The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-06
Tho Second District.

a number Of Republicans IN the second
district feel very Indignant over the Regis.
hr's insnuaions as 10 M intention or effort
on the part OF Mr.. Mason or his friends TO
set some illegal or fraudulent advantage
over Mr.. Wilson, the Democratic candidate
for Congress, in the matter Of the returns,
and several OF them have written us pro.
testing asains. such insinuations as not
only uncalled for but outrageous.
The friends OF Mr.. Mason have only de.
sired to get ut the facts in each county, for
future use il neel be, and have made no
effort 10 "bulldcze" anybody. How could
he or any friend "bull"doze" the Demo-
cratic Board OF Commissioners in Pendle.
ton county? The only fact thal::he desired
to ascertain in that county or any other
county was simply rs to the true character
OF the returns actually made. lie is not
hunting Il flaw in the formal proceedings
OF boards through which to creep into Con.
gress. Far from it. Mr.. Mason does
not desire, and would not accept n seat in
Congress secured by the mere commission
OF n formality OF any kind. 1t is therefore
only in regard 10 facts that tend to show n
defeat Of the will OF the voters that his
friends have been concerned about. The
mere fact that the pendIcton county boald
did not meet within the time required BY
law is not circumstance on which they
propose 10 lay any weight whatever. THEY
attach much more weight TO tho illegal
votes that were cast in Jefferson county for
Mr.. Wilson. We refer to tickets printed,
circulated and voted as Republican tickets
in that county, by which it seems that
number Of voters were deceived into voting
agains. Mr.. Mason when they desired 10
vote Tor him, and supposed from the head
ing oil the ticket that they were voting fer
him. 1t is understood that quite number
OF these tickets were thus voted, enough to
much more than change the true result. II
this matter, after proper investigation,
proves to be rs now credibly reported, Mr..
Wilson is not elected, whatever the face OF
the returns may say, and this is one OF the
facts connected with the election that will
be probed 10
Mr.. Mason and his friends do not desire
any merely technical advantage, and
hence whether the returns OF any county
are in form or not, or whether they were
declared within the time specified by law,
is not material question with them, but
simply whether the true result in the conn
ty was ascerthined and declared-or, in
other words, whether the correct expires.
sion Of the voters was certified to the Gov.
ernor.
As to Counting out" and "bull.dozins'
and all such groundless insinua,ions or as
sertions by the Register, one OF our cores.
pondents writes rs follows
at nigh. be well to remind the Register
that there are only two cases OF counting
out OIL record i'll the history OF the politics
OF West Virginia. The first is where the
supervisors OF Wetzel county, by mere
clerical error, counted out Judge Harrison
in lS722, and Democratic Governor de-
clined 10 accept the corrected returns, and
gave the certificate Of election 10 Judge
lewia, who did not Pretend 10 have re.
rcived majority Of the votes. The other
case is where the commissioners OF Marion
county in 1850 threw out tho Bentons
Ferry voting precinct ON Il most friyolous
technically in order TO elect Fountain
Smith Senator over Fnrbec. Every inteli-
gent man knows TINT Nr. Smith was never
elected to the position he now holds. In
view Of these well known cases it comes
with all i'll grace from tho Register to in
dulge in untounded insnuations OF fraud
against Mr.. Mason's friends. who are only
seeking the truth in regard to the vote, and
with no desire to influence or change bona
Gde results anywhere"