Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-11-30
RASCALITY.
Positive Proof of Illegal Voting and Cor
ruption by Rspublicaas.

Positive Proof of Illegal Voting and Cer-
ruption by Republicans.
New YORK, November GA special
dispatch to the World from Charleston,
W. Va, says: A most remarkable condi-
ton of affairs exists in West Virginia. 1t
is thres weeks since the election and no
one knows officially which side has won.
II will take fully week to complete the
recount demanded in several counties, and
when this is finished it may not hs settled
definitely who will be the next Governor
of West Virginia. So far as the electoral
ticket is concerned it is conceded, even by
Republicans, that the Democrats have car
RED the State by at least 1000 plurality.
II is also believed that the recount will
establish the election Of the Democratic
candidates for Congress in the First, Second
and Third districts.
The Republicans have had bandbills
scattered broadcast over the State claiming
Goff7s election as Governor by l4S votes.
When the full returns are IN and the re-
count is completed it is thought that udge
Fleming, the Democratic candidate, will
be found to have a small plurality. But
in any event it is apparent to the most
casual observer that both the Democratic
State and National tickets would have re-
ceiyed handsome majority if the election
had been free from fraud and intimidation.
This ia the first time in the history OF
West Virginia that money has been used
to any extsnt in influencing an election.
The fair name of the State has been
smirched, but her people are deter-
mined that the offsnse shall not be
repeated. The methods adopted by
the Republicans here were similar to
those followed in Indiana and other
doubtful States. That they were not sue
cessFul was no fault of the Republican
management. The credit of the failure Is
due to the II Oh character Of the people OF
the State, who wers able 10 resist the IN.
sidious and demoralizing forces employed
by the Republicans. The "foaters" are
not az numerous here as in the HOosier
State. This is p.otably due to the fact
that there have been 70 Dudleys or Dor
saws 10 steer them in "olocks Of ives' to
10 the polls. But the influence OF the Re
publican corruption fund had avery de-
morsliz ling effect in West Virginia, and II
not checked with the iron hand OF the law
the Republicans would be able in time to
buy the State outright.
A SAMPLE PROOF OF FRAUD.
The vote-buyiug was not go open and
fisgrant as in some States. Ths corrup-
ton was conducted more on the still-hunt
plsn, and it is therefore more difficult to
trace the guilty partiel. Sufficient evil
dercs, however, has bsen placed IN the
possession of United States District Attor-
new Watts to insure the finding of more
than three hundred indictments for bribery
and corruption at the January term OF the
court.
A comparison of the vote in this Kama.
whs) county with that Of previous years
lis instructive as showing the extent ol
the frauds committed. The largest vote
ever cast in the county up to this year
was in 1885, when the total vote amount
sd to G. 300 in round numbers. That yeaI
the Republicans had fusion with the
Union Labor party, and carried the coun'
ty by about ], 300. This year the Demo
Gratis fused with the Union Labor people
and vet the Republicans, on the facs o.
the returns, have a majority OF ]. 800 II
the county. In 1886 the Union Labor
marty polled more than 700 vote'. The
| democrats held their own this year and
made sll the natural increase they were
entitled to, but, nevertheless, the Republic
cars increased their majority in the county
200 over that of two years ago, when they
had the assistance Of over 700 Union Lsool
votes.
The total vote Of the county Jumped
this year to nearly 5000. This woulc
make the population of the county Owe
| As, 600. while as q matter Of fact 1t doe
not contain over 35, 900 at the outside
The poll books contain 500 more nams!
than the assessors rolls. The assessors
books are made up every year. Every
male citizen in the State entitled to vote
must psy tax, either personal or real
There is no escaping il, and the discrepancy
between the assessors' rolls and the pol
books can only be accounted for by llegaI
voting.
I have obtained undisputsd evidenct
showing that large numbers Of colorec
Il
men voted here who had no right to d'
90. They were all Of the laboring clssi
and employed in the mines or on
the railroads. They were brought from
Virginia and Kentucky, and it was al
most impossible to detect them for TIT
reason one colored man looks very mucl
like another. This is especially true o
those employed in the mines. The Dem
ocratic mansgers have after careful In
yestigation succeeded in spotting quito
number of illegal voters of this class aGt
they will be duly prosecuted. At pres
ent. however, the penalty for illegal votinl
in this State is very slight. Under tn
law the offense Is only made misdsmean
or and is punishable by small fine ant
imprisonment in the county Jail for
psriod not to exceed q year. Steps vii
be taken to get the Legislature this wints
to pass a Law making illegsl yo'iug
felony, the same as bribery at the polls.
| THE DOODLE.
" The amount of the corruption fund i
A the hands Of the Republicans in this Stat