The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-16
A ISLANDER REFUTED.
The Story About Election Frauds
in Preston County
PROVEN NALIE BY THE RECORD.
Questionable Methods Pursued by
Third Party Politicians to Create
a Prejudice Against
the Republicans.

Special Correspondence Of Lhe IateliOeaocr.
KINawooD, W. Va, May 14.-Thc fol.
lowing letter has been sent to the Wheel
ing Register for publication:
KrNGwooD, W. Va, May "A.
To The Editor ofthe Register.
In your issue of the 10th, you publish
letter from Mr.. d. w. Grandon, the
editor of GrdndOn's Graphic (which
believe still exists occasionally)in which
is quoted letter from Capt. Frank Burt,
OF Warrington, written TO Major Gran.
don. In these letters sundry grave
charges are brought against the Repub-
lican party OF the Banner Republican
county, which county, you very well
know, dear brother editor OF the Register,
is none other than the grand old county
OF Preston, in which there never was a
draft during the Rebellion, because she
always furnished her full quota of vol.
unteers, and more; and which county,
be II remembered, gave Judge Maxwell
l,GOO majority for Governor, and James
g. Blaine, without any special effort,
1900 majority-all Of which she will do
again upon proper provoCation.
Mr.. Grandon, in order to atone for al
legged fraud in the late Louisiana cleo
tiOn, it seems, desires "tO call attention
TO the fact that at the Congressional
election OF 1886 1854 you print it) votes
cast for Hon. John I. Siler, the Prohibi-
ton candidate for Congress, were either
not counted or were counted for Flick,
the Republican candidate, in the coun-
ties Of Preston" etc.
Capt. Frank Burt is more fiery and, il
possible, more positive in his charge.
He says:
"The fact is fully established that the
dominant party in Preston county will
fully and Systematically suppressed every
vote cast in the county for the Prohibi-
ton candidate. II is likely they were
counted for Flick; at any rate any sup
position that can be made is no worse
than the fact already proven"
Captain Burt is sorry that the Repub.
lican party "has been compelled to re-
sort to fraud and ballot-box cheating in
order to lengthen out its expiring days"
He consoles, himself-drowns his sorrow,
so to speak-with the pensive reflection
that this is only practical illustration
OF their policy OF anything for votes"
Capt. Burt also informs us that it has
been four years only since he "cut loose
from the degenerate old organization'-
hence, his sorry, we suppose; but
whether his Cutting loose" was stimuli
taneOus with the aforesaid degeneracy,
our fiery friend does not deign to tell us,
and hence we can only conjecture the
result OF the Captains hegira.
To prove that the votes cast for Mr..
Siler in Preston county in 1888 "were
either not counted or counted for Flick"
Mr.. Grandon publishes the aiiidavits Of
six men, five OF whom declare they
voted ut Independence for Siler, and
one OF whom voted at Gladesville for
Siler. These men voted for Siler-
therefore, their votes were not counted,
or were counted for Flick Is this a
sample OF Third party logic?
What evidence do these gentlemen
adduce to prove their charge that the
election commissioners at Independence
and at Gladesville, or the members Of
the County Court, committed perjury
and fraud? None whatever. Yet it Is
declared that it is "a fact" that these
votes cast for Siler "were either not
counted or counted for Gen. Flick" !" and
again it is declared that the every vote
cast for Mr.. Siler was "wilfully and sys.
tematically suppressed"
Who are the men who arc thus
charged, without particle OF evidence
to sustain it, with fraud and perjury?
The election commissioners at 1nde-
pendence were ex-Justice L. G. Baker,
who is not a Republican; G. W. Veins
ley, a Democrat, and now postmaster at
Independence; and Mr.. William Sharpe.S
Republican. At Gladesville, the COM
missioners were: Eugene ShNlIer, n Re-
publican and prominent Baptist;
George B. jackson, q Republican, and J.
N. Sapp, an ardent Democrat. These
men are all as honest and upright as can
be found in West Virginia, even includ-
ing Third Party partisans who bring
basGless charges which they make no
pretcnsc OF sustaining. Either these
men are guilty, II any one is, or the
commissioners who composed the County
Court in 1886 are. They were: Ex-State
Senator Charles NJ. Bishop, Charles 7.
Lawton and Reason,A. Pcll-than whom,
am fully justified in saying, three more
honorable men cannot be found any
where.
Now, what are the facts about this
business? The official vote Of this
county in 1856 was published in the
Kingwood Journal, the Republican news
paper OF this county, the week after the
election. From that paper | quote as
follows:
John T. Siler, Prohibition candidate
for Congress, received one vote at Tun-
melton, one at KingwOod, one at Fell
louisville, one at Aurora, one at Al
brightsvillc, trO at Gadesvillc, and SIR at
Independence" And that Flick re-
ceived 2,454 votes and Wilson 1852
votes.
There's the vote as shown by the poll
books and published to the world two
years ago. , ,.,--
Let Capt. Bart and Major Grandon
learn from this that ii is'dangerous to go
off half-cocked; and, also, that men who
bring slanderous charges against their
ncighbors are guilty Of-it is not ne
cessary to say what. These matters arc
matters OF public record, and these gem
tlcmen could have informed themselves
Of these facts by the little labor Of writ
ing letter Of inquiry. Were they too
busy trying to make votes for the amend
ment (for whose ratification they are so,
oh so very anxious) by abusing the peo-
pie they are trying to convert or pervert,
that they had no time to write such a
letter?
And you, Mr.. Editor, gave these
charges IN editorial "boost" in your is
sue OF the 10th. Seeing that they are
false, is it asking too much to request
you to publish this to show intending
immigrants that we do have free ballot
and fair count in West Virginia?
Faternally,
WM. NJ. o. DAWSON.