The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-29
nEMAnKABLE COINCIDENCE.
Heretofore Unpublishsd Incidents OF the
Gubornntorial Contest OF 1899.

G"ubornnt0rihl Contest OF bbV
Xdrhnbhro Herald,
In tho carly summer OF 1889 tho writer
Of this mot ID q rooip Of the Ebbitt
house, In Washington, Hon. II. Clay
Evans, OF Tennessee, and Gen. Nathan
Coli, Of this state. Conversation ma.
turally turnod to tho contest then In
progross and tho probable result. II
was suggested to Gen. Coll that tho
final decision would BIO against him. lilo
Indignantly resented any such idoa with
tho remark that Ito was honestly
elected, had n plurality which could not
DO destroyed by chicanery or fraud, n
that thore wero enough honest men IN
tho legislature to prevent the conspira'
tora IRON accomplishing thoir infamous
purposes. Ho wont on to state that ut
loast two Democratic members OF tho
legislature had Batiailod themselves that
no was legally elected and would 30
vote.
Being reminded that no could not do.
| pond upon tho promises OF those mon,
he cut his pcssimisiic friend oil with tho
remark that he know what he was talk.
Ing about.
Mr. Evans being appealed 10 for IN
opinion differed from tho general and
suggested no should be greatly surprised
II some means was not employed TO
bring tho dissenting Democrats into
line.
The result! 10 woll known. Tho vote
was not counted as tho constitution pro-
vidcs, Mt the proper time nor since, and
the defeated candidate OF the Democra-
tic party was made governor by n res-
olution adopted by tho legislature, q
plain and palpablo violation OF the con.
stitution. which the men voting for tho
resolution had sworn to support.
Tho two Democratic members oil tho
legislature who had dared to defy the
rascally cabal were Morrill,, OF Writ
county, and Ford, OF Raleigh. We have
the story from tho nan who, whom tho
other leaders OF the party had exhaust
cd every means in their power TO dis.
suado those two mcn from voting their
honest sentiments had failed, %concocted
the scheme which was finally SUCCESS
full. Morrill, was druggod, and so thor
oughly was the work done that for a
time it was thought that he could not
DO rosuscitated. Ford could not be
spared. His vote was necessary. the
margin being so small. A lowd woman
ives placed in his room. The conspira.
tors were at hand, aud when he entered
the room they followed. The scene that
ensuod can DO imagined. Mr.. Ford, IN
honest, %virtuous man, was dumbfound-
cd when informed OF the character Of
the woman. He protested that he had
no idea che was there, nor why. His
protests were received with jeers, and
he was told II no did not vote as thoy
dictated he would be branded as a vile
man. and the fact that such a character
was found with him in his private
apartments would DO published broad
cast Under the terrible pressure he
yielded. Fleming was declared gov.
ernor aud fraud triumphed.
After the deed was done, Mr.. Ford
was informed OF the villainy practiced
and then and there renowned his
party, as did Mr.. Merrill. after he had
recovered.
At the recent election Mr.. Ford was
again a candidate for the legislature.
This time as 4 Republican. He was
elected and was promptly counted out.
BE contested and ID o occupying his
rightiul place in the legislature OF the
state.
Another and striking coincidence is
that Mr.. Evans is now in the same po-
sition Gen. God occupied six years ago.
Though his plurality ia greater the
Democratic majority in the Tennessee
Legislature is larger than that Gen. Cot
had to contend with. and such vile
schemes may not be resorted to in the
latter case as in the former. There is
scarcely any doubt, however, that fraud
will again triumph.