The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-18

at the headquarters OF the Republican Ma
tional Committee was the following from
well.known resident Of Alabama:
EuTAw, GREENE County, ALA,
August Z, 1880.
Sri claim descent from one, and CON
nection with another, OF the most honor
able Union. Wing families OF this state, all
of whom were opposed to and voted
against secession. Yet at the breaking
out Of the war I promptly joined the army
OF General Lee, and served till the close
OF the rebellion, receiving q number Of
wounds in the service; and pointing to my
civil and military record, challenge the
respect OF all Southern men. In 1875,
after Alabama, by fraud and the white.
llne.race issue, was seized by the Demo
cratic party, my sense OF honor and jus.
tice revolted, and openly espoused the
cause OF the Republican party. For this
crime (?) l am today stranger and an
alien among the friends ofmy youth and
my companionsin arms.
1 have the honor TO be member OF the
State Republican Executive Committee,
Chairman OF the Republican Executive
Committee Of the Sixth Congressional dis.
trict and chairman OF our County Repub-
lican Committee. / had the honor to rep
resent my county in the late State Repub.
lican Convention and my district as dele
gate to the late National Republican Con.
yention at Chicago.
On the 10th day OF July I went to the
town OF Pleasant Ridge, in this county, to
make Republican speech. Soon after |
began crowd OF white Democrats, sew
eral with opened knives and large sticks
in their hands, came up and Immediately
began TO interrupt me, so that could
scarcely utter two sentences consecutively.
demonstrated, assuring them that they
were injuring their own cause by such q
course, and distinctly announcing to them
that l did not desire TO array one race
against the other, but simply to break
down the white.line-race issue raised by
the Democratic party; and yet, while
reading letter published on August
IA, 1879, In the Eutaw Wing Demo.
cratic paper, was stopped, forbidden by
them TO read the letter, and Cursed and
abused repeatedly in the vilest terms; and
one oil their number declared that they
were all Democrats, and that should not
abuse the Democratic party. The accuracy
OF this statement is admitted by the Eutaw
Mirror, another Democratic paper pub.
lished here, on July 20, 1880.
But this Is not all. They cursed my little
seyen.year-old boy, who stood dumb with
fright before them. Moreover, l was
Obliged to desist in my effort to speak, and
was assured by Mr.. Vim. Horton, an aged
gentleman, that / was in great personal
danger; and, but for his protection, / am
fully satisfied that I should have sustained
serious, II not fatal, injury. The newspa.
per, the Mirror, In commenting on the al
fair, says: "That which seems to have
given most offence was q misstatement
which Mr.. Bird Is said TO have made 10 the
effect that the Democrats lay in the shade
all the year, and then cheated the negroes
out OF all they made" Thereupon the
editor indites long leader, calculated TO
intlame the passions OF men. The charge
against me Is a miserable untruth. ] sim.
ply read from the Eutaw Wing the follow
ing sentence: "The effort seems to have
been, with every recent legislature thai
the monied man could shut his eyes and
sleep the year out, and then gobble up oil
the laborers made" This explanation was
made TO the editor, who engaged TO do me
Justice in his columns, but has so far failed
TO do so.
On the Cd inst. we had here what Re
publiCans loolishly expected would be an
election, but which proved to be hollow
count. This county, In which the Repub
licans are better organized than they have
been for years, and which gave Haye:
and Wheeler, 1881 majority, was turned
over to the Democrats. At one box, where
we had three respectable gentlemen tive
OF whom we're Democrats) to inspect thu
tickets and see them delivered into thu
hands Of the managers, our 6lS Republi
can ballots on the final count turned out
to be only S4S, the balance goiI 9 TO swell
the Democratic vote; SO that this box, tha
gave Hayes and Wheeler 625 majority, Il
now counted Democratic by 10 majority
At another box, were i've competent wit
nesses inspected every ticket carefully
and where every voter marched singly u
the box with his ticket in full view ant
placed it into the hands OF the manager
our go votes "panned out" only 10. y
these tickets 100 were rejected, as we ar
informed, because they were not folded
when the truth is that folded every on
with my own hands, except 1856. Thes
are samples OF this miserable travest.
upon fair elections. This is the terribl
mode in which the South has been mad
solid.
potism more dreadful than the RUSSIA
autocracy. Here, In our native land, tn
man who is devoted to the Wing primo
ples OF his fathers, dares not give uttel
anCe 10 his views, for fear OF studied pei
secution and ridiculous prescription, n
good Samaritan goes to him TO blind U
his wounds, pouring in oil and wine" a
Is pilloried in the public press. He VIII
dares rebel against this cruel olgarch!
writes, In burning characters over b
door, that terrible inscription: "Who 81
tiers here, leaves Hope behind" His liz
tells and door posts are spAttered with u
blood Of his sacrificed reputation, an
friendly feet turn away from the fate
place In instructive dread OF the socially
destructive fires that fame up on his hol
piable threshold. The iorked tongue {
SANDER pursues him and his innocent fan
Nv; and, be the hApless man never so vi
tIous, drunken libertines, ignorant a
starts and social outcasts, by abusing hin
seek and gain semi.respectabllity and
aure passport 10 Democratic society.
WINFIELD S. BIRD.
.