The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-26

conversation with Chairman Dawson, OF
the Republican executive committee,
concerning those features OF tho election
law Of this state relative 70 the certify
ing OF nominations and tho filling OF
vacancies. In the course OF the conver-
satIon Mr.. Dawson said:
"t bellcve that an unlawful attempt
will be made to get Off the nominees OF
the Populist party and put on in their
stead the nominees OF the, Watts Demo-
Gratis, and especially Watts. name for
governor. This will be attempted, If
attempted, under the plea OF filling va
cancles. n ,ss5rtlF !
This, ir my Judgment, cannot be
done. by reference to sections is and 2SS
Il will be seen that q political party, In
The eye OF the law, Is an organized as
senblaSo OF voters which at the
last general election polled Mt least
three t3) per cent of the entire votes OF
the state or other political division for
which the nomination Is made. There
fore, the PEOPLES party. the National
DeMOrrauo party. and Prohibition par
~, have no legal status; the law does not
recognizes them: their committees can
not legally certify anything. The only
two parties inthls state having a stand
ing before the law are the Republican
and Democra tic.
Now, 1t Is plain. that committee
which cannot certify q nomination in
the first instance, cannot certify a nomi-
nation TO I'LL = vacancy in thar nomina
ton. 81,
The state tickets OF the Peoples par.
T., the Prohibition party. and the Ma
tionaI Democratic party appear on the
ballots by petition. and not because
they were nominated by conventions
They were, indeed, nominated by con-
rentlons, but such conventions have no
Standing in the law, and are not recog-
nIzed by the law; and hence II the con-
vent!ons of any one OF these three par
tiAsshayc no standing In the law, it fol-
f5vS5~ that the state coMmittee- Created
by it has no standing III the law; for the
creature cannot be greater than the Gre
ator. 1t IS clear, as before remarked,
that a committee which cannot certify
nomination. originally, cannot certify
q nomination to I'LL 4 vacancy in the
nomination.; and this view IS confirmed
by section %, which says: In case of u
vacancy In n nomination. (mods) by
death, resignation or otherwise, 1t may
be filed and certified in the same man
ncr as originally made. Both by. words
OF the atatute and common sense, the
only party that can fill u vacancy In u
nomination made by petition. are the
very same petitioners, or a legal number
OF them, wl,o made the original nomina-
tinn.'
Status OF the Populist Ticket.
What is the status Of the Peoples
party t!cket, and has fusion been ar
ranged between :he Democrats and the
ropullsts?"
Some fine since 4 meeting of some
OF the members OF the Populist state
committee was held at Parkersburs and
attempted 10 dspuse Chairman piersol
and Treasurer Spence. These two gen
tlemen claim that the meeting was not a
legal one. because there was no quorum
present and because no notice was given
ot the meeting. and also that there were
no reasons for depGSlng them, granting
that the committee had authority 10 do
SO. At this meeting q new chairman
was elected. Mr.. Cochran. Of Grafton,
who IS very closc.tn Colonel John r. Nc
G.aw. the member of the Bryan Demo-
cratic national committee for this state.
Indeed, a great majority of the Populists
declare that Slr. McGraw IS now Yir-
tuaily chairman of their committee, II
As ll.
Now the next movement OF the polit-
!cal cncctcr-board was an injunction,
sued out before Judge IIoke, OF the Third
circuit, restraining Cochran and George
W. Robinson from acting as chairman
and treasurer. respectively, Of the Poo
pies party GtGte committee, Robinson
having been elected trcu sureit IN place OF
Spence. dcpo6ed. Whether the Injuna-
i!on VIII be perpctunted upon the trial
remalast1 be seen. Iflt Is, II Is believed
thGt the next move or Colonel AlcGraw
and that part OF the Peoples party state
committee which he aecmg 10 control
WI! br TO elect an0theI chairman, Il that
has not already been done, In nnticlpa-
ton lf the Injunction. AIt;hls Is pre-
llmlnary 20 filling the vacancies on the
P9pulist state ticket. for It Is llnderBtdud
that the Tc&ignnti0ns OF several OF the
candidates onSthat ticket have been sc-
cured Colonel Fitzserald, who was in
tcnscIy onli-%ntt5 only n very short
;':nc ago. Ia now or the ticket especially
10 help Watts. II iS Suppoapd that the
io*tmoveriGrt VIII be an a,lcmpgtonll
the vacancies tEEJ mnde on the People Il
party ticket By substituting che names
OF Brynn Democrats. The election law
provides in It's tweht%-TiIth sGetion that
In case nf = vacancy In 4 nomination" :"
~ lsVL illi-t .bNAS.S lilIllE. TIC
ballots. It shall DO lawful t0r the cf,alt-
man OF the state committee TO provide
the commissioners or election a each
precinct With pastors, hGTiGS on them
TIE names OF the candidatca TO MI tn. va
c4Gclcy, which naSteri commissions
crs or election nrG 10 place OH the halidts
before The ballots are signed by the poll
CLERKS.
Can't be Done Legally.
"Aa before e,Gtcd, I do not believe that
this can legally be Done. Tie nom!aa-
,lons OF the Peoples party having been
made or!G,$4i,y By petition, and tia,
party having no legal flahdlng, IN the
riI:Gtn,I do not see how !. committee Can
maize nomination which .he conrpn-
ton that created the cGaiml;tcr could
not make.
ia nly opinion the sNaiutc ls being
abused ana misconstruad in reference
10 the r0minatlons Inndo by petition. !
:hnk that the idea OF the law Ii that
wHcH party. Ike the National Demo
cratic purty0 Of this state, has Nominated
a Ticket by petition and purposcly left
blanks on shrt tsci;pt. rs fus Instance,
not having nominated any person az II
copgrcBBIoral candidate, thut another set
OF petitioners cannGt;put n nar1e ntthnt
ila nh icit t,, nrI,yInol at,l