Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1882-08-22
ACKNOWLEDGING THE FRAUD.

The Wheeling Register, which has per-
sistently misrepresented Dir. Lucas and the
masses of the Democracy in this district who
are supporting him, has been driven to ack-
nowledge the Fraud of Kcifer Cofran but
instead Of blushing for the degradation of
the gaming chairman, the organ condones
and chuckles over it in tho following strain
Chairman Coiran, of the Keyser Conven.
ton, has won immortal laurels as a '.pene-
trating presiding officer" In the language
of Mr.. Morrow, che is the most knowing
man about how convention votes he over
saw" In the midst of tho tumult, turmoil
and deAfening noise, whom no one else could
toll which side had voted most or loudest,
Chairman Cofran could decide it without hes
itation He was always ready to decide, and
he did There is another point whore the
Keyser Convention beats the New Martins
vile.
The organ will find the above very grim
Joke before the campaign is over.
The Ring Mass Aeeting at Kcysor, which
organized without vote by counties, and by
the combined efforts of tho inimitable Cot
ran God help the Democracy if there is any
more like him in the State) and the vocal
chords of a minority, claims to have cast 81
votes for Hoge. Ifthis is true why is it that
the sactimonious Sam Woods and the polite
little Sprigg should insistso strenuously upon
annihilating tho vote of Preston county and
extracting the best part of Taylor county,
both Lucas delegations. Do these two em>
inent Hoge men work for no purpose? Do
fha,1 faGa -
for fun2 Would they, without any object
in view, antagonize the Democratic voters of
those two counties in close district like this?
We rather think not. The only explanation
is, that Hoge was in minority and it was
absolutely necessary to do IS they did,
These 81 votes were obtained by those who
remained in this ring mass meeting casting
the whole vote of these counties But lust
here their shrewdness displayed itself again.
AS a greater part of the counties had retired
it would never do to give Hoge all the votes.
So thus reason this happy twain, 1--WE will
omit some of the votes, but at the same time
east sufficient to show a good msjority, and
go to the district and say we left GU: those
votes which had retired" Oh sanctimo-
NOUS Sam, oh bonny little .Sprigg, your
ways are ways of pleasantness, your paths are
paths of peace. How far below your standard
of political ethics are those who walk in ways
that are dark and indulge in tricks that
are vain. How beautiful was the smooth cur.
rent of their counsels. "Out of pure love We
will disfrauchise the Democracy of Preston
and Taylor, and drive Jefferson from this pc,
cuiiar Zion, and then in tho oyor-reaching
grandeur of our nature will say, How often
we would have gathered you under our wing
as hen gathereth her chickens, but ye would
not. Oh! 20 ungratoful counties. OH! We
obstinant majority. We would have bull>
dozed you. but yo would not. We would have
gerrymandered you but ye resisted, and now
the whole crime should rest upon you; We
wipe our minority fingers of all responsible
ity.'" OFF in the far mountains wanders the
silent Hoge, where the breath of party dis
cord cannot reach him and the weight of res
sponsibility dare not intrude, and where he
can snuff out of his nostrils tho fumes of
Keyser 'BOssism."