The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-29
IHH GREAT BIG STEAL.
How the eoyenorship Theft Is
Being cOusummated,
SOME ALMOST INCREDIBLE
Acts of the Democratic Majority,
Negro Votes Thrown Out by tho
WholeSale-VIoleat Prespmp.
tIOns and Queer Methods,
Special DlpoteA tsA4 hi4llt0aoa.

TERRA ALTA, W, Va, August 2s,-The
work Of diminishing Colts majority
goes steadily on, Out ofthe first seventy
two votes assailed by Fleming in Mercer
county, iorty,three have been rejected,
A new rule seems TO have been adopted
by theCemmittee, II man was on the
pay roll Of a manufacturing company in
Mercer or Mcdowell county for q year
next preceding the election, he was
entitled to vote; II he was not on any
such pay roll, he was a nonresident Of
the State Of West Virginia and not en-
titled 10 yote-thRt Is, Il he was colored,
II ia also assumed that every black
man Is Republican-on evidence that
the general reputation OF the negro peo-
pie is that they are Republicans
CASE IN PoIST,
The case Of R, P, Sanders Is a specimen
Of large proportion Of the votes re.
iected. Sanders voted at Mill Creek, q
back district Of Mercer county; negro;
young man without family On Cooper
4 90. 9 pay roll from April To November,
1888, inclusive,
This was all the evidence about him.
On this Messrs, Kee, Lively and Sprigg
voted that the charge OF non.residence
was sustained, and that the vote must
be deducted from Gof, while Maxwell
and Morris voted no.
In twenty other similar cases, differing
only In the length Of time the voters
name was on Cooper & Co.'s pay roll,
the vote on the question Of rejection was
the same.
SEEMS INcRRDIRLE,
To he middle.aged or married made
no difference, The test was being on or
OF Cooper 4 Co.'s, or some other firms
pay rolls. Mac Lee had a wife at Mill
Greek; but he was not on the pay.rolls
for year, and Gof had TO suffer.
II may seem incredible that votes
were rejected on this kind OF proof. II
Is an actual, deplorable fact that many
have been and afar greater ernumber are TO
follow,
Several more votes would have been
deducted from Goff had not Mr.. Kee in
some instances voted with Maxwell and
Morris, As an illustration, the case OF
Silas Johnson may be cited. Silas voted
at Mil Greek; negro; middle aged
worked for Cooper 4 Co. from the lst oil
November, 1887, land probably long be-
lore, as the lists previous 10 that time are
not introduced In eYidence) 10 and In.
Guiding November, 1883, excepting
April and May. On the question ol sus.
taining the charge Of nop.residenCe and
voting illegally Tor Gof, NesSrs. SprigH
and Lively voted ayei Messrs. Kee,
Morris and Maxwell, no.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Still other votes would have been de-
Quoted from Goti II sprigg and Kee had
not voted with Maxwell and Morris,
For instance all the proof about William
Simpson was that lie was barber and
voter that he worked for Cooper & Co.
six days; that he had lived at Mill Greek
or Bramwell, both In Rock district, In
said Mercer county, for more than
year next preceding the election. On
the question Of deducting his vote from
Gof, on the charge OF non.residence in
tue State Of West Virginia, Mr.. Lively
voted, Aye.
How high Is dot2
1t Is to Be deduced that as Simpson ia
q barber, he must be a darkey, being a
darkey he must be q Republican, and
beinga darkey Republican he must be
nonresident, and being nonresident
he had no right 10 vote.
II must be remembered that the gen.
eral reputation Of the colored men is
known TO be Republican, and that those
who lived at these places in Mercer and
Mcdowell counties, were TO large ex.
tent known as q class 70 be migratory.
On rebuttal, however, 1t was shown that
a large number Of them did not attempt
TO vote. One election officer testified
that all men offering to vote, about
whom the commissioners had any doubt,
were sworn and fifty at least refused the
privilege Of voting.
So far ninetyseVen votes have been
rejected,