The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-11-29
The Oak Bank Vote.

In the VIRGINIAN of the l5.h we gave
a partial list of the irregularities which
occurred at some OF the precincts through
out the District as the same had been re-
ported to us.
Among others was the following:
At Oak Bank, in Rock bridge county. six
prulnin mt and reliable Democrats certify that
they scratched the Democratic Ticket and sub
stituted the name of Yost Tor Fucker and
yet no snch ballots were counted.
The Rockbridge Ne,cs OF last week pro-
dnces the certificate Of the judges, clerks
and supervisors of election at Oak Bank,
denying the allegation published III the
VIRGINIAN, and the Ne'cs calls.for the
name of our informant We have 10 hes
itation in giving the authority upon which
the statement was made. Mr.. }. J. Moore
of Oak Bank, was our ilformant-a gen.
tleman who stands as high III the esteem
Rockbridge county. AS soon as Mr.. Moore
saw the publication in tie Meas he wrote
us. saying: Il see the judges of election
at Oak Bank are out in a card. &c. A
after the election that they had scraf ched
Tucker and voted for Yost. Not seeing
any object they could have in making this
voluntary statement the matter was re-
ported to you. | understand now they
deny it, Yet the fact remains he same.
Mr.. Brooks. one of the ldges. told me
that voter told him that be scratched
Tucker and voted for Yost. The Judges
have no one to blame for placing them in
this position but those men who have been
telling that they voted for 1ost.'
Mr.. Jno. P. Ackery, of Summers, an
cther gentleman of high character, also
certllies "That several Democratic voters
at Oak Bank stated that they hal scratched
Tucker and voted for Yost. Some Of
them have since said that they were only
testing. Ger hearing that there were no
such tickets in the poll box
The fact was published as stated to us.
We give the authority upon which he
publication was made.
Now word 10 the NeWs. Mr.. Yost
wonld not accept a seat IN Congress to
which he had not been fairly elected. He
| would not accept a seat the title to which
had been obtained by mere legal techni.
cality, such as throwing out the entire
vote of a precinct because one or two lille
gal votes were counted which should have
been rejected, or for an informaity in
making the returns. lie would not accept a
seat unless it could be shown that enough
illegal votes were counted and enough
legal votes rejected. TO overcome the ap-
parent majority for his competitor. What
Mr.. Y ost desires, and what every other
honest man shonld desire, is to have every
man punished who violated the election
laws on the 9th of November. 1t is a
matter of no great moment whether the
District shall be represented by one indi-
yidual or another. 1t is a matter of vital
concern to all the people, that the laws
shall be enforced, and that those who
wantonly and knowingly violated them
who allowed parti2an zeal to override the
solemn obligation of an oath-shall now
ard forever after understand that " hen
they commit crime they shall be treated
as criminals.
In II rigid enfs rcemeht of the law lies
tie only security Of the people. Their
will, whatever that will may be, should be
sovereign, and it is the duty of every good
citizen to lend his best effort to that end.