Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-09-25
Speech OF Hon. ". L. WiIsom.

respectable number of persons assembled at
the Court House on Monday afternoon last
to hear the abOye-named gentleman, Elector
at Large. The space at our command Will
only admit of brief synopsis Of his very a.
bic speech which will hardly convey an idea
of the real force and eloquence of the effort.
Mr. Wilson began by SAYING that the State
| Convention having placed its commission on
him. he WAS here 10 consider some of the issues
of the campaign. Nobodydoubted how this
County or State would go in October, but 1t was
always proper and necessary To discuss pubic
questions in every campaign n democratic
victory in Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia
would produce stampede in the ranks nj our
foes 50 that the Garfield States would shrink in
| 10 insgnitcancc. liz is our duty in West IT.
ginia to maintain our position and, if possible,
advance our standard for the encouragement OF
the other States. The great issue OF this cam
paign j. a struggle by the people to recover pos
/ session of their own government. Here, again.
we are fighting the Old battle for the right OF
sef-government. This issue dwarfs all qucs-
tons of government policy, of finance, and G.
ven of corrupt and honest administrations: =
As the horse called in man To help HIM III ms
fight with the stag and found that he had lost
his liberty when the fight was over, so the A
merican people submitted themselves TO the
Republicans during the war, and now, the war
being over, have tried in vain To shake that par
" off. The founders of our Republic declared
that governments derive their just power from
the consent of the governed. That declaration
became the basis of free government wherever
established. But in 1876 the Republican party
under the stress of defeat declared that govern
ments derived their powers from Returning
Boards and Electoral Commissions. Under
such government we are living to-day. Shall
we give To that government the stamp OF legltl-
mate authority, or shall we return To the doc
trnc of the fathers? Never did a party receive
a more emphatic endorsement of the people
than did the Republicans in 1S72-29 out of 81
States: and one would suppose that such trl-
umph would have called for an honest admin
iStration, but they set out upon career of eX-
travagancc that destroyed the industry OF the
country and brought want To millions of fire
sides BY mal-adminiStratton, by corruption,
by military uSurpation that party forfeited the
confidence of the people, excited their indigna-
ton. and reused their fears SO that in 1876 the
people rose and under the lead of q democratic
statesman and with the rallying cry of Reform
buried that party in disaster at the polls. And
vet this great victory was Snatchcd nom their
grasp by Il crime 50 portentOUS that free govern
mcnt cannot survive It's repetition. Everybody
knew that Tiden had 1916 electoral votes and
HAYES 40. But the order rang out: Hayes
has is votes and is elected, signed by Zach.
Chandler Ii was the first step in rObbing the
people by force and fraud of the electoral votes
of three States The speaker then told how
Kellogg had been counted in in louisiana Il.
Governor by faction of q Returning Board
cnjoincd from acting by the Courts and abol-
iShed by the Legislature, but SuppOrtcdby Grant.
He told of the trickcry of Madison Wells, ard
how the lawfully elected Legislature had been
dispersed AT the point of the bayonct. The bet
ter class of republicans condemned these things
but the administration sustained them. When
] Charles marched iufp rho Ifpusp # Commons
and dispersed it, the English people rose and
beheaded him for his infringement of their
rights, but the Republican members of the Sen
ate resolved themselves into a Returning Board
and elected kellogg 10 the United States Senate
where nc still sits the last lingering specimen
of the carpet baggerS. The old Indian philosO-
pher said the earth rested on the tortoise, the
tortoise on the rock, and the rock went all the
way down; So the government rests on LOuiSi-
ana with its Returning Board, and that Board
rests on the midnight order ola Federal Judge
and that order goes all the way down and
never reaches the popular will-thc only foun-
datiOn of free government. In 1876 Kellogg APP
pointed every officer in every parish and pre-
! Cinct 20 conduct that election, and vet with all
the machinery in their hands, Louisiana gave
from seven To ten thOuSandmajOrity for Tildcn.
| But il became known that unless they could
/ steal the vote of louisiana HAYES could not be
/ President, You know how they did il. We
| saw the Sickcning scenes in Louisiana, when
/ they threw out 10000 votes and declared the
| Republican electors elected. We saw the Wis
itiug statesmen and how after Hayes was
counted in he was called upon 10 reward the
villains who had stolen Office for him. The
men who assisted in this great outrage now rep
resent this country at the Courts OF France,
of Austria end of Russia they masquerade in
| the robes OF the Supreme Court of the United
States; they hold the portfolios of State and
/ Treasury at Washington One of these gentle
| men had never been rewarded IS services
We're tn ercGt for common office, and the Re
/ publican party rose in its majesty az Chicago
/ and nominated him for President Garfield is
more responsible for the fraud of 1876 than any
other man an thc country. He was one ofthoSc
visiting statesmen lie had been q member
! of Congress when kcllogg'S government was
/ denounced He WAS. I'm New Orleans assigned
room. he himSclfsays in the Custom House
a secret chamber lie wls busy there with his
negro WitncSscS-onc of them Mrs. Annie
/ Mitchell who testified that she was trained what
TO say, AID that there was no truth in her aili-
. davit or answer To inteuogatOrics Garfield
! opposed the Electoral Commission because il
, could 20 behind the returns but when he was
! made member of it he said that Commission
. could not go behind the returns. As . con-
/ gresham hc >worc one thing. aS iudge anO-
| Their What l. IL To set aside an election and
idl>ity the verdict of the people at the polls?-
! IL Is tp take free government from them. The
/ man who pcrcrtS the expression OF the people
at the polls rushes into the Holy of HOLES
and lays his vile hand on the Ark of our safety
as people Never in our history has such an
attempt failed tobe resented. In 1850 there was
an intrigue between Aaron Burr and the FEEDER
| iSt party 10 make Burr President But Jeiler-
son was declared elected, and tho the law was
/ not violated in its letter-Only i'm its Sprit-thc
people expelled Burr and the Federalists from
power forever. In 1874 another attempt oc-
/ CURED and was condemned by the people at the
next election. Now if we are to pass over such
"a fraud we had in 1S76-an act which was
not under the form of law, but oycr-rode the
| law and the Constitutions then has the power
/ passed away from the people; than is this great
/ people like Samson shorn of his strength, pass
/ ing through the farce of election simply for
/ the sport of our Philstine lords. The speaker
/ then explained the law relating 10 supervisors
/ of elections and deputy maT>ha> spoke of
/ their m!SdeedS, and showed the character of the
men usually appointed. He spoke of troops at
/ the polls 70 keep the peace and said opposi-
/ ton to them was no new thing.-aS far back as
! 1871 their Use in England was declared to be an
| infringement upon the rights of the subjects"
Every effort % repeal the law allowing them in
/ this country is defeated by the veto of fraud
ulent President. He showed that this govern
ment does not rest upon the basis of popular
will, that this party in power by these laws so
/ ingenious and wicked has it in its power to
/ prevent the expression of the popular will at
/ the polls by its supervisors and deputy mar
ShalS The Republican party has two princi-
pies lSt, Its undying hatred to the South; md.
Its effort to form strong, centralized imperial