The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-05
4 RINGING ADDRESS
From fine Democratic sfateEx-
eeulive Committee.


To the LaacsAbiding Citizens of the
istate of West Klrgiaia.
The Democratic Executive Com.
mittee: for West Virginia invites
! your attention to circumstances and
conditions surrounding the political
situation in this State. West Yir-
ginia is now in the twenty-sixth
year of her existence. Seven years
of that time were passed under Re-
publican, the remainder under Dem
ocratic rule. We have had many
unpleasant political experiences and
passed through many severe polit-
ical contests, but throughout all the
vicissitudes of the States career the
purity of the ballot has heretofore
been unsullied and the honesty of
West Virginia elections has re-
manned unquestioned. In the year
1888, for the first time in the history
of our State, the people have been
confronted with fraudulent political
methods and their will has been an
tagonized by corrupt political infiu-
ences. With the opening of the
campaign we were advised of the
purpose of the Republican managers
to achieve, by improper means, that
ascendency in tho State which could
not be attained by an honest ballot.
THE REPUBLICAN, BooDLER SUPREME.
The "Solid South was to be "bro-
ken" by the purchase of West yir-
ginia. Schemes of colonization were
boldly advertised, and nonresident
negroes were organized for political
purposes. Upon your public works
and in your mining sections paid
agents ransacked every hamlet and
community for the doubtful voter,
and made careful note of the cir
cumstances of the needy and of the
distressed. Hired emissaries from
without were brought into the State
to ply their arts, in making money
available for the control of certain
classes, with whose wants and habits
they were supposed to be especially
familiar. The usual fair and manly
methods of reaching the people were
abandoned. Public discussion was
largely avoided; fair comparisons
of the history and purposes of par
ties were omitted; appeals to pa
triotism, to manliness, to honor or
to political traditions were rarely
presented by Republicans from the
forum or through the press.
The Republican speaker and the
Republican writer abdicated their
functions in favor of the Republican
boodler, and the activity and po-
tency of money as apolitical factor
were everywhere seen and felt. We
appeal to the experience and obser-
vation of every honest and intelli-
gent voter to verify the statement
that the reckless and lavish use of
money by the Republican party in
the late election in this State has
never before been approached in
West Virginia.
THE ELECTION is INITIATED.
1t is claimed by the Republican
leaders that Gen. Golf has a major
ity upon the face of the returns of
1O5. If the recounts now in pro-
gress shall show this to be true, we
have to submit the following facts
as illustrative of the means by
which this apparent result has been
reached:
First-That men have been hired
to "work" or paid for their time in
the interest of the Republican party,
and that by this means indirect but
no less criminal, bribery has been
accomplished.
O0SOho 4ndG nen nave VOCeQ
the Republican ticket in counties
where they had no right to vote at
all, and in sufficient numbers to af-
feet most materially the apparent
result.
Third-That men have in namor-
GUS instances, repeated their vote
for the Republican ticket, and with
out such repeating the apparent
election of a Republican Governor
could be claimed.
Fourth-That non-residents in
large numbers, notably in the coun-
ties of Mercer, Mcdowell, Fayette,
and Kanawha have voted the Re-
publican ticket, and that without
such Illegal votes the Republican
candidate for Governor would be III
an actual minority of many hundred
votes.
That the voting of non-residents
in some localities, of minors, pau
pers and imbecilies in others, of
persons otherwise disqualified
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