Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-03-26

Not TOR the Gasetie's purposes certainiy.-FEkh
Pass.
Tie Richie Gasstte desires fair elections
as much AS any paper in the country; out
II does not believe that fraud was rampant
AZ the election OF 1855. The howl for bal
lot reform comes with poor grace IRON
party fresh from the theft of the governor
ship OF the State. The alleged ballot re-
form bill introduced in the Legislature pro-
vided neither remedy nor a penalty ior
the hideous political crimes committed oy
the Democratic party in West virginia
within the last fifteen months. How de-
ightfu thing it is for grinning political
deformitv. a horrible skeleton caught with
It's mask of, such as the disgusting, decay
ing. decrepit. debased, debauched old wreck
winch has msgoyerned in this State for the
last twenty wears, 10 come in STOPPING be-
meath load of guilt, and with its CHASTITY
features working in gross burlesque, scream
in the feeble tones of dying effort, ballot
reform - 4 party that has tempered with
ballot boxes, trampled on the constitution,
defed the law, issued false certificates OF
election, drugged members OF the LegiSla.
ture, made threats OF assassination, ana
finally raped and stolen the highest once
in the State. is a sweet, beautiful and mag
nifcent one indeed to talk of ballot reform
Let the murderer sigh for peace, the de
bauchee for virtue. the highwayman Tor or
der. and let there be given 20 the VOL, the
tiger and the hyena grace, love and mercy,
while the Democratic party of West Nir-
ginia demands ballot reform. This IS, in
truth. the greatest trayesty, the keenest sa-
tire and the highest diversion ever offered
the people.-Rtchie Gazette.
Whether or not the Democratic party can
consistently demand fair elections, it is quite
consistent for the Republican party to oP
pose them. The Gasettc takes the defensive
whenever the subject of election frauds is
mentioned; there is evidently sore spot
right there; and it bowls and calls names,
and admits, every time it opens its capacious
mouth, that the grand old party is respon-
-ible for all the election rascality perpetra-
ted in the State Only week or two ago
il said that if the Republicans were guilty
of the crimes they are accused of, they
wouldn't enact a law to keep them from do
ing the like again, and if they were not
guilty they would not comply with the de-
mand for a reform law. Clearly it thinks
that election laws are not needed to restrain
any but Republicans. Does anybody sup
pose tina, if the GaEetts thought the RePnb-
ican party perfectly innocent, and the
Democratic party guilty of sl that 1t
charges. it wouldn't want law to keep
hem from doing the like again.? OF course,
/ 10 doesn't want ballot reform. Is there any
kind of reform that theRepubican party isin
favor of? Does il demand, or promise, or
suggest the possibility of reform in any di-
rection? Does it improve or elevate or pu-
rify anything in the State or Federal gov
ernmeu, that it takes hold Of? It's creed is,
apparently, that everything is too good as
it is, and ought to be made little worse.
And so the eminent Republican states
mau, Mr. Norris State Senator and hith-
or TO supposed to be a !awyer-opposed the
ballot reform bill because it provided
neither remedy nor a penalty" for crimes
alleged TO have been committed by the Dem
ocratic party within = year or so before.
He wanted an er post tactO penalty, for
Democrats only There's a sample of West
Virginia Republican craftsmanship and le-
gal attainment for you.
In common with his fellow r publicans
Mr.. Morris sheds bitter tears over the fail
ure of the party of moral ideas to reap the
rewards of its infamous attempt to get the
governorship of West Virginia by the fraud
and corruption of the election Of IS, and
hurls abuse at the contest committee (of
which be was member, and defames the
judicial body authorized by the Constitu
ton 10 determine the contest TO which he
belonged because its judgment did not
accord with what he pretends to have been
his opinion. And all the while he eIults
with ghoulish glee IA this or that Republi-
can breaks into Congress" and is given the
SCAT of q fairly elected Democratic member,
by Speaker Reeds patent process.
He hurls maledictions against the Dems-
cratic party, seeming to exhaust vocabu-
larry of iuvective that Ingalls, might envy
but above his furious charges of appalling
crimes against the suffrage sounds the Ga
,stte's declaration:
Ballot reform not needed in this State"
~
Thirty-hye surviving members Of Com
pany b, first Virginia cavalry, Confederate
army, had reunion at - Clair Hotel at
Mariinsburg on Thursday. This company
was made up OF Berkeley county men, and
was commanded successfully by Captains
John Blair Hoge, Kirk Hammond, (who
was kiled by the side of Gen. j. f. B.
Stuart at Yellow Tavern and J. y. Gun
ningham. Capt. W b. Colston. second
Virginia infantry, by request, delivered the
opening address. Letters of regret were
read from Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and Hon.
John Blair Hoge
Il is a nice thing to live in District rep
resented in Congress by a man who Is GER
tain Of denomination aud reelection. 1t
makes easy work and harmony in the con-