Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-15
FRIDAY. .......... MARCH IL. 1889
-Danrer on Either SIDE.


West Virginia for more thsn three months
rs 10 who IL the lawful claimant OF the Of
fee OF Governor has not attracted more At
teptaou than its importance justified. ln-
deed, although the papers all over the land
have had articles OF one sort and another
bearing upon that contest-some Of them at.
tempting 10 make II appear ridiculous-YerY
few OF them have taken the pains to inform
themselves thoroughly in the premises. The
Philadelphia Ledger, for example, talks as
follows:
"The State 10 80 close that no one can tell
definitely which wss elected, for there are
ALLEGATIONS OF fraud on both sides. But II IL
dangerous principle TO establish that the
Legislature may keep Governor out OF Of
Zee by negiecting TO announce the vote, even
where there IL good ground for contesting
the returns a. received"
The Ledger assumes that "the State IL
close." II has not ascertalned the facts OF
the case. The State Is not close. The
strength Of Judge FLEnISG's contention lies
IN the following facts: First, Mr. CLEvs-
LAND received ajorlty OF about thousand
votes 10 West Virginia. Second, The Dem
oeratic candidate for Attorney. General re-
ceiyed q ike vote. Third, The Democrats
carried the Legislature mo matter by how
small q majority And, fourth, two out oil
the four congressman 10 which the State Is
entitled were elected by The Democrats,
whilst one at least OF the Republicans claim
ing TO be elected TO Congress owes bis claim
10 the same frauds which afforded GoFF the
opportunity 10 claim TO have been elected
Governor.
Now, lie not the presumption that FLEM-
ING was elected, raised by the factsY Why
should he. the best man running for office
on the State ticket, have been beaten In
State that gave CLEVELAND q thousand ma
iority and elected a Democratic Attorney
Generali GoFY is an ambitious man. He
is wealthy. He had served for short time
10 the Cabinet OF Republican President OF
the United States. He had tasted the sweets
of official position. and desired to indulge
in them again. Therefore, he ran for Gov
ernor, and caused much money to be put
into the campaign, holding out to the Re-
publican National Committee the induce
ment that a sufficient amount OF money
expended IN his State would secure
United States senator as we'll as
the governorship. Fraudulent voters were
easily imposed upon the election officers
in some OF the back counties, there being no
registration law In West Virginia, and 1t
being impossible on the spur Of the moment
10 fl the domicile OF the negroes offering TO
vote. The Democrats could do nothing but
protest. IL registration had been required,
they would have been forewarned that these
negroes intended TO vote, and so might
have been prepared to contest their right
10 do SO. But In the absence Of a
registration law the Democrats were
taken by surprise, and were consequently
unable to prove that these negroes were
fraudulent claimants OF the right 70 vote.
In a word, though the scheme 10 steal West
Virginia failed In the case Of the United
States senator, In the case OF the Attorney
General, In the case OF the Legislature, and
10 the case Of the congressman, yet II was
about to succeed IN the case OF the govern.
orship, when the Legislature interposed its
strong arm, and summoned Mr.. GoFF TO
show cause why Judge FLEMING should not
be indicted into that Office.
II was really Mr.. KESNA's place that Mr..
Cory was seeking TO obtain. He was not
anxious to be Governor, bu; TO be a United
States senator. The Republican National
Committee worked for him because they de-
sired to make sure OF Republican majority
IN the United States Senate.
Now, in view OF all these facts, who
had a motive for carrying the elections in
West Virginia by force, or fraud, or trick.
eryi What IL the presumptionS Clearly il
IS that the Republicans made desperate at
tempt TO surprise and overpower the Demo-
cratic garrison, but failed at every point ex-
cept one. The one question remaining I'M
determined is whether they are or are not 10
be allowed thus to take possession OF State
by chincsncry or by the aid OF fraudulent
voters or by the liberal expenditure OF
moneyi
II the Ledger has followed us 10 this arti-
Gle IT will possibly be prepared to add to Its
dlctum as quoted above the further remsrk
ttst cit is a dangerous principle to estsb.
lIsh" that legislature nay be compelled by
fricksiers, corruptionis's, and balloi-box
suffers TO announce that man was elected
Governor who was really defeated. We ask
for eyen-hsnded justice. II Corr was law
fully elected, let him be Governor. Or II
FLEMING was lawfully elected. let him be
Governor. But don't tell us that fraud
ought to be permitted 10 accomplish its ends
by reason OF mere formalities.