The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-02-16
They Are Baflled and Beaten.
Wheeling Register

lnteliigencer were taken up by the
Charleston end of that journal in
bowling revolution" Outrage"
conspiracy" ETC., at the Democrats.
II was ridiculous attempt to fud-
die the minds of the Intelltgencer's
readers and give them the impress
sion that the Democrats are disobey-
ing the constitution in not declarip-
Gen. Golf elected Governor on the
face of the fraudulent returns and
without investigation.
The dispatch contained over 5000
words and that is about all, there
was not line of reason, or point of
law in it.
These five thousand words hinge
on the bald and unsupported plea
that the Constitution commands the
Speaker to declare the result of the
election on the face of the returns
no matter how VIGOROUSLY fraudu-
lent they may be, whether an inves-
tigation Of them is pending or not.
The constitution says nothing of
the kind and we defy any one to
show that it does. If the duty of
the Legislature were merely minis
terial, wherein would be the sense or
use of the Secretary of State trans
hitting the returns to the Legisla-
ture? Why not let the Secretary
publish the result if it is merely
matter of adding up column of fig
ures?
1t is neither the spirit nor letter of
the Constitution to uselessly saddle
an arduous and entirely ministerial
duty upon the Legislature. That
| body is the supreme and final can
wasting board. The returns are Civ
en- into the hands of the Speaker of
the House to lay before the Legisla-
ture for investigation, if such is de-
manded, and nothing in the Consti-
tuition commands the Speaker to de-
clare the result on the face of the re-
turns, with such investigation pend
ing. 1t would be manifestly absurd
and unjust were it otherwise.
If the Speaker were compelled to
declare the result, like an automa-
ton, on the face of any returns sent
in, the election would be in a large
measure in the hands of any county
court that chose to certify to false
returns, and the man that thus de-
clared elected could effectually block
any investigation by the Legisla-
ture.
The Democratic members of the
Legislature and the people of West
Virginia are not fools, though the
impression seems to exist among Re
publicans that they are and may be
gulled by such glaring nonsense as
Republican speakers turn out by the
yard and which is hashed up and
shovelled into the Intelligencer from
Charleston.
The Republicans howl "revolu-
ton" with nothing to back it up,
while they themselves are in the
very act Of attempting to suppress
an honest declaration of the result
They dread an investigation. They
dare not face one and they will not
AS much is plainly admitted in the
Intelligencer' trash. Why are they
so anxious to have Golf declared
elected on the face Of the returns if
he is honestly elected? If the re-
turns will bear lawful investigation
why are the Republican leaders not
willing to abide by the result of such
: an investigation as tits the province
of the Legislature to make? The cry
that the Democratic majority will
override law and justice or count
out" Golf is unjustifiable and flimsy
as it is insulting to the Legisla-
ture.
1--WE don't want an investigation
because we fear you won't give us fair
play" is the astonishing plea of the
Republicans. And all the while none
know better than they do that an
honest and thorough investigation
will result in showing that the ma
jority of the honest ballots of our
people were not cast for Judge Elem
ing.
Because the majority insist upon
an investigation and most righteous
ly decline to declare the result till
the honest result is known, the Re
publican leaders open wide their
mouths and yell "revolution" and
their organ comes out with flaring-
black headlines over five columns OF
invective Where is the revolution
Who are the revolutionists, the Dem
ocrats, whose simple and express de-
sire it is to arrive at an honest con
clusion by due process of law, or the
Republicans who attempt to defeat
an investigation and to have the re
suit of the VIGOROUSLY fraudulent
election declared upon the face o.
VIGOROUSLY fraudulent returns? The
Democrats desire to ascertain the
will of the honest voters as register
ed at the polls and to have no hon
est ballot nullified by the fraudulent
vote of a repeater. The Republi
cans desire to suppress the will O
the honest voters by counting tn,
fraudulent votes along with the 9th
ers.
Who, we ask, are the revolution
lists?
Our Republican friends kick up al