The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-01-16

statcneht Ulat the reports or eXecu-
tive officers and boardstof the var
ious State institutions are not yet
really, and that second message
will be delivered when they are
completed.
After paying tribute to the
greatness to which the country has
attained under Republican form of
government, the Governor says.
"Proud of the strength and
splcndor of our institutions as we
are, and have just right to be, we
should profit nothing from the ex-
perience of the past should wereek-
en- them beyond the dangers of am
bition and corruption. Whether
armed legions be bought with a
price to strike down existing insti-
tutions, or the ballot in the hands
of free people be polluted by the
bribe-giver and the bribe-taker, the
result, in the end, must be one and
the same.
"The corruption of the ballot must
bring with it loss of public con-
fidence; and the loss of that conf
dence can butpaveand make straight
the way for the destruction of the
existing forms.
"Upon the ballot rest the entire
superstructure of our political fabric;
and its corruption is more danger
Gus than open revolt, for it under
mines the very foundations with in
sidious debauchery. And yet this
is a peril to which our whole conn
try is this day exposed. Under the
sham of campaign expenses vast
sums of money are raised and dis
tributed to corrupt the voter and
defeat the public will. In many
instances men are selected for exalt-
ed positions whose only qualifca-
tions are enormous wealth and a
ready willingness to provide money
to tempt the INDECENT and defile the
ballot box.
Throughout the country, for
months past, the very atmosphere
has been laden with the cry of fraud.
Reproach has been cast upon our
own State as never before by illegal.
fraudulent and corrupt voting in al
most every county within the Dor
ders. This is SO palpable, that "he
who runs may read" The capita
tions of 1884 were 133, 522, and the
entire vote, after the most active
political campaign ever made in the
State, 1887. The capitations of
1888 were 147,4O7, and the vote
159,44O. The difference in the cap
itations and the vote, in 1884, was
4,O65; in 1888, it was 1902. This
shows an increase of votes in four
years of p, 1853, which, if legitimate
--sairliTindi1Ate= f,eflss1..tis.4 ooos
600. 1t is certain that no such in
crease has taken place.
;sThe purity of our elections inn
peratively demands a revision of the
election laws. The public sentiment
of the State demands it. These
crimes should be made so odious
that no man with the slightest
claims to common decency can dare
to condone them.
1 recommend that registration
law be enacted, and that our cleo
ton laws be amended SO that brib-
cry and fraudulent voting may be
prevented and the purity of the bal
lot-box preserved.
"That the certainty and severity
of the penalty may be measured by
the enormity of the crime, 1 recon-
mend that false registering, or vot-
ing, or procuring, or advising the
same to be done, or bribing, or at
tempting to bride, or giving or of
fering to give money or other things
of value for the purpose, express or
implied, to influence any person not
to vote, or any shift or device to
evade such provisions, and every
other violation of the registration
or election laws, the effect of which
may be to destroy, or change the
true result of an election, be made
felonious crimes. That any person,
whether implicated or not, in com
hitting any such otfenses, shall be
compelled to testify against any
person concerning such otfenses; but
such witness to be exempted from
punishment for the violation of the
law of which he may have been
guilty, and concerning which he
may be compelled to testify. That
no statute of limitation shall bar
prosecution. and it shall be the duty
of the circuit courts, at every term
4I,ora1f 70 ,-;,-o +ko - q, s,,o.,;,I