
their own return by ex parte affidavit, al.
though they had once sworn the return
was sealed in open town meeting they
now swear 1t was not, or the return OF
cities was signed by only three aldermen,
just according to the blank sent from the
office OF the Secretary OF State, after be.
ing prepared as q trap or pitiall.
"These and numerous minor points OF
like value were freely used to destroy the
popular vote and maintain in power the
party and the men whom the people have
rejected. The result OF the whole OF this
pitiful and wicked pettifogging was 10
change q Republican majority OF seven in
the Senate and t%wenty-one in the House
10 a fusion majority Of nine in the Senate
and seventeen in the House, with five
Republican cities completely DISTINGUISHED
and denied by the Governor and Council
the poor boon OF q new election, SO that
Portland, Lewiston, Bath, Rockland and
Saco are absolutely rendered incapable OF
taking any part in the organization Of the
Legislature, or in the choice Of Governor,
or in the election OF State officers, or in
the original composition Of the House
committees, which shape and practically
control legislation. Perhaps il the repre-
sentativeS chosen by these five important
cities will humbly petition the House and
cool their heels in the ante-chamber Of
fusion greatness for three or four weeks
they may be permitted to be sworn in,
when they can no longer embarrass the
progress Of the c~onspirators' programme,
and no longer be able to serve their CON
%stituents,"