Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-08-10

lcldu, u llSulHluS CdiCuthUo's ~ W
speak, our acting Governor has some
thing of a record, and when he talk.
ed to the Washington reporters he
fully sustained the reputation as an
able figurer he earned when he cast
his eye upon the word "twe " in the
Fourth district election returns, and
calculated with lightning rapidity
that if it could be construed to mean
/" twelve y it would serve to steal "a
seat in Congress for the virtuous
Democracy, acted on the inspiration,
and completed the steal by giving
the Democratic candidate a certifi.
cate that belonged to Republican.
We say that in Washington he
fully sustained his reputation as a
calculator. Hear him:
From the evidence which they
have submitted it will be plain to
every one that the State was colOniz.
ed 10y the opposition; that probably
from four to six thosand voters were
imported, and that a more vicious
attempt was made to debauch the
State than was made to debauch
Indiana itself.
In other words, he charges that
four to six thousand voters were
brought here from other States for
the express purpose of voting the
Republican ticket. Acting Governor
Wilson does not believe that state.
ment, though he makes it himself,
any more than other citizens who
are familiar with the history of the
campaign believe it, and it is too
absurd to call for denial. Ii the
Legislative Committee succeeds in
finding that such was apparently the
case it will be from peUured testi-
mony, and every body who is not
blinded by partizan prejudice. to
think for himself knows it.
But our respected acting Governor
does not stop here. In his effort to
impress upon the minds of the re-
porters the truth of his prediction
that FLEMING viii! win, mind you, "
he gives away the whole plot of the
conspirators, of whom he is the chief.
He continues
AS soon as the committee is ready
to report | shall convene the Legisla-
ture in special session and Mr.. Elem
ing will be declared entitled to the
seat which / now hold.
Certainly Fleming will be declared
entitled to the seat, no matter what
the report of the committee is. No.
body is so foolish as to believe that
the majority of one is going to con-
sent that the legally elected Cover.
nor shall take his seat, and Mr.. Viii.
son is simply frankly stating the in.
tentions of the Democracy. Like
the balance of us, he is anticipating
an action which was foreg0ne con-
clusion, with the difference: The
public reasons from past experience
that the steal was ordained by the
conspirators and Is bound to be con-
summated, while the acting Cover
nor bases his statement on personal
knowledge, because he is one of the
conspirators.
While our esteemed acting Cover
nor, who holds his position in de-
fiance of the Constitution and the law,
was telling eastern newspaper men
about election frauds in West Vir-
ginia, he might have truthfully told
of some things the Republicans did
not do. For instance, he could have
said that it was not a Republican re-
turning board that deliberately com.
mltted high.handed outrages on the
ballot-box in Wheeling, in the effort
to count out Republican Congress
man; that it was not Republican
who broke into the court house in
Wetzel county and changed the
ballots pending a recount, so as to
give a Democratic candidate for Con-
gress an apparent majority gu the
face of che returns that it was not a
Republican returning board in the
same county that, knowing from
affidayIts made by election commits
sioners) the ballots had been chang.
ed, deliberately took no cognizance
of the fact that it was not Repub
llcan Governor, who, knowing these
things, gave the certificate OF election
to the Democratic candidate; that it
was not a Republican Governor who
purposely, with full knowledge he
was committing wrong upon the
people, misinterpreted the election
returns from q precinct and gave the
certificate of election to another Dem.
ocratic Congressional candidate who
was not elected that it was not a
Governor who. in the
face of a cleag majority for the Re.
publican candidate for Congress in
the Third district, gave the certifi.
cate of election to the Democrat; ;
that it was not Republican MAORI.
ty Of one in the Legislature that in
the most unblushing manner violated
the express command of the Consti.
tuition and refused to open and read
the returns and declare the result of
the Gubernatoral election; that it
was not a Republican majority of
one on Legislative committee that
threw out the votes of sixty eight
honest, lifelong citizens of Brooke
county because OF technical objec.