The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-13
PHB VIRGINIA FARCE,
Comments on How the RePub'
Iicaos of the Old State
PLAYED AGAINST THE UMPIRE
IN tho Recent Election, sO.oalled'
y,w Election Laws Demanded by
l;cspcc,nblc CItIIens-Colonel
sIaushIcr's op'Niop,

% T,,nlsoroS, D, c., NoW l2,-Ths
.,,n,n, from the late ratification meet
Iog down in Virginia still continue to
.,n,. "" in. Uili1sns from all parts OF the
Sn,o as they return to the city, furnish
Gs local papers with fresh evidence Of
Soy that oyindication OF Virginia's
manhood was effected, which only va
-ia, in the minor details of execution,
y,om tho standpoint OF the impartial
oolooKer Ihcru is but one surprising
L,,preln this tale Of woe. Why was II
tb,t rls Democratic State Committee
b,nornrd To select II, 900 us the required
%1iprity? In the matter OF majOrities
Ji0O is neither tish, flesh nor good red
herring Either the majority should
bayr hrrn no overwhelming as TO admit
nj ma yaTiablrness, neither shadow ol
,nrnipg M in the ease Of Mr.. Cleveland
when elected Governor Of New York, or
il should have been small enough 10
Indicate reasonable amount OF contest,
Having in view the extreme care
will which all other contingencies werh
oroyidpd for, this oversight on the part
Of the State Committee is certainly re-
markablc, II is, however, to be noticed
,hRt the ylctOrs ARE disposed to exhibit
connlendabIe spirit in their hour ot
irumph, They do not deny that there
were a few Republican votes to be cast,
whether thpy actually were cast or not,
and this under the circumstances ia as
gratifying as it was unexpected. Wit
ness tho following from a recent inter-
view with one OF the F. +. V.'s:.
COLONEL sLAUGnrER'S OPINION op THR
VOTING.
The Colonel was at the Ebbitt Thurs.
lay night The Colonel had been gone
fora fortnight. lie moved over and
made room.
YVES, suh, I've beon on the sacred soil
Of Old Virsinny," he volunteered.
"Every native born son Of the Old
Dominion had to be thar, We had to
save the State, and we did 1t, sab, with
houall We have piled up over 10000
majority Tor Kunn'l Phil Mckinney, a
man OF family, sab, u man OF honah, a
gentleman, by gad, sab u
"Was ii q fair election, Colonel ?"
"Fair, Bah2 Did you ask me II 1t was
fair? There was no repeating allowed,
There may have been u few Radicals
who were unable to deposit their demni.
ton votes, sail, on account OF the late.
ness Of the hOuah; but when you ask
init II tho election was fair, ! ain con.
strained to say, in view Of the glorious
results, that 1t was strawberry blonde,
sab"
The question has been raised as TO
whether the candidates on the Republi.
can State ticket really expected 10 sue.
CeCd, 1t can be stated authoritatVely
that after the registration lists bad been
"putgad," ten days previous to tho eleC.
ton, aud an inkling was had OF the
Democratic plan Of campaign, they GER
tainly did not. No man capable Of per.
forming the simplest sum In addition
would. Conservative estimates place
the Republican losses by their first act
Of the farce at between 10000 and
10000. This Is probably an underrather
than al overestimate. They did, how.
ever, retain some slight hopes OF saving
the legislature, and they bent all their
energies to ihat-with what success the
result shows.
PLAYING AGAINST THE UMPIRE.
Naturally, it may be supposed that the
Republican managers made what pre-
plrAtioa they could to fight the organ
lied system Of fraud which It was only
too apparent was about to be worked.
But West Virginians, at least, should be
ready to admit that attempting to check.
mate M unscrupulous party, with the
election machinery Ia it's hands, bears a
striking resemblance to playing au op.
posing nine aud the umpire ut base ball.
One means, though, was adopted:whiCh
II is hot without the range Of possibill.
ties may yet be OF service as an unim.
observation-disclosures OF dishonest tallylng.
All Republicans voted open ballots.
That is, each voter as he came up TO the
window carried his ballot uniolded and
showed Ito the Republican challenger
aud tally.kecper before handing II to the
Judge, who did the folding himself. By
this means u certain record could be
kept. The Democratic Ecelers were not
long in seeing the Importance OF this
pldu, and orders went forth to instrate II
atauy cost The iavorite methods Of do.
ing no was TO start q row around the
polls and make away with them. The
Republicans, In turn, partially rOmedled
this by sending th1 sheets away 10 safe
diSlauCU as soon as twenty five names
lad been checked of. So, In the end, It
is believed that not very large number
Oi naneS were lost,
NEW LAWS DEMANDED.
1t was not surprising tO note on the
day succeeding the election, among all
classes Of the people, the sentiment Of
the utter iutility, OH the Republican
side, Of continuing to 20 through with
the iormality OF an election under OK.
listing SAtU laws. Men Of all conditions,
Republicans, from substantial business
men down to tho poorest negro, on
being interviewed, bad but one express.
ion Of opinion TO make: ~ ahall never
attempt TO vote again unless we can
have u national election law or some
other Which can guarantee us at least
The appearance OF iairneSs."
As ono Of tho dllatOry methods 70.
sorted to Rt tho Richmond polls species
Of sell" was perputratOd almost worthy
togo down In history side by side with
the famous query said 10 be regularly
prOpoundpd Ut West Point 10 new com.
rrs In regard to the command ol troops,
Alter other inquiries were exhausted q
negro would b6 asked II he could spell
or read, II the unsuspeCtlnR victim 70.
piled that hg could, card covered With
letters Of various BlapB aud styles would
suddenly be thrust Ia front Of his eyes
nnII under tho prelBxt Ot adjusting e "a
hIsVisiOn, kept bODbinR around 70 BuCh
an extent rs to render feadlba u q phys
ical impossibillty. II hS said hs oollt
not II was inquired Of him at once, ID
triumphant tones, how ho was Ablu x
spell ILLS nAlnp, street, etc., correctly. II
either case, Judging from CffeDla, thiI
logic sCCned 10 DO unanswOrable, AnE
Sllo good work went on, ROC,
CALVIN llRlCE FOR SENATOR.