The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-01-12


Notice Of a contest was served on
General Golf by attorneys for Judge
Fleming Wednesday. The reason
for this action on the part of Judge
Fleming is apparent to every one.
After the returns of the late election
were in, and it was ascertained that
General Golf had received several
hundred more votes than any man
on his ticket, and that this large in
crease of votes was given him in
certain remote counties it was grave
~ suspicioned that gross frauds had
been committed, and Investigations
were at once inaugurated by the
Democratic State Executive Commit
tee, and the closer the investigation
the more glazing were the outrages.
Upon the result of the Investigations
the committee decided that those
frap6s must be brought to light and
exposed by lawful investigation
which could only be done by con-
test. This action of the committee
is sustained and sanctioned by the
Democratic party. This contest is
then not the contest of Judge Elem
ing alone, but the contest of the Ex-
ecutive Committee and the Demo-
cratic party. In this contest the
Democracy relies solely upon the il
legal votes cast for Gen. Golf and do
not make single technical specifi-
cation in the notice.
But it charges that 1,042 illegal
votes were cast for Golf, and names
each person casting fraudulent bal
lot, and outlines the sources of proof
by which it is expected to make the
statement good. The great majority
of these illegal ballots were cast by
colored repeaters in Kanawha, Mer-
Ger, Mcdowell and Fayette counties.
These men were natives of Virginia,
but were brought to the polls in
thinly populated districts and voted
by the score. A considerable num-
Der of fraudulent ballots, it is also
charged in the notice, were polled in
Mineral county.
In addition to these, the notice
further alleges that nineteen legal
Democratic votes were thrown out in
various counties, and charges that
this was done through fraud and
conspiracy in General COTS interest.
Lack of time prevented full inves-
tigation of the gross electoral out
RACES committed by the Republican
managers in the Third Congressional
district, but the counsel for Judge
Fleming are confident that incontro-
vertible evidence has been secured
to clearly establish his right to the
seat. 1t is expected to prove by
competent witnesses that every one
of the 1,042 men named in the notice
voted Illegally and voted for General
Golf.
The Democracy has the utmost
confidence that the result of these
proceedings will establish Judge
Jennings election beyond shadow
of doubt. The committee would not
have entered into the contest unless
it believed it could make complete
and unanswerable case. The honest
voters of this State do not desire
that any man shall take seat Oh
tanned by fraud or corruption. Sus-
picions of gross fraud in the last
election are entertained and have
been circulated over the entire coun-
try, and the good name of our State
and the purity of our elections de-
manded a full and fair investigation.
If General Golf shall be able to re-
flute the facts stated in the notice of
contest, and show clearly that he is
elected by the qualified votes of this
State, there is no one who would de-
prive him of his seat. And until he
docs so the Democracy will claim
that Judge Fleming is fairly elect
ed.-Inder.