Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-09-26

only Is.
Let us turn now to the
House of Delegates.
The Democratic party first de-
spoiled the Republicans of three
delegates in Goochland, Isle Of
Wight, and Southampton. The
principal salient points of those
cheats are
In Goochland-Vaughan Demo.
craft received SS4 votes; Clarke
(Republican) received 992 votes,
giving Clarke clear majority OF
4S votes. The law governing coun-
ty returns is as follows:
"Each Board is to receive the returns
transmitted to it, if in due form, as correct,
and is to ascertain and declare the result
as shO,Cn by the returns"
The Goochland county board did
not do this, but on the contrary
went behind the returns, and In
defiance of law threw out the
Snead's Store precinct returns,
which in form met all the require
ments of law, and thus gave the
county to Vaughan by q majority.
The reason assigned for throwing
out the precinct was that during a
portion of the day only two judges
of election acted. The way this
happened was-there we're three
judges appointed by the County
Court-two Republicans and one
Democrat. On the day of the elec-
tion the Democrat failed to be on
hand the Republican judges
thought the law required one of
the Judges to be Democrat, and
appealed to the bystanders to fur.
nish a Democratic judge, but not
Democrat would accept, and the
election proceeded for a while
when a third judge was sworn in.
This was all in the affair-not a
word to show that there was fraud
or attempt at fraud or wrong to
any. Waving the statute of con-
struction, which says that were
three are authorized to act, the acts
of two shall be accepted as legal,
the Republican members Of the
House in consequence ofthe alleged
informality, proposed to remand
the case to the voters of GoOchland.
But this did not suit the Demo
Gratis; 67 was the ultima thule of
the conspiracy, and they were pre-
pared to take advantage of the
palpable and premeditated frauds
of their party friends in Goochland.
Hence Vaughan, the defeated can
didate, was confirmed in the seat
acquired by the fraudulent action
of the county seturning board.
Isle of Wight-LawSon Demo
craft was seated on a primG fdcie
right. The manner in which he
obtained this prima tacie right
would be amusing we're it not such
a wanton disregard of every prin-
ciple of justice. Four county CON-
missioners met and proceeded to
count the returns. Two of these
commissioners were Republicans
two were Democrats. They acted
together harmoniously until they
reached the Carrollton precinct.
To count that precinct would give
(Republican) the county by thirty
six majority to throw it ont would
give it to Lawson by one majority.
The BarbouriteS were equal to the
occasion. They Immediately re-
solved themselves into high court
of impeachment, charged one of the
Republican judges with being
United States gauger, and proce-
ded forthwith to expel him, one of
the Democratic commissioners so
voting to expel, himself being a
postmaster in the employ of the
United States Government, The
board being thus readjusted, by a
vote of two to one excluded the
Carrollton precinct returns on the
ground that they were not sealed
but we're tied Vith string. Mr..
Gillian contested, and the brilliant
chairman of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections, after as
serting that the returns were wrap |
ped up and "tied with a string,
sapiently observes: "The sanctity
of the seal had not been put upon
itr==which Is an untruth by i'm
plication, for no seal In the sense
sought to be conveyed is required,
the law only requiring the returns
to be fastened, the word sealed as
used in the statute meaning simply
to fasten or secure. On this tiimsy |
pretext the House affirmed the
felonious action of the Isle of Wight
commissioners.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Demo
craft was returned by thirty ma
iority over Deyer (Republican.)
This result was reached false by re-
turns from Franklin precinct. Mr..
Deyer, in his contest, proved that
all the Judges and clerks were