Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-23
West virginia Negro Voters.


Commenting recently upon statement
which had appeared In Cincinnati paper
charging the Democrats OF West Virginia
with having threatened 10 kill the negro
voters Of that State II they should offer TO
vote In the next election. We said
"Now, we take the liberty Of saying that
there Is not word OF truth In thai state
mem. No newspaper, no respectable Dem
ocrat. no man " hose words are worth repeat
ing, has ever made any threat which ctlld
fsirly be described IN the words quoted
above"
Tie Wheeling InteHi9encor copies the
aaeve paragraph from the Dispatch, and
e~l.ments upon II as follows;
"It is fair ~ presume from the above
that our contemporary has not seen The
interview OF Eustace Gibson, published Ia
The Washington Star aud telegrsphed to
the Cincinnati Enquirer, Pittsburgh Dis
patch, and other papers. But II IL speaks
with q knowledge OF the assertions made
by Mr.. Gibson. then we infer that the Dis
Patch considers Gibson as 4 man whose
words are not worth repeating"
What ought 10 be done with an editor
. natl paper to which we referred had charged
that the Democrats had threatened TO Nil the
negro voters OF West Virginia II they should
attempt 10 vote IN the coming elections.
That language could have but one meaning;
and this was that certain leading DEM
ocrats Of West Virginia had threatened TO
Kill negroes entitled under the Constitution
and laws OF that State 10 exercise the right
OF suffrage IL they should attempt to vote
next fall. This was the statement which We
pronounced false. and which the Wheeling
inteihgenccr, by necessary implication. con-
fesses TO have been fal=c. but which never
theless that respectable journal, by resort
ing 10 subteriuge in penning the above
paragraph, endeayors to palm of upon its
uniformed readers as true. The In!e'h.
cenco ought 10 be above such uniustltable
partisan tricks. Well does that Jour.
nal know that EUsTAcE GIBSON has
never threatened 10 prevent any
And, We repeat, the intelligencer confesses
that IL he's been guilty Of the trick of seek
ing TO deceive the public-confesses its
crime when II gives as the foundation upon
which its false charge Is based report OF
M interview in which Mr.. GIBSON was
asked shout, not negro voters, but negro
non-voters, who, 1t was charged, had been
imported into West Virginia for the pur-
pose OF depositng fraudulent ballots for
MAXWELL. the Republican candidate for
Governor.
Now, as we have said heretofore, We do
not believe that the Republicans OF West
Virginia ever intsnded TO try to COLOMBO
negroes In that State for the purpose men.
toned. But oil the same ii was the report
that they Intended to carry the State by
coloniEing negro voters that Mr.. GIBSON
was questioned about, and 1t was to negroes
not entitled TO vote that be referred when
he said the Democrats OF West Virginia
would not permit such voters to cheat them
Out Of the election.
Both the Cincinnati paper and the Wheel
ing intenigeNoer deliberately undertook TO
deceive the public II they based the charge
we have refu:ed upon the interview with
MIR. GIBSON reported in the Washington
&ar and other papers. The InieIiNsDcer
was imprudGnt enough to expose it, own
uijus,ifable triok-its attempt to apply
Mr.. GiBsos's remark concerning negro
tranps to negroes entitled to votc,-and in
conIessing lie own guilt proves beyond
doubt that the Cincinnati Commercial. Ga
zetfe had been guilty Of he same petty elec-
pioneering trick.