Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-05-04
Communicated.

FARMERS OF JEFFERSON CoUSTY.-Gentle-
men: write you this for no other reason than
to let you have something to think about on
rainy DAYS and talk about when we meet at
the different blacksmith shops.
have smoked my fragrant Havana on the
sunny streets of old Madrid have quaffed
the fiery brandy of the North, while the REIN
deer munched his fodder beside me in the
tent, while the pale light of the midnight sun
threw the shadows of the pines across the
snow but have neyen seen such braxen cf
frontery as is shown by the old sheriff ticket
in this county. Really, to hear them talk,
they are the only five gentlemen that should
be sheriffs. The boast of the old ticket is that
I'VE can carry the towns and this will insure
our election" The farmer may go as Van
derbilt said the dear people might, so his rail-
road bill passed. Ny impression is, out of the
1000 votes cast In this county, 200 OF them
live outside of the towns, and it seems to me
that Just ~ soon as We country people think
about il we can down the old ticket with their
touns-but the truth is the towns are nearly
evenly divided between the old and new
ticket.
The new ticket is making its fight on the
principles laid down In the Code Of West Vir-
Iinia Article TX of the Code, Section l. says
distinctly There ahall be sheriff and other
officials elected for the term Of four years. -
Section says: The same person shall not be
| elected sheriff for two terms consecutively, nor
shall any person who acted rs deputy be elected
successor to said sheriff; nor shall HE during his
term of SERVICE, or within one year thereafter,
| be eligible to any other OFFICE. The retiring
sheriff shall finish up all business remaining
| in his hands at the expiration of his term for
which purpose his commissions and official
| bond shall remain in force"
Wenew ticket people claim that if it is lille
| gal for deputy to succeed a sheriff, then he
must necessarily follow in the wake of the
sheriff he serves under, and stand aside to set
tie up his accounts with said sheriff; and fur
Their il it takes four years for the sheriff to ar
range what business is left in his hands, it
take, the same for the deputy. Under the rule
that the sheriff and deputies are elected, there
| il really no difference between them, one is as
much sheriff as the other. Before the election
these gentlemen enter into a compact and
agree that one of them shall be called sheriff.
They agree as TO what district they shall ride
| in, and also agree to share and share alike all
the expenses as well as profits OF the office
They do more than this-they each bond to
the high head and he bonds to the court. AT
ter elected if you go to the sheriff (so-namedl
with an order, if it's not in his district he will
refer you to the sheriff of that district telling
! you he has nothing to do with it. Oftentimes
| the deputies are stronger than the head OF the
ticket las in the case of Col. Morgan four wears
ago. Morgans vote at Shepherdstown was
| 2S6 Does any one deny that Sheriff Morgan
carried Shepherdstown, and not Sheriff Davis
And if he was under the rule sheriff of that dis
trict last term how can he be eligible this
| tsrm,
The principles of Democracy is to rotate in
Office, letting every one have his equal share
as to fitness for the place. But this old party,
with the advantage of tax lists, executions,
pocket deeds, and so on, holding lover the vo-
tiers, and being in Office for twenty years,
: mourn and groan because some other good
Democrats want their place. We farmers
| think we have done enough for this party and
want chance of four years to allow these gen.
tlemen to have plenty Of time to settle their
long standing accounts with THEIR FRIEYDs.-
For myself, have been supporting the ticket
all the time. When Mr.. Hurst ran for the Of
fee before he told me he only wanted it that
time and would not be candidate again, per-
fectly willing then to stand aside if l would
support him then. But he has changed his
mind, and claim the same right, am CEN
yerted. NEW TICKET MAN.
Summit Point, W. Va, lAdvt.l