Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1896-11-25
WILL FLOOD CONTEST /?
An interesting Review of the Situation in
the 10th District. 80
(Richmond Dispatcn.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 19-It would be
matter for surprise, and it might be
regarded us foolish experim emit, if a
democrat should contest the seat of a
republican in the House of Repfesen
tativess of the Fifty fifth Congress.
which is largely republican. do not
know that the contest will be made,
but if justice and fairness could pre-
| vail against partisan prejudice, there
are ample and strong grounds for such
contest in the case Of the Tenth Va.
District. If Speaker Reed is as fair
and impartial in the next Congress as
he has been in the present one, and if
the facts In the case were presented to
him, there is good reason to suppose
| that he would favor an investigation
into this remarkable case; and a re-
publican election committee that
would render a non-partisan decision
in it would score a strong point for it's
party.
Some of the figures of the election in
the Tenth district show up very curl
ously. H. D. Flood, the democratic
candidate, was defeated by Jacob
Yost, republican, by lat votes. The
vote polled was very large, probably
the largest in the history of the dis
trict. Flood received over 10000 votes
NEARLY 1000 more than Tucker re
ceived two years ago, when he defeat
ed Yost by over 800 majority. In 1894,
however, there were 3.770 votes thrown
out as imperfect. In the recent cleo
ton the negroes all went to the cleo
ton judges to prepare their ballots,
and as result, very few republican
ballots were discarded, while large
| how ~ in haI
lots had to be thrown out.
Flood received the largest vote and
majority in the six counties east of the
Blue Ridge that any democratic candi-
date ever received in a contest with a
republican candidate. In Bath, Bote
tourt and Highland, west of the Blue
Ridge, he held his own pretty well. In
Augusta, Flood received but a. little
over 200 majority, while Echols, demo
crat, for the State Senate, carried it by
400. In 1894 Tucker carried Augusta
by somewhat over 800, and in 1895 a
democratic candidate for the Legisla
ture lost it,. In all of these counties
Flood was ahead. The great republi
can gains were made in Rockbridge
and Aileghany-particula in the lat
ter, where the influence of the G. q 0.
railway was paramount.
! In Rockbridge the republican gain
was shown to be democratic loss-in
other words, the democratic vote was
coerced or purchased In Allegheny,
| however, the fraudulent work which
turned-the scales in favor of Yost was
apparent to everybody, and it was of
the most outrageous character. Flood
got good vote in the county, but
| Yost's majority there was nearly as
orr !, 10 rot {sryN l.,
Tucker defeated him.
! The democrats could not account for
such a radical change in Allegheny
county at first, but in addition to the
coerced vote, for which they made due
allowance, they have since ascertained
that the county was colonized by i'm
ported negroes and others, at all the
furnaces within it., It was by means
OF these importatiOns, and the other
methods resorted to by the republicans
that Flood was defeated, and if an i'm
partial investigation can be had by an
election committee of the next House,
there are the strongest grounds for
belief, improbable as it looks, that the
seat from the Tenth district of Virgin
la would be accorded to H. d. Flood,
the democratic candidate.
Mr.. Yost opposed the nomination of
Speaker Reed for the presidency. He
favored Mckinley. who was successful.
Col. ]. D. Brady was Reed man, and,
| believe, the only Reed man In the
Virginia republican delegation to st.
Louis. Between the Speaker and the
next President there is no love lost.
Mr.. Reed will not put himself out of
the way to favor Yost. who will con-
troll the Virginia patronage to some
extent as the friend of Mckinley. Col |
Brady will not like the new situation |
at the opening of the Fifty fifty Con-
gress, and he can hardly hope that
Yost will help him te get the internal
revenue colIectorship for the Rich |
mond district, which he held under
Harrison. and for which Mr.. Morgan |
Treat, who has the support of the Ne |
kinley boltocrats, is also an aspirant. |
In view of this complicated situation. |
it seems as il there was probability |
of Mr.. Floods having his case looked |
into, If he chooses to make the effort,
and many here believe that it is worth |
trying.
PHILADELPHIA, November 1.-THE
Philadelphia and Reading RAILROAD |
Company was organized to day by the
election of q president, a secretary and
six directors -
By the terms of an act of the Pennsyl-
vania Legislature, known as the rail
road law" a change of the name of this
railroad, which was sold under FORE
closure proceedings September %. was
made imperative. Under the plan of
there will be three com
panies, the Philadelphia and Reading
Company, the PHILADELPHIA
and Reading Coal and Iron COMPANY
and the RaQdinp GOmnauv