Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-12-07
AM AIROClOuS LIE.

low no negroes to vote unless they
voted the Democratic ticket, or at least
for Free-trader William l.. Wilson, for
Congress- On election day James Rob
bins Robinson who had a little more
courage than other members of his
race. went to the polls and said he
would vote despite their protests. One
of the Democrats caught him by the
back ofthe neck and jerked him away.
He was driven from the place and col
ored men generally made themselves
scarce after that. n number OF heel
ers from Baltimore and Washington
were brought up on the train and al
ter voting stood around and solicited
votes from the residents of the town
Thomas r. Ray John K. Ray one OF
the oldest Republicans in Jefferson
County, watched these people voting.
During the day he took the names OF
twenty-five men whom he knew TO be
residents of Baltimore and Washing
ton. The friends of Free-trader Will
son threw thousands of dollars into
the district and Shepherdstown got
considerable OF this.
The night before election twenty
men were picked up on the streets by
the Democrats, taken TO the once OF a
prominent gentleman and kept drunk
until after the polls closed on election
dav. Five of these men have since de
clared their Willingness TO make an al
tidavit TO the effect that they were
! locked in the room until ii was too
late to vote. \ band of mountaineers
who rode upto Harper's Ferry voting
district came here also and in the
same manner put in their votes. They
came from the direction of Shenau-
! dYan, and il j. ALLEGED thai they voted
| there. "a, there arr only Il few voters
il thai district. but the vote was %
Democrats AID Republicans. This
district has thirty colored men, yet
only four Republican ballots were
cast.
At the Shepherdstown voting place
before the polls closed some of the
ballot-boXes were removed 10 the Of
tice of JOS Bragonier, a Democratic
LAWYER. and the contents counted
there. When the polls closed the rest
of the ballots were taken over and
counted. James ID. Fayman, one of
the clerks of the board, in speaking of
the matter. said: The board left
about twenty ballots in the box, so
that if there were too many ballots
they could easily dispose of them.
When we finished counting there were
five ballots more than there were vot-
ers, and five Republican votes were
thrown out
Mr.. Fayman, John r. Ray and j. S.
Fleming have made affidavit to the
fact that the ballotboXes were re-
moved.
United States Senator Faulkner ives
at Martinsburg, Berkeley County.
The night before the election he had
a number of colored and white Repub-
licans from the city taken out TO
house in the country, where a dance
was given them They were kept
there until the next morning and liq-
uors of all kinds flowed freely AS
result there were a number of Repub-
lican votes missing the next day. This
ruse did not, however, prevent Mr..
Faulkner's county, hitherto Demo
cratic, giving a Republican plurality,
though the United States Senator
stood at the polls all day and worked
for his ticket.
A more outrageous set of lies were
never perpetrated on a community
than are contained in the above arti-
Gle. 1t is false in its statements and
false in its implications. There was
never fairer, a more quiet or a more
orderly election held in Shepherds
town than that Of the 9th of Novem-
Der last. Not one person who desired
to vote was intimidated or restrained
from doing so, and every one legally
entitled to the privilege was allowed
to cast his vote to suit himself. The
article is lie in full, and it is lie in
detail Now as TO the details:
James Robinson nor any other man
was prevented from polling his vote.
The law provides that no electioneer-
ing shall be done within 60 feet of the
polls Republicans and Democrats
alike observed this law, and no voter
was talked to, even, about his vote,
near the voting place. James Robin
son and nearly all of the colored men
of the town had fall opportunity to
vote and 70 work fot 5geir parry, and
they did 50 without Interference.
We should like 10 nav, the name-
OF the % re,idents of Baltimore and
Washington, who. according 10 Mr..
RAYS count, exceed d their privileges
a. citizens OF ShepherdStown 1t is
true that the Democratic voters from
various places came home 10 vote. but
30 did the Republicans There We're
only five persons challenged on these
grounds. but after fall considera-
ton. they were allowed TO vote
There was difference of opinion a
20 the matter. buf No i'll feeling al ali.
\ decision OF the States Attorney was
TO he effect thar these persons mad II
right 10 vote.
The statement that twenty men
were kept drunk until after the cleo
ton is lie out of the whole cloth, as
is the fairy story about the mountain
GERS riding up from Harpers Ferry.
There's not word of truth in either
statement.
ACCOIuiIiS W d pioNiSiOii vi VIC 'o' ~
when fifty votes had been polled the
ballot box was placed in the hands of
the canvassers. 1t was practically i'm
possible TO count the votes in the poll
ing place, so they were taken to the
law office of Mr.. j. S Bragonier, about
fifteen feet away-a custom that has
prevailed as far back as we can re-
member. There they were counted
by Messrs. j. S Bragonier, q. 7. Lick
lider and John Keplinger, three gen
tlemen whose characters stand among
the very highest in this place. No
one can honestly question their integ-
rity and fairness. Mr.. Fayman is
quoted as imputing dishonesty to