The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-08

turns not yet opened to the joint com
mittee provided by the law relating h
thecontest for the Office Of Governor, ant
be hereafter considered and have thu
same effect as Il none Of the said return
had been read"
No sooner had this vote been an
nounced than Senator Morris, OF RitchiG
county, presented the following, slgneC
by all the Republicans, including Presi
dent Carr and Delegate Kirk;
TUE PROTEST OF 45 REPUBLICAN, NRMBRRi
OPTHR LEGISLATURE or WEST VIRGINIA,
RssOlved, That the following protest
against the action Of the partisan major,
ity In this joint assembly in disobeying,
overriding and annulliug section 8 oi
article 7 Of the Constitution OF the State
be entered upon the journal,
WHEREAS, The constitution provides
that the returns Of every election for
Governor, State Superintendent OF Free
Schools, Auditor, treasurer and Attor-
ney General be sealed up and trans
mltted by the returning officers TO the
Secretary OF State, directed 10 the Speak,
er ofthe House OF Delegates, who shall
Immediately after the Organization OF
the House and before proceeding to
business, open and publish the same in
the presence OF O majority OF each
House, which shall for that purpose as,
semble in the hall Of the House OF
Delegates, and that the person having
the highest number Of votes for either OF
said officers shall be declared elected
thereto, and
"WHRREAs, Before proceeding to COM
ply with the said constitutional provis-
ions, to,wit; ON the - day Of Feb.
ruary, 1880, the Democratic majority in
the Joint assembly proceeded TO other
business, that Is to say, In offering to the
joint assembly the petition of one A. B.
Fleming, the Democratic contestant
against Nathan GolF, who, the said Ma.
than GOT, was duly elected to the office
Of Governor on the face Of the returns
ut the election held on the 9th day OF
November, 1888, together with certain
rerliOrai proceedings concerning the
contest Of said Fleming agaInst-said
GoE, and continued said business Of re.
Ierring said matter to a Joint committee
Df the two Houses to be In the future
appointed; and further continued busi-
ness by adopting resolution to the
effect that the publishing and declaring
of the result for the said office OF Gov
ernor be suspended until said contest be
decided In the manner prescribed by
law, and further continued business from
lay 10 day In violation OF the Constitu-
ion, by adopting various resolutions;
WHEREAS, By this course the Demo.
cratic members OF this joint assembly
have proceeded in direct opposition to
The Constitution in refusing to permit
The Speaker OF the House Of Delegates to
open and publish the said returns
Ior the said office OF Governor
and have, In this revolutionary
md unconstitutional manner prevented
The opening and publishing Of the said
returns for Governor, and have prevent
cd the constitutional and lawful declara-
lion oi the true result on the face Of the
returns OF tho said vote for Governor;
Therefore, We most solemnly protest,
IN tho name OF the constitutional rights
of the people, against the unconstltution-
Al and revolutionary proceedings OF the
Democratic majority in this Joint As
Bembly. We protest against these pro-
because they deprive the peo-
Pile Of the State Of their inalienable
rights, prevent the carrying out OF the
will Of the voters rs expressed at the
polls aud tend to produce anarchy and
confusion because they seek to deprive
Nathan Go6, the duly elected Governor
of this State on the face OF tho returns,
of his right to hold said office during the
pending Of the contest against him. We
protest finally against the proceedings in
.he name OF the people Of the whole
who loYe liberty and believe in
holding fast TO order and to law"