Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-02-27

es. Democratic majority. When the Re
publican State ticket was formed at
Charleston in 1888, it was with the inten-
ton of winning by corruption. Poor
men were turned down and wealthy ones
nominated, except for minor positions
A battle If Doodle ives to be inaug-
urated, and the ammunition had TO be
provided. From the day Of the coDven-
tion until the polls we're closed, bribery
Was continually and openly resorled to by
the Republican managers. A Safe Sena-
tor recently declared in the Senate cham
Der, without contradiction, that in
his section, 10 honest and sincere
man denied tina. wholesale corrup-
ton had been prac,iced. Il is not neces-
slry to 20 into ths history Of this iufAmy
Toe facts are known of al men;
ami the Wheeling IRteuigeRcer know that
the men who conceived this plan Of corrup-
ton and carried it out, are some of the
"rascalsn over whom the Democrats have
finally gained = victory"
The Investigation of the gabernatorial
contest br uRht 10 light another form Of
fraud. Those revelations are also public
property. In Summers county for instance
il was shown that twenty-five colOred
section hands, employed by the @. x o. rail-
road, and brought from Virginia within six
months preceding the election had voted
for General GOFF. They we're not resi-
dents Of the State, residents Of the county
OF Of the district in which they voted. If
the Wheeling IatsiligeAeer wishes to know,
we will tell it that these were some OF
the "rascal9" over whom the Democrats
"have finally gained a victory"
In Kanawhs county it was shown that
the County Court had violated every prin-
cple Of justice, snd brought itself into
contempt of the Supreme Court Of the
State, in an effort TO manufacture fraud
ulent maj lriLy for Geo. GOFF and "Fud"
MAUANNAS- 4Hc NVunAI SohhhA7o4OHSio
stul.ifsd themselves aud doubled on their
own rulings, until even the partisan NIL
nority Of the Contest Committee grew sick
and Disguised in following them through
the labyTinths Of fraud. By their actions
forty votes were given Gen. GOFF which
were never cast for him or for any one else.
The Kanawha County Commissioners and
the bribers and political fOoiPAds who
abelted them, are some of iha 'rsscals"
over whom truth aud justice "hsve finally
gained victory"
The crownirg villainy in Mercer and
McDO we'll has been often referred 10. Two
hundred illegal Republican votes we're
thrown out in those counties, because it was
proven that the voters were non-residents.
Daring the whole Investigation scarcely
one Of the men whose votes were contested,
was put on the stand by General GoFF's
counsel TO show that he was legal voter.
Tue psy rolls of JOHN COOPER & Co, and
OF other Republican mine OPP
orators would have shown
tbs. these negro workmen were legal resi-
dents of the State, if they had been such;
yet Gen. GoFFs eouasel never introduced
one Of these pAy-rolls in evidence.
Dozens Of the negroes who cast GOFF ballots
in West Virginia we're registered az voters
in Virginia. These 200 illegal voters. and
the K publican politicians who put ballots
into their hsnds, lead them TO the polls
and induced them to vote, are more of the
"rascals" over whom the Democrats have
fiaally gained = victory"
There ia still blacker history than this;
and on reading i. every honest West Viz
gilman will feel the shame which it brings
on his State. Bribery at the polls has
bsen supplemented by bribery in the legis
latiye halls. Before the Legislature met in
regular session in 1889, two Democratic
members we're approached with improper
proposals. A. B. SHELTON, a member
from Lincoln county, arose on the Il >Or Of
the House and made statement that he
had been offered 81, 600 to leave the State
and s.. 600 to vote for General GOFF. An
investigation followed. Every charge
made by SHELTON WAS sustained and as
result Ons Of the wOuld-bs bribers is now a
fugitive from justice, and an indictment is
hanging over the head Of another. Here
are two Of the ''rasclls" over whom the
Democrats have finally gained victory"
But the shameful record OF bribery does
not end here; aud now We speak of fActs
that have not been made public. For the
sake Of men who hesitated at the last mo
ment 10 become parties to an infamous
transaction, the REGISTER has not gone
into the filthy details of plot, which was
patent to all men. But hypocriticsl
claim must not be set up by professional
bribers, that their defeat was accomplished
by dishoreit means. During the discuss
ion Of the gubernAtOrial contest this winter
the advantage remained uniformly on the
side of Judge FLEMING. The facts were
presented, the arguments made, and the
case was given to the Court for decision.
Ga the Democratic side of the assembly
sat men whose ability and reputation
for honor were above question.
There were men there VINO had
repeatedly shown that they were not
afraid to brave their party for the sake OF
their cOnviciiOns They weighed the evil
dence carefully snd impartislly, and ar
rived at the conclusion that Judge FLEM-