Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-03-22
THE RECENT TOWN ELECTION.


A writer in the Charlestown SPIRIT
of this week, signed "True Demo
Gratis" goes to some pains to justify
the action of those persons who sup
ported the Peoples ticket" at our
recent corporation election, and there
by defeated the regular Democratic
ticket. He says:
The PEOPLES ticket was selected without
eeeard TO politics as all corporation tickets
mad heretofore been chosen. and was In the
field week or ten days, when rev So
II. and TO vent their private spleen against
the head of the ticket, issued q call Tor q
Democratic convention-a thing unheard OF
In our corporation analrs.
To show the Inconsistency OF some OF these
would-be Democrats and leaders, II Is only
necessary TO say that few years ago they
voted for MIR. Higinbotham. Kepuplcah
nominee and carried this strong Democrat
10 nrecinct for him by $50 majority. Ihese
me- the men that now presume 10 crack tne
party lash and force voters To assist then III
venting their private preJudlces Out Jus H,e
requires me 10 say That there were some
trne and consistent Democrats In the con-
vention. but they were misled by the class
spoken Uf above
Itmay be true that the People ticket
was selected without regard to politics,
but it is also true that it was headed
by Republican mayor and recorder
By whom it was selected we do not
know-not by the public, however.
We submit that the Democratic meth
cd of naming candidates is rather the
best-in open convention and public
meeting, free to all. Those who pre-
fer the ticket set up in blacksmith
shop, saloon OF in some secret rem
devious by self-constituted leaders
should not find fault with the Demo-
cratic plan. 1t is true that those
who were in the convention and sup
ported its ticket desired the defeat of
the head of the Peoples ticket-they
had a pride in the sort of man who
should be mayor Of the town that IS
quite to their credit. True Demo
Gratis" might well have exhibited the
same spirit. A Democratic conven-
ton in corporation affairs was never
heard of before-but neither was the
Australian election law. Which
method of nominating candidates was
preferable-a fairly-managed conven-
ton or a petition carried around from
store to store, from loafng-place to
loafng-place?
A word about those whom "True
Democrats" call "would-be Democrats
and leaders" who voted for Mr..
Higinbotham, Republican nominee,
and carried this strong Democratic
precinct for him" That corporation
convention was called to orded by j.
D. Billmyer, our member of the
county executive committee. f. H
Remnant, our Democratic postmaster
selected by Mr.. Wilson, was chairman
of the convention. W. n. Lemen was
chairman of the campaign committee.
Two candidates on the People, ticket,
DR.. Butler and L. w. Pofenberger,
were present at the convention and
allowed their names to be presented
among the other candidates. Among
the large number of other Democrats
present were B. F. Harrison, G. I.
Hodges, B. S. Pendleton II. S. Baker
Robert Gibson, Z. T. Lickhder, DR.. K.
C. Grove, the candidates who were
nominated, and many more. Oul
readers may decide for themselves to
which class the above gentlemen
belong-"would-be Democrats and
leaders" or those who were misled
pulled about by the nose, as it were.
No wonder the writer hides behind a
false name-very false-he would not
have dared to sign his true name.
The REGISTER does not desire to
pursue this subject. 1t advocated the
Democratic nominees. When they
were defeated it made no comment
because it wanted no breach in the
party. We notice "True Democrats
misleading letter to defend our repre-
sentative Democrats from false asper-
sions. No charge has been made
against the sort of "True Democrats
that penned the epistle, and it wa;
quite unnecessary for them to rush into
print. Possibly they are ashamed Of
themselves now, and are simply once
more illustrating the old prOverb that
1.-THE wicked flee when no man pur-
sueth.
We dare True Democrats to let
the public know who they are.