The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-21

to declare tho result Notwithstanding
It is and always has been the practice SO
to do) and the joint assembly is to be de-
clarcd dissolved and the State being
without a Governor on the fourth Of
March next Wilson Is to continue until
Fleming can DO slipped in after farce
Of q contest is gone through with.
Thia is the programme of the revolu-
tlonists rs disclosed by our latest advices
from Charleston. There is no reasons
bic doubt that this is exactly the scheme
on foot, and the one that they intend to
put through unless they see signs OF a
popular uprising against it throughout
tho State. A thinner pretext and a
moro baseless and INSCRIPTIONS scheme
to defeat the will Of the people has never
been matched in any State Of this Union.
The Constitution Of West Virginia
leaves no such excuse for IN attempt to
nullify the popular will. In the most
explicit terms it says lin the sections
quoted that "the person having the high
est number Of vote, for either Of said
offices, shall be declared duly slteted there.
TO-" 1t does not say that he may or may
not be so declared, but that he SHALL
nG," and the person whose duty and
practice 1t has always beOn to declare
the result is the Speaker who presides
over tho joint assembly Of the two
houses, which this time happens to be
the Hon. Joe. Woods, Of Wheeling, who
has witnessed this iormality before on
the part othis predecessors, and knows
that it is his duty to conform TO itnow.
II tho title OF the person who shall
thus be found to have the highest NUM-
Der Of votes is called in question, the
joint assembly is not and never was in
tended TO DO the arena Of settlement
much less Of revolutionary notification.
Whoever, upon the face Of tho returns,
has the highest number Of votes, is to
be declared elected, without any reser-
walton or discretion to the contrary what
ever on the part Of the Speaker or joint
assembly. Ample provision is made by
law for the case Of contest, The course
to be pursued is laid down infinitely in
chapter 0 Of the Code. 1t is the only
lawful course that any contestant can
follow, and the revolutionists at Charles
ton know 1t.
But will the failure to declare the re-
suit at Charleston cheat General Gof
out ofthe Goyernorship and put Flem-
ing in2 Not by any means. The for
mality which the reyolutionists propose
to withhold does not validate the re-
suit at the polls. 1t would be dreadful
ifa lot Of conspirators had this power.
The people would never know when
they had elected anybody. The formal
ityot declaring the result which the re.
turns disclose (Which the Speaker must
open and ready does not affect in the
slightest the right Of the person found
to have tho highest vote from qualifying
for his position.
And that General Golf will go before
a proper officer and take tho oath Of
office as GovcrnorelcCt Of this State
will occur as certainly as the 4th Of
March comes round and he is alive. II
he Is denied entry into the State House
and forCibly resisted no will call first
upon tho civilian aid Of the State, and,
next, as Commandcr.in.cliei Of the
militia, ho will call on tho military. II
Governor Wilson resists to this point
and also calls out tho military to aid
him tho Government Of the United
States will be promptly appealed to, aud
there Is no reasonable doubt that II will
promptly respond. There was a bogus
claimant Of a Governonhlp once before
ono Dor, in Rhode 1SlGnd-and he
was squclched by the United States
Government, just as Wilson will be
squelched In this case.
A fino figure truly this man wilson
would cut before the civilized world as
a burrlcador against his successor In
Office after having refused certificates
on tho TACO Of tho returns to two ROpub.
lICan Uongrosslncn.cleCt in this State
while Issuing promptly to Democrat
whose election was being nOIoFIOuSly
contested and who had not even a ma.
jorIty Of twenty on the face Of the mani.
pulated returns,
rhCro was no dOadsF politician in
Rhode island after the Government Of