Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-02-01

and eaItn 10 OBTAIN II, II pos5iole.
The fact tha. they did noi present it
wac conclusive evidence that it did not
exist They knew that these men were
not legal residents, and by their action
Oufessed that knowledge. Nov, what Of
the politics Of these voter? Vote after
vote had been retained by the minority,
or the ground that the politics WIS not
proven. Ii there Mrs anything clear 10
their case it was the politics
! The evidence cited by the Senator from
Hampshire was conclusive On this point.
The minority report did not say so, but it
Ought to have ssid So 1t evsded the
issue by saying that the general reputa-
ton of the negroes was that they Were
Republicans, but the evidence was far
stronger than that. 1t was single
LOGICAL sYLLoGIsM.
Over a score of witnesses had proven that
all the negroes in Mercer and Mcdowell
counties, with the exception of two, were
Republicans WIN. Brown was negro.
In Mercer and Mcdowell be was not one
of the two proven to be Democrats. What
thea was the conclusion? l. is TOO plain
for any man to question in his iDmost
heart.
Wm. Brown YVES a Republican and voted
the Republican ticket. Every word Of ev-
idet 60 Ia this case tended to show that the
negroes who came TO Mercer and McDoE-
ell counties for temporary employment
we're not legal residents Of West Virginia.
They bad not come among us for the pur-
pose of cstt'rg their lot with ours. They
hsd not broaght their familiss and had not
erected permanent homes. Ten had been
in the State twelve months bsfOre the cleo
tion OF 1888, and fewer still hsd kept
continuous residence IN the State for the
entire twelve months. Thee men voted
They voted the Rspubl;clu ticke.. They
voted for the cOntesise in this case, and
in justice TO honest voters, in justice
to this fair fame OF West Virginia, in JUS
| tice to oil, their votes should be II ected.
To the members Of this assembly he
wished TO ssy q few words in all solem-
nifty. A great duty devolved on every
man who sat in this case. Like iii col
league from Hampshire, and like every
fair-minded man on this side OF the House,
he had bser surprieed at the character of the
appeals that had bsen msde 10 the assem-
y
They had appealed to the gentlemen on the
other side of the House, ss if il was impos
sible that they should do otherwise than
vote to retain these fraudulent ballots. In
the campaign Of 1898 the Republicans had
declared that it demanded America for the
Americana. He to dsy demanded Wes,
Virginia for West VirginisDs. He de-
manded and tie people demanded that s
negro population like this in Mercer end
Mcdowell counties eh0uld not come in
FOR a FEW WEEKS
or months and by having the balance Of
power control the elections in tie State.
This queetiOn mas too gravs to Be dec ded
Gu party lines. He hopad and believed
that the members across the hall would
repu6iate the charge that they were there
to sapport, Gen. Goff Come what may
and would, act independently on the evi.
Ge1cs beiore them. a decision reached b.
this assembly in such s?iiit would COM
mend itsSlf to the Justice and fairness Of
the people OF Wes. Virginia.
Mr.. Price was Immediately followed By
Chairman Kee of the Contest Committee,
whl was prepared 10 close The c3se Mr.
Kes spoke from his deek On The h,Or, aud
was listened TO with Srspt attention. He
referred briefly to the dignity and import
snes of the case, Rad then pluugei into the
/ burden OF his address.
| The gentlemen Of the assembly would
fecognz za that tney were sitting ~ court,
ard it became their duty to act IN accord.
anos with that position. But gentlemen
who had come there to discuss the ques-
| ton had, il vas charged, endeav0rtd TO
mould the 46 together, iu order that J1dge
Fleming might be benefited thereby. For
| himself, he declared the charge wss un-
| lust. The learned gentleman from the
city of Wheeling who mad argued so lesrr-
e5ly, so urjustly and with sa much pervtr-
siCn of law bad
BEEN THE FIRST
to briug part sarship into this case. Max
ing use OF an anCcdote, which his friend,
Judge Johnson, had told for an entirely
different purpose, he said 20 the forty Fix
thar il they voted TO sustain the majority
report, il would be he'll for them politically
ani ought TO be he'll for them elernally
This was the sort of argumsnt and appeal
which had bsen hurled at the msj lfity.
He would not retort in kind; but wh,n
this case was revie6td and It's history
written, i would be 10 tie month Of TO
man TO cay that &c or his colleagues had
striven 10 create s. pariisan issue.
There WAS another thirg TO which ne
wished to refer in this case. The public
had not known it; the members on the
Democratic side of the Assembly had not
known it, but it seem there was a secret
member of the minority Of this Contest
Committee. There was first and sec
ond minority report. The first WAS the
report Of John Cooper, 2 gentleman from
tie county Of Mercer. lie was the distln-
quished gentleman who had been so active
in General G9ff's intersst in the c0unti6s
of Mercer and Mcdowell Here was q
COPY of er article which John Cooper bad
written TO the Fiat Top Monitor. Printed
copies Of this article hsd been put on the
desks of the Republican membsrs Of the
Assembly, but no Democrat had got one
John CoopeT's report vas not intended for
general circulation.
Why was this done?
Did Gen. Goff desire discussion Of this
contest on newspaper articles, which he
did not dare 70 allow Democrats to sse?
We're there any fscss to be KEEP: from the
pubic? On what other ground could THE
appearance 10 this case be explained?
What. in the name Of God, was the Fiat
Ton Monitor, He remembered that lon-
itor which, in his boyhood dsys, had ere
ated such a CONSERVATION at Fortress Mon
roe-wss this ihe Little Monitor on which
the little naval gentleman, who hsd been
so
PECULIARLY AT SEA
for ths past few months was to ride into
tbs safe haven of the GOveTrship?
General Goff he'd ssid that his friends
had made a special effort 10 prevent frsnd
in Mercer and Mcdowell counties, AID de-
fei any one to take issue with him. Lst
the Little General Ret out bis little shield,
for be would take issue with him at any
time on that proposition. When he came
10 that portion Of his csse, he would show
that John Cooper bad been a partner to
fraud on the ballot box, ard the benefi ,iaTy
of that fraud was General Nathan GOff.
In addition TO these thirgz, which had
been done TO hold the 45 10 lire, General
Sprigg had haen severely criticised because
it wss said Ia had gore cut of his way to
make 30 assault cu Gsa. G0if
In making his sddiess the delegate from
Hardy haa zone q hat lie hsd right to do,
sod what the gentlemen 1f tns Court
would have done il they had had proper
conception of its dignity. Gen Goff had
come on the floor and ssksd leave to file