South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-09-01
Letter from Hon. D. B. Lucas.

requestinS Juigs nose aud Mr. Lucas
both TO withdraw from the Congte>s-
ional contes,. aud published in tie
Grafton Eoyle. of which he is the edi-
tor:
CHAKLEsTows, w. Va, Aug. %.
Z. w. NRwLoN. Esq. Hon. Friend:
In the Grafton Eagle of Saturday
last, you expressed such views of the
congressional CONTEXT in this district
as might have been expected from
your established reputation for intey-
rity. and your known devotion 20 the
principles and organization of the
Democratic party in this district.
] desire to say to vou that my views
entirely accord with your own. dc.
sire to express in u few words my posi-
tion, in order that no one may misun-
derstand It.
L claim that majority of duly cho-
sen, and properly accredited delegates
TO the Keyser Convention were favor.
able 10 my nomination. That in or.
der to defeat me, and thus disappoint
the popular will, it was found necessa-
ry to resort TO extraordinary and un-
justitiable expedients, us follows, viz.
The established and recognized basis
OF representation in former conven.
tons OF the last general expression OF
the popular vote, being the Presiden.
tial election of 1880, was to be aban-
doned secondly, the delegations
were III some manner to be so mani.
pulated and changed as to count out
enough OF delegates favorable to me
to prevent my nomination.
The Convention was representa-.
tive body, individuals had no weight
there, except the weight given them
by virtue OF their representative ca
pacitv, as representing an ascertained
number OF Democratic constituents,
or voters, in their respective counties.
10 change the basis OF representation,
therefore, necessarily required vote
by counties upon the basis last rccog-
nized and acted upon Indeed there
Was no authority to take any imports
ant step without such vote. Least
of all, could the report on credentials,
whereby it was attempted to unseat
the whole Preston delegation, because
only the chairman OF the meeting at
which they were selected had certiti-
Ell the proceedings. be adopted, or in
any wise acted on, except by rep
resentative vote by counties. Any
other vote was sheer nonsense, and
when insisted on, and enforced in the
face OF Il call for Il regular represen
tatlye vote became fraudulent.
Every lawyer i'll the convention
knows this us well as / do, and no
candid man, if sane, Will dispute the
proposition that the action OF the as
sumed permanent Chairman in refus
ing to permit vote by counties was
arbitrary, unjustitable. unparliamcn.
tary, aud utterly nugatory--as much
so as if the Speaker OF the House of
Representatives should declare the
result OF Il Presidential election.
thrown into the House, by viva voce
vote, when the Constitution declares
the same shall be determined only by
State representation.
No impartial spectator, if sane, will
deny that the action OF the chairman
i'll unseating Preston and large part
OF Tay Tor, was totally Irregular, arbi-
trary, and utterly nugatory. No i'm.
partial spectator at Keyser could re-
sst or deny the Influence of delibcr.
ate conspiracy 70 practice against le-
eitimate majority OF the Convention,
intimidation, usurpation and fraud.
need not recall to your mind the re-
gnlar development, step by step, of
thi5 most brazen conspiracy. You
were there, aud saw if all. You know
that we could not, consistently with
honor and self-rospect, have done 9th
erwise than we did. You know and
feel what sacred duty we owe to the
Democracy OF this district to protect
them against the repetition ofsuch dan.
gerous coDspiracies against the intcg-
rity OF their Conventions, and the puri-
ty of their organizations.
SO long therefore, as tire represen-
tative of this fraud is in the field, l
cannot possibly withdraw. Let this
be understood once for all, unalterably
and irrevocably. ] will never with.
draw while Iloge is in the field. Up.
ON the other hand, accrediting others
with motives as conscientious as my
own, | now declare to You that the
very moment Judge lIoge resigns his
candidature, and retires from the con
test, ! will Immediately do the same.
| not only invite but most earnestly
invoke Judge Iloge and his friends
to consider the success Of Democracy
in this district rs above personal as
pirations. ] pray them TO meet me
halfway, anil lot both Of us sacrifice
all personal feelings upon the altar OF
patriotism, and party fealty. / ven-
turc to suggest that whatever is done
in this matter, should be done prompt.
~, and before, by personal canvass,
ouu furtftor roe,.,yotf,tltf.. afI.lI l.. a.,