Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-03-28
NOT TO BE TRUSTED.


NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
The cries of the Coalitionist press in
Virginia over unseated frauds, are no
more to be trusted than was their bogus
cry of "a free ballot and fair COUNT
On the 18th of November, 1882 Judge Gar
rison was elected to Congress from the 1st
congressional district of Virginia, over
Col. Robt. A. Mayo, Republican, oali-
ZIONIST. There was no more real doubt
that he was elected that there was that
Hooper in the 4th, or George Wise in the
3 l district had been. At that time it was
important to the Coalition for effect on
their allies in the National Republican
party. to convince the political world that
they had carried the popular vote of Vlr-
ginia, and would have it safe IN hand for
delivery in 1884. The certifying of John
S. Wise. the Congressman-at-larg would
naturally carry with it suggestion Of the
majority of the popular vote, but to &C
company this act with certificates of cleo
ton to fue Democrats and only four Coali
tlonists in the districts, would have had
damaging effect. It as therefore neces
sary to count a man out, and it was deter
mined to perform that operation on Judge
Garrison, Dem, of the 1st district, and t.
certify five Coalitionists-Ma 1st. Libb,
I'd, Hooper 4th, Paul 9TH. ard Bowen 9Jh
district. 1t was a new operation for r
Virginia Returning Board, and one of the
Board, the Governor OF the State, hest
tated and finally declined to votefor Mayo,
certificate. He had wisdom enough to SCI
that with Democratic House of Repre-,
sentatives, then we'll ascertained to have
been chosen. the certificate of election
when compared with the clear evidence
that Mayo had been defeated, would &C
as very unpalatable boomerang to his
party. The other two mem bers of the Re-
turning Board, with less wisdom. but
greater stupid, pigheaded loyalty to boss
Malone voted for the certificate of election
and sent Mayo on his way. In Dscem ber
last Col. Mayo took his seat. and ab 'ut the
same time the Committee on Elections
took the papers in his case. There was
no hurry. and the evidence WAS CAREFUL,
and patiently examined. Col. Mayo hard
ly defended his title to the seat. of so
little weight was the testimony in behalf
of his claims He, himself, testif ID before
the committee, and the gist of his testimony
was hardly of more point than that he
couldn t say he was elected, and he wouldn't
say Garrison was elected, but s)me-
body had to occupy the seat and he thought
he might as we'll do it as anybody else.
The committee, of course. reported to the
House IN favor of unseating Mayo and
last Friday the report was adopted una
imonsly-Republican Democrats, and
Notwithstanding to unseat him.
Now there was as g eat an outrage as
the One Man who lately ran the State of
Virginia had up to that time commit
ted ON the rights of the people. Ia q
clear, undoubted minority. M4vo receives
from two members of Mahone's Returning
Board. certificate that he is the legally
elected representative of a congressional
district that had defeated him at the polls
not SIXTY days before; with this certificate
he goes to Washington and occupies the
seat of Judge Garrison; draws his salary
ninety days is put out of the House by the
vote of both political parties. "a free
ballot and fair count? Where? At the
ballot box? Not so: for there the bench
men who act as judges also electioneer
for their own party. and government mon-
ev and navy yard places are used to cor
rupt the voters All the county return
ing boards2 Not so; for there they throw
out precincts enough to suit their ends |
Where then? 1t must be at the final |
jurisdiction, where dignity and fairness
and superiority to the prejudice and bit |
terness of partizans lower down III the |
scale, should rule. Not so; for in the |
State Returning Board the work of wrong
so far from being undone is completed and |
The fraudulent certificate of election
awarded. One member of the Board. and |
that member the Governor, the chief ex- |
ecutive officer of the State. may call halt |
but without avail. The majority of the
Board have none of his qualms; they are
for Malone because Malone is for them.
Do not the people of Virginia feel con-
vinced that it was high time that the
legislature took the action they did. and
took the State Returning Board ard the
election machinery from the hands of such
a party Where would the people of Vlr-
ginia have been, as far as their voice in
was concerned ? Their leg
slature filed with U. s. Revenue officers.
and custom house officers:
their elected congressman turned back
from their seats by State Returning
Board, and their vote for the Presidency
certified for electors for whom they had
1ot voted; what a pitlable, deplorable sit
nation for free State Where would
;he liberties of Virginia have been by 1885
With year more of Coalition legislation?
Virginia has to thank the Democratic
legislature of 1884 for her liberty; one
..o vaor mould hovo p,7t how -, 49, $685.. |