South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-08-02


CURED In Rsndolpb county, where
he lost ten votee. The largest gain
made by either candidate Was maae
oy Fleming in Brooke county. where
be made net gain OF sixty-nine.
coLoSIzfSo OF VOTERS.
Thus far the committee has had
pretty plain sailing. The real work
before !, will be reached wher Mercer.
McDowel and Kanawba counties are
taken up. The contestants and their
respective attorneys viii ibe present
all the time While these counties are
being Investigated. Mercer county
is one of the so- called back counties
which " spaisey settled. Prior to
The election of 1888 this county has
Usually given a democratic major.
i'y Of about four hundred, which was
nearly the entire vote Of the county.
In that election the republicans car.
ried the county by q majority of six
hundred. Judge Fleming challenges
some three hundred votes In this
county. The evidence which will be
before the committee indicates that
a large number Of people. mostly
negroes. were brought over from
Kentucky and Tennessee and put to
work in the various coal mines a few
days before the election, and others
were employed to open prospective
mines where there was in fact no
coal Others still were put to work
preparing to build railroads, &c. II
Is asserted that all these people vot-
ed, and a few days after the election
LETT the State. 1t Is further alleged
that the pay .rolls OF q number of
corporations show o large addition
to their labOiing force just before the
election, and a corresponding decrease
just afterwards. Whilst the exam
instion Of the three counties above
referred to is going on Messrs. Alder
SOD, democrat, and McGinniss, re,
publican, candidates for Congress in
that district, Will be present and will
use such facts as they can get in
their contest before Congress. Nc.
Gnniss 10 contesting the seat of
Anderson, to whom the certificate
was given by the Governor.
In Mcdowell county state of
affairs similar to that in Mercer exists
as shown by the dispositions sent up
for the com mittee>s examin alton. In
kanawha county, owing TO some
defect. $50 it is alleged the vote has
never been Published and declare ed
and the vote of the entire county
may be thrown out. The committee
expects to conclude its examination
and report in about six weeks from
this time.
COST OF THE CONTEST.
There has been an attempt upon
the part of some republican par tisans
to make capital by charging up to the
democratic party enormous expense
which they have alleged would be
incurred by the commission. Some
havr placed these expenses as high
IS seventy thousand dollars, Others
at forty thousand. These estim ates
include the entire expenses of the
special session Of the Legislature
which will be called to receive the re,
port and decide the contest. Not
only so, but the estimate is based I'D.
on q session of sixty days, when, 10
fact, the time occupied in this matter
would not probably occupy teu days.
The committee is not allowed any it.
inerant or Incidental expenses, and
its actual cost for per diem and legal
charges TO this date, as furnished to
the sun correspondent by the sten-
ographer from his notes. is $2,250.
THO PROBABLE RESULT.
The opinions gathered outside he
commission as TO the probable out.
come OF the investigation is to this
effect: Democrats are of the decided
opinion that there will be found a
large number Of fraudulent votes in
Mercer and Mcdowell, and that
Kanawhs will probably be thrown out
and Judge Fleming elected by some.
thing approximating two thousand
majority. Republicans express
themselves as confident that the re-
suit will be in favor of Fleming, but
place it upon the ground that the
committee will not act fairly in dis
posing of con ested votes. Judge
Fleming does not care personally
about the cf1icc, but is contestinp the
matter from sense of public duty.