Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-10-14
Card from Mai. John W. Daniel.
Rn1sro1-GoopsoN, Sept. 80, 1881

BR1sToL-GooDsoN Sept. 80, 1881.
While in 'Lynchburg on yesterday, a
friend called my attention to the Richmond
"Whig'' of September 2Sth containing an
article headed, lis this forgery?" wherein
is represented a so-called facsimile of
ticket voted in Lynchburg in 1879, when
was the Conservative candidate for the
State Senate. The ticket referred to has
upon it printed the names of Wickli1fe and
others. the Readjuster candidate for the
General Assembly which are "scratched'
with a pen. and the Conservative candi-
dates inserted in their stead in writing
The "Whig claims that was the benificla-
nv of the scratched ticket; that it was
forgery, and desires to know who did it,.
I cannot judge from the rude facsimile
olven whether the particular ticket copied
IS genuine, but am familiar with circum-
stances under which such ticket was
used by a few voters in the election OF
1879. and 1 propose to relate them.
/ After [ was nominated for reelection
tn the Senate by the Conservatives OF
Campbell and Lynchburg, the Readjuster
party nominated against me one George M.
WickIffe, alias DR.. WolshaD, who had
come to Campbell county under the latter
name few years before as fugitive from
Justice IN Louisiana. Holding the position
rule. he had embezzed public funds to a
large amount, and had been impeached and
convicted of the crime by the Senate OF
Louisiana. Escaping, he had hidden him
self in remote part of Campbell county
under the alias of w orSham, and was there
enjoying his ill-gotten gains. Re-arrested
and taken South under requsitlon, he
had managed to evade the clutches of the
law. and had come to the surface $40 as a
ReadiUster nominee for the Virginia SEN
ate, His record, fully certified, was sent
to Lunenbprg and ventilated; and the
more respectable portion Of the Readjust-
or party revolted against the election of
such man.
On the night before the election three
colored Republicans came voluntarily to
see me. They stated that they and num-
Der of their colored friends could not and
! would not vote for Wickliffe, although he
was Republican, and that they desired
to vote for my colleagues and myself. And
| they asked me to give them some Conser-
vative tickets. [ replied that [ had no
such tickets. and had not seen any as yet;
that [ had nothing to do with their prepa-
ration. the matter being in charge of the
Executive Committee, and that / had no
| uneasiness about our election, which was
assured by large majority.
They then said. 1--WE have several batch
es of the Wickliffe tickets, and if we can't
get Conservative tickets Of the same size
| 3 number of US colored men will vote
| them; but If we vote Conservative tickets
| of different size there are bitter and pro-
scrlptive men of our own race who will at
| tempt to intimidate and persecute US: and
can you not have such tickets printed for
us?" I said no; [ don't care to bother
| with it, They were persistent; and then
| said, 1--WE think you should help us to vote
| without undergoing intimidation and per-
| secution; and if you will erase the names
in the Wicklffa ticket and insert those OF
| the Conservatives, this will enable US to
vote as we please"
Thus urged | said if that is all you wish
| l will do it, aid picking up pen [ erased
the names of the Wickliffe candidates on
one batch of these tickets, and Inserted
those of the Conservative candidates.
1t must be obvious to any mind en-
| Iightened by the slightest ray of intelil-
gence. that there was no wrong or impro-
priety in this act. l did it openly without
concealment of any kind. Scratched tick
cts are rightfully voted in every election.
And those tickets altered in my handwrit-
ing were not intended to deceive. So far
from being designed or calculated to de-
ceive-with them deception was impossi-
ble-as the most illiterate, and unwary
could not fail to see upon the faces of the
tickets that they were scratched. Ii any
one will glance at the ''Whig," the eye will
at once verify the assertion that the posi-
bility of deception in the use of such tick
cts is absolutely excluded.
8. heard nothing more of the matter
until December, 1879. In the meantime
| by the converting of the Legislature, and
the election of VIM. Malone as United
| States Senator, it became evident that the
coalition between Republican and Read
| ulster delegates had besn perfected, and
| from the character of some of the Read
| juster candidates for judicial and other
Offices. Wickliffe concluded that his OPP
portunity had come. He came to Rich
mond as candidate for County Judge of
Campbell. | exposed his record and rem
| dersd his election impossible. Soon after
this it came to nay knowledge that Wick
life, embittered by his second defeat at
my hands, was endeavoring to induce the
three cuiored Republicans before men
| toned and others. by use of money, to
make affidavits that | had been guilty of
| improper conduct in the election. But the
three Republicans voluntarially gave me
their statements, which [ hold, certifying
the facts, as [ have related them. and ut
terly disproving and upsetting Wickliff's
I allegations.
subsequently it came to my knowledge
that Wickliffe, who became frequent
visitor at the "Whig' office, took one or
more of these alleged forged tickets to
that office, and laid them before General
Malone and the managers of the ''Whig'
paper. His absurd and ridiculous preten-
sions, was told, met with no encourage
msnt, and no notice was taken of the
matter. Nothing daunted he got Jack
Averett, a leading colored Republican, OF
| Lynchburg, to go on a similar mission to
General Malone and the "Whig," which
| met, as | was told, the same rebuff
Still persisting, Wlckliffe went to Mr.
II. H. RiddIeberger and other Readjuster
| Senators, showed them the so-called forged
| ticket, and urged that they bling it to the
attention of the Senate with charges
against me. He was again rebuffed; MIR :,
Riddleberger scornfully declining, as he
himself told me, to be made a fool of by
''that fellow Wickliffe."
Yet, again Wickiffe made fourth eff
fort. He put the matter in the hands Of
juster Senator from Mecklenburg.
[ mentioned the fact tosSenators Riddle
berger and Wood, both Readjusters, and
to Senator E. w. Early, Republican tell
ing them that if there was the slightest
circumstance which, in their judgment,
called for investigation or explanation.
that [ CHALLENGED and defied any proceed
ing. But if on inspecting the papers in
Cephas Davis hands (which 1 never saw
or care to see) they seemed obviously friv-
olous, then 1 did not wish to be bothered
about them. They reported to me that the
thing was absurd, and no notice whatever
was taken of it.
Cotemporaneously Wickliffs was heard
to say that if | would stop opposing him
he would not push the matter; which |
only noticed by renewed and more active
denunciations of his character and history.
And there the matter ended.
4. 1t is thus made plain that the allega-
tions about the scratched tickets now
made in the ''Whig" were part of silly
and impotent attempt made nearly two