Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-08-18
THE W. VA. DEMOCRAT ON THE
JUDGESHIP.

1t is public knowledge that clique
of machine politicians in Martinsburg
undertake to rule the Berkeley Dem
ocracy, and that this clique is compos-
ed of railroad attorneys, Federal of
pigeons scattered over the county.
Their aim is to thWart the public will,
and TO COMPEL the solid men of the
community to vote for candidates who
are not the choice of majority. This
clique plot and scheme to make nomi-
nations by craft and trick. While
the body of the people are at home at
work, and before the rank and file
have considered what is best to be
done, these schemers collect their
strikers, so that when a rmass-meeting
convenes the few conservative, right
minded citizens who chance to be
present are powerless to prevent the
execution of conspiracy which has
been planned in secret conclave.
Things have come to such pass that
the quiet and reputable, self-respect-
ing citizens OF Berkeley, much as they
yearn for good government, are indis-
posed to NEEDLE with nominations.
When asked to attend convention
the reply is" it will do me no good,
because the Martinsburg clique have
already fixed the wires"
Mr.. Duckwall was not the choice of
the Democratic voters in these three
counties. If he be elected Judge he
gets the Office, not because he is the
choice of the people, but because the
people are poWerless before the craft
and tricks of a handful of scheming
politicians in Martinsburg.
We appeal TO thoughtful men to
ponder on these things. The Office of
Judge should not be made a football
for scheming and crafty politicians.
This is no fight between Berkeley
and Jefferson. The people of both
counties are equally interested. The
Judge is as much an officer of one
county as the other. We cannot feel
safe in court when we know that the
Judge owes his place to a scandalous
conspiracy.
Jefferson sent to the judicial conven-
ton some twenty-five or thirty of her
representative men. Chew, Cclston,
Brown, Davenport, Baker, Strider,
Hurst, Porterfield, Alexander, Capt.
Milvin, Frank Beller, Jno. johnson,
Lem. cambridge, E. Ii. Reinhardt,
1. Lee, A. S. cambridge, Chas. Drew,
Cal. Higgins, DR.. Evans, A. B. Yates,
Jno. M. Daniel, Chas. L. Barnhardt,
Ed. Lucas, Geo. Haines.
All who saw this delegation felt
that here was class of men who
should perform the grave and respon-
sible duty of selecting Judge. Were
it not for the Martinsburg conspiracy
Berkeley, too, would have had her
first and trusted citizens present to
meet this Jefferson delegation. Ber-
kelley would have had in front such
men as Moses Grantham, David
Stewart, Newton Hoffman, r. S.
Eichelberger, Blackburn Hughes, G.
w. McKnOwn, Decatur Hedges, Jos.
Vanmetre.
/ A convention composed of such
men would command public conf
dence and their selection of Judge
would be accepted without question
and without misgiving. 1t is not too
late to convene maSS-meeting of the
representative men of the three coun-
ties to right the great wrong which
has been done. Simply as matter of
dollars and cents this wrong should
be righted. We verify believe an up
rising of the people to rebuke the
Martinsburg conspiracy would purify
politics in way to be worth many
millions to the people of this judicial
district.
There IL amnle time tn mako an
honest nomination. 1t can be made
at a barbecue given in Berkeley by
the Democrats of the three counties.