Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-17
FUN WITH Mr.. RILEY.


tleman, but speaking politically, his
mouth is yawning Vesuvius, as
may have been heretofore announced
iii this journal of choice family liter
allure, and his cheek expansive
enough for q desert. His brilliant
Imagination takes in the world and
trespasses on the domains of the sun,
moon aud stars.
His figures are more numerous
than logical and convincing. They
ill him, however, with sweet Sereni-
ty and sublime hope. He calmly
closes his eyes to the fact that while
the Democratic vote in this State
this year, is as great as il was in
1883, the Republican vote is between
eight and nine thousand short and
takes up a few counties with which
to do some peculiar counting. One
of these counties is Mercer, locali-
ty somewhat famous in the recent
political history OF West Virginia.
Now the Gazette protests that Mr..
Riley is q man of intelligence, but in
this late little conversation, bis cheek
simply became so rare and radiant,
that it blinded his eyes and his
Judgment. This temporary defect
of vision permits his mouth to ejacu.
late that in Mercer county, IN 1888,
the face OF the returns showed there
were 2,779 votes cast, of which Gov
ernor Fleming received 1873 and
General Golf 1,406, giving General
Golf SO majority" and to add that
"this year there we're 1,94S votes
cast, 1859 more than in 1888, of which
Judge Lucas received 1909 and Mr..
Reynolds 1889, giving Judge Lucas
majority of go" On the strength
OF this statement at least one fool
Democratic paper jumped up aud
clapped its ears together and shout
ed in wild joy that this proves there
were at least fifteen hundred fraud
ulent votes east in Mercer county in
1888. Mr.. Riley INDUCES in these
brilliant figures to show that the Re.
publicans did not stay at homo this
year, but tnrned out with force and
enthusiasm. He fails to see that
his mathematical demonstration is a
sight too far,reaching for the good
of his own party. The Virginia
negro voted in Mercer county in
1888, according to Mr.. Riley's party,
in large numbers. He never had
been, did not intend to be, and never
could be a resident of the State
of West Virginia. That, was as
said, in 1888. In 1890, according
to Mr.. Riley, there must have
been one hundred and slxty.nine
more of him than in 1888; but
the county goes Democratic. and
everything is lovely and purity, pat
riotism and peace reign supreme. II
appears that it is all right for the
fellow who is a " Negro, young man
worked for Cooper & Co., at Sim
mons creek" to vote, il it can be
shown that the State is clearly Dem
ocratic and the Republicans did not
stay at home.
But, now here is "A nut for Mr.
Riley to crack. In spite of the in
creased vote III the three counties
named by him, the total vote of the
State in 1890 was nearly ten thous
and short OF what it was in 1888
Three counties therefore can not
prove the situation. In fact no one
knows what it is exactly. The Ga.
zette believes tlat the two parties
are as evenly balanced as in 1888.
1t believes that with the disturbing
factors in the Republican party,
caused by dissension over Offices aud
IN other ways arising out of being
in power nationally, transferred to
the Democratic party, West Vir.
gina would easily go Republican.
Mr.. Riley's mouth concludes its
bewildering interview by his saying
l have only to add that the people
have spoken, and | think that for
all time to come have settled who
was right aud who wrong in the con.
test that grew ont of the election of
1883" Perhaps Mr.. Riley's con
science is troubling him over the re.
suit Of the contest. If the contest
was settled justly, in what way does
the approval of the people change
the decision Does Mr.. Riley mean
to say that if it was settled uniustly,
the fact that the Democrats have
carried the State, condones and
wipes out the crime committed For
the people to sanction a political rape
is to increase, not to diminish. Its
hideousness.
Go to, Mr.. Riley. Your check is
terrible i'll its proportions, but the
mltteriDgs of your mouth are not
convincing. You might as well
claim that the multiplication table
demonstrates the problems of Euclid.
that the text of the first reader ex
plains the character of Hamlet. that
the controversy in a country Gebat.
ing society fixes the status in his.
tory of Washington and Napoleon,
that chalk marks IN rural school
house square the circle, that boring
a glmlet hole in the ground settles
the question of heat in the interior
of the earth, as to insist that YOU
secured anything at the late election