Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-01-25

Co. from January to November, 1883.
Now that raises the issue at once. Here is
q man who has worked for John Cooper q
90. nearly an entire year. Bear in mino
that there is no proof that VIM. Anthony
voted the Republican ticket or that he
ever voted at all.
Then there is the general testimony OF
half dozen witnesses who say that the
reputation of the negroes is that they
were Republicans; and one of the msj ority
of the Contest Committee moves to take q
vote off Goff. AYE" AYE" "Aye,"
and away goes Goff Bear ia mind the
presumption that VIM. Autheny and every
other voter is q legal voter How will you
overcome this presumptionP Will you do
it By proof like this that is light ss airP
All law requires that it be shown conclu
sively thst vote is a bad vote. II is the
duty Of men who assail ballot 20 prove
that il is bad. That has not been done in
this case nor has it been done in hundred
others may mention.
Gentlemen, it is not my right; il is not
the right Of any one man, but il is the
right of every voter in the State, the right
of Judge Fleming and the right of every
honest man TO see that the vote of William
Anthony, and the
VOTES OF HUNDREDS
of others shall not be tampered with. !
know not whether William Anthony work
ed in the mines or on the railroads 10 the
months Of November and December, 1887
know not whether he wss in Virginia in
these months or in West Virginia. 1t is
no. my duty to discover; but l do know
chat there is no proof that he was not in
West Virginia in these two months; yet
bis vote has been cast ont.
/ want now to take q case which tire
gentlemen on the other side makes one Of
their strong cases. Wyatt Anthony voted
at Mill Creek. Mr.. Young says that he
is negro, young man and has no family.
Ga page 16S Young says he entered the
employe OF Cooper & Go. on Sept Der
%, 1888 My friends, On the ether side
make strong csse out Of thai and strike
time off Goff, although no man shows how
be voted but be is negro. young mao
ard therefore his vote comes eff Goff Toe
committee wss probably misled. II makes
20 difference now long he worked with
Cooper & Co., or if he did work at all.
There is no evidence that he was not II
legal voter, but this is not all. This same
Mr Young shows oa page 212 that Wyatt
Aueihony worked for Cooper & Co. in M
vember 1887.
Then they conclude tha. he was ore of
these stray birds Il ying from place TO place
sDd another vote comes of G,ff Again,
invite your attention to the case of Joseph
Bockner, who voted a. Mill Creek. Or
Osgs of the testimony Mr.. Young testi-
fies that Joseph Buckner is young man, s
negro, and has DO family. On page 212
the esme Mr.. Young testifes that be
worked for Cooper & Go. in November and
December, 1887, and January, February,
March and April, 1888. This ia the whole
proof There is no evidence that Joseph
Buckner
VOTED FOR ME,
but on this evidence a vote is taken eff
Goff. Let as take COW the case of VIM.
Brown. This man Young testifies that
be had family in Virginia at the time
of the election.
J. NJ. Myles testifes to substantially
the same thiOg. YOupg tsstiies that be
entered the service of Cooper & Co. in
September, 1888. Turn TO page 2l2 and
You will fod that Brown worked for
Cooper & 90. iu November, 1887. Gen
tlsmen, youcan see just how much weight
is to he attributed to some of this testi-
mony. Ycu can see how contradictory
it ia.
New turn TO John CoOpet's deposition,
and you will fad this. VIM. Brown
voted the Democratic ticset. do not
know whether or not VIM. Rrown wss .
legal voter do not know that he voted
the Democratic ticket, sad his vote was
taken off Gofi Gentlemen, l did not
have largo msj 1rity in the election, bat
l sm Jealous OF II. do not intend, least
of ali, that votes which we're never cast
for me shall be stricken from my aggre-
gate.
Let us take up another phase Of this
controversy. Did any of these men whose
votes are contested vote anywhere else?
Judge johnson has told US that man
never loses his domicile. He has home
and right to vote fome where; but what
about the poor Mercer county negro?
Where is his home? Where is his domi.
cil.? According to the rules of the msjor-
ity of the committee the same evidence
that proves to the minds of the majority Of
the committee that these men are
non-residents of West Virginia will
prove thousand times more
conclusively that they were not
residents Of Virginia. A clearer case could
not be made. The arguments of the ma
iority Of the committee result in au absurd
iiy. The next man is Judge Goes. His
VOTE WAS CONTESTED
at Mill Ctesk. On page Young says he
was negro, young man and no family
Young gays on page 2l2 that he worked for
Cooper & 90. from January to November,
1888, inclusive. Now, because come pay
roll did not show that he worked in No
vember and December, 1887, am deprived
of a vote. Whose is the presumption Of
law iu this cost? The law is tIampled un-
der foot. The committee is law in itself.
1t has sci up the rule that the man who
dsres to visit friends in Virginia, if be
have such fiiends, cannot hold his citizsn-
chip in the State. They set themselv6s
against the law of the laud and the law Of
human nature. As lorg as the men who
toll in the Mercer county mines feel the
instincts of mau il their breasts, so long
will their thoughts 20 back to their old
homes in Virginia or to whatever spot
whence they came; so long will they re-
turn to these old homesteads and renew
the scenes of days gone by. Bat let them
not do it uuless they wish TO be disfran-
chised and branded as repeaters and colo
niZeTs.
There are 10 Mercer aud Mcdowell
counties over 1l3 men whose votes have
been stricken from the aggregate for my
self on exactly this testimony. Will an
action of that kipd stand bsfcre this AS
sembly her,? l take exception to the re-
port Of Judge Johuson's master commis-
zion. appeal to the high chancellor.
1C0ntinued on Fourth Page.
Notes.
Special T,korGm TO ne Register.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, January "a
There was no business in either House to-