The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-08
EHR MERORR COUNTY, NpICTMENEs.


Alore Democrats Than Republicans coul'
Have ROep Indicted.
10 NJ EdiiOT OflAS IRidlt0MsT,
SIR;-The Circuit CourtadjOurued tai
18th day OF December, hayingcontinuet
tho last two weeks for no apparent pur
pose except to keep watch or ward ovel
the dying embers OF the machine o.
Mercer county Democracy, and to issue
rules for Republicans who may be dis
posed to Criticise the partisan conduct Of
tue judge, Such proceedings were never
before known In the history Of the cOun'
try, The partisan ChaFacterof the charge
given to the Grand Jury no one present
could fail 10 discern, this Ia evidenced
from the consideration Of the following
tactsi There were about $500 votes cast
in the five districts In this county. There
We're cast In the Rock district about ,0SS
votes, and the number OF names upon
tbs Assessors books for this district il
625, There were cast in Beaver Pond dis,
trlCt about 54l votes, and the number 0t
names upon the Assessors books for this
district il 400, There were Gust in Ply
mouth district about S99 votes, and the
number OF names upon the Assessors
books for this district Is 207, There were
cast in Jumping Branch district Rbout lO7
votes, and the number OF names ON the
Assessors books for this district is 100.
There were cast In East River district
sos votes, and the number otnames upon
the Assessors books for this district is
496, There are but two districts IN the
county having q Republican majority
Jumping Branch and the Rock Jumping
Branch having Republican majority Of
but two votes, Two precincts In the
Rock district are Democratic and two
precincts are largely Republican, and
these two ethe only precincts in the
county which were subject to the par
tiCular attention OF the Judge through
his instructions to the Grand Jury, and
no ono voting at any other precinct in
tho county was indicted because his
name did not appear upon the Assessors
books.
suPFosR THE SHOE WE'RE on THE OTHER
~. FOOT,
II there had been a Republican Judge
upon the bench willing to devote him.
self to punishment OF Democrats let
US sec how the case would stand. First,
there were 100 Republicans who voted
ut the two Republican precincts, whose
names the Grand Jury knew from the
evidence before them were voters, u list
being furnished by John Cooper, or his
clerk, which should have been placed
upon the assessors books, and second,
il was reasonable to presume, too, from
the continually increasing acCessions TO
these mining districts from other parts
Of the State, particularly from Kanawha
and Faycttc counties, that there were
many persons OF this class who would
have II right to vote and could not by
any possible means have gotten their
names upon the assessors books, even
II 1t had been their dutyto apply to the
assessor for that purpose.
Could not this supposed Republican
partisan 80 instruct the Grand Jury, aud,
with some plausible reason, too, insist
that they should find no indictments
where these conditions exist. But IN
other parts Of the county where the
voters were mostly Old residents and
mostly Democrats, why should not the
indictments BIZ found? There might
possibly be some few persons who had
attained their majority Just short time
before tho election, but there would Ger.
tainly be less probability ofdOing whole
sale injustice In this CasC. Now could
not our Republican partisan have in.
dicted us many attlosU precincts, which
were Democratic, us were indicted at
these two Republican precincts before
mentioned? Our figures, we think, an
swer tho question. Besides this, there
is Bluedeld precinct, In Beaver Pond
district, where, perhaps, were cast more
illegal votes than at any other precinct
in the county, Blueheld City only being
laid of in February last. But here the
vote was largely Democratic, and Of
course the vote was not questioned.
There arc as many, perhaps more, voters
who arc Democrats and whose names
are not upon the assessors books
Us there are Republicans. There are
about 200 voters whose names arc not
on the assessors books. There are prob.
ably 800 or 1000 persons in the county
who did not vote and who have not yet
acquired a permanent residence therein.
DANGEROUS TO he a REPUBLICAN.
1t was certainly dangerous to be a
Republican in Mercer county between
the 10th day OF November and the Goth
day Of December Of this last year, Of
which your correspondent has had per-
sonal experience, rule having been en-
tered against him for his contempt in
writing, publishing and causing to be
published" in your worthy paper "a
scandalous, nbelous and Contemptuous
articlen and 1t was adjudged that he
pay q fine 10 the State OF fifty dollars,
the costs OF the rule, and also that his
license to practice law DO revoked,
He is, however, but a fellow-sulerer
in common with his friends Of tho same
political faith, some OF whom, he has
reason to think, have not yet returned
10 tho abode OF civilized men, they hav-
ing found II convenient 10 retire to the
caves and dem Of the mountains or
within the borders Of sister State.
The contest now going on is not very
encouraging to the Democrats so en-
gagged. They see that tho Republicans
fully understand the programme, which
was first started by the announcement
In tho Democratic papers before our late
Circuit Court, that Judge johnson was
going 10 iHdict 400 Republicans for ille-
gal voting; tho manner In which the
indictments were made and the plan Of
contest being carried out by the Demo-
o.nIin onnIopIantu fnr Tho 1aviaInIurn nv