Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-02-08
THE WEST VIRGINIA DISGRACE.

46St5e &xDtiouIu LA tCA y tk4zs 1tEHA ~ t4t<
g0yernorship Of that state. By The
vote OF the Legislature in joint SEES
Ision Fleming the Demo
Ecratic candidate. was declared elect
ed and lie will be seated. This eudl
the long farce OF an investigation By
committee and trial before the
Legislature. No one who has kept
track of the case has ever had any
hope that the decision would te
other than the one rendered yester.
day. The investigation and the
trial were simply device for giving
the Democrats 4 plausible excuse
for multiplying the will Of the people
and they have accomplished theiI
purpose.
Political events move rapidly in
this country. and ii is difficult for
people to keep truck OF a contest
covering so long a space Of tune al
the one which has just closed in
West Virginia. 1t is to be hoped,
however, that the leading facts OF
this remarkable case are still fresh
in the public mind. In recalling if,
it il well to remember that the whole
election machinery of West Virginia
was and still is, in tae hands Of the
Democrats. But. Notwithstanding
this fact, the returns showed in
November, 1883, plurality OF Ito
votes for General Golf. The effort
OF the Democrats since that fact
was ascertained has been directed
towards overcoming this plurality.
They have accomplished it at last,
bat at cost to themselves which
must i,e fatal, II there is any honesty
and intelligence among the people
OF West Virginia.
The first claim of the Democrats
was that gross frauds and corrap.
tions had been committed by the
Republicans. How this could have
occurred when the Democrats had
full control of the receiving aud
counting Of the votes they have
never explained. No proof has ever
been elected of these charges, and
the Democrats we're compelled to
fall back OH technical claims of
irregularities iu order to manufac-
ture plurality Of o4O for Fleming.
The speeches of General Golf and
his counsel before the Legislature
showed to what devices the Demo
Gratis resorted. Pay rolls OF mann.
featuring establishments were taken,
and il the name of some colored man
was not found OH them for u year be.
fore the election he was declared, not
to have been citizen and his vote
was subtracted from the Republican
total, because, as a Democrat re.
marked, " colored men have the
reputation of being Republicans
Other votes were taken from COTS
total, although it was never shown
that alleged illegal voters had voted
for Golf, or in fact at all.
Even in this way the Democrats
were not able to throw out enough
votes to seat their candidates. They
we're compelled to disfranchise life
long aud widely known residents OF
the State in order to do it. And
after all the techpicalities and
subterfuges had been taken advall,
tage Of andIthe whole State had been
raked for evidences of Republican
fraud the Democrats were able to
claim only pitiful plurality Of 24C
votes for their candidate. A more
miserable confession that their claims
of fraud were groundless conld hard
ly have been made. And when the
report Of the Investigating Commit
tee, with majority of Democrats on
it, had been made up il was fonnd
to be so weak that it had to bt
bolstered up by garbled up state
ments before it was sent out to the
world. But the last trick was the
most despicable Of all. Fearing
that the strong aud clear case of the
Republicans might have convinced
conscientious Democrats, charged
bribery was trumped up in order to
frighten Democrats aud keep their
ranks solid. 1t did not matter that
the man who made the charge broke
down utterly under examination and
confessed that he did not know what
was in the statement he signed, the
trick accomplished it's purpose aud
held the Democratic vote together.
Now that the eontestis ended the
Democrats will have time to reflect
and ask themselves whether the
transaction will pay them. They
have seated their candidate for gov.
ern0r, but they have given the
country one of the most conspicuous
and convincing evidences of fraud
that the record affords. They have
shown the nation that they are will.
ing to disregard the results Of an
election conducted BIZ themselves If
those results are not in accordance
with their wishes. Tue Republicans
of West Virginia, hy their brave
contest before a packed Legislative
court, have compelled the Democrats
to make these confessions and to
exhibit their. real animus before the
world. There is another jury, how
teyer, besides the Democratic Legis.
lataFe of West Virginia, aud that
jury is the intelligent, fair.mipded
people of this country, and this case
will now go to that tribunal. 1t will
mot take that jury long to decide
that if the methods which the West
Virginia Democrats have taken to
seat a governor and to secure certifi.
Gates for three Congressman from
that State are 20 be permitted then
the experiment OF free, representa-.
tive government might as well be
abandoned in this Countrywide.
Press, Feb. 9th.
Every session of Congress finds our
representatives piling in bills and
claims, to the jog Of their consti-
tuents, and to the parading Of their
blow my own horn honor and sham
" :