Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-13
Getzendanner-S haffer Contest.

The Berkeley Democrat has piled
lot of chips on its shoulders and goes
staggering about daring the Herald
to knock them off While the task is
dead easy, we have RETAINED from
doing so on the theory Answer not
an editor according to his folly lest he
be wise in his own conceit. T" But,
to humor his fancy we shall "Answer
him according to his folly lest he be
wise in his own conceit.
Let us do as Senator" Shaffer did,
go back to the beginning. After the
Davis convention Judge Daniel B.
Lucas vowed that he would nominate
the most unpopular Popocrat in Ber-
kelley county for the Senate, which he
did, as was proven by the fact that
Jefferson county nominated Shader in
spite of the protest of Berkeley county
Democrats. He was nominated be-
cause OF his ultra I6-to-I views. vocif-
Grated on all occasions, publicly and
privately. His opinion of the Ma
tional Democrats is, expressed in the
extract from his alleged speech before
the State Senate, published in re-
cent issue of the Democrat
GAS you will recall, in the month
OF September, a handful of self
appointed gentlemen met in the
city of Indianapolis and formed them
selves into an organization and christ
ened themselves the National Demo
cratic party. The members of that
party in my own district, still con-
tending that they we're Democrats,
and desired to vote for all the Demo
cratic nominees except the head ofthe
ticket. without any action on my part
presented a petition signed by the
requisite number of names under the
law, and in compliance Herewith, the
clerks of the several counties placed
my name upon the ballot"
He tells the whole story. "A hand
full of selfappointed gentleman" The
quintessence of sarcasm! That is
Daniel Webster's own, Only "a
handful How insignificant De-
sired to vote for all the Democratic
nominees except the head of the
ticket. Beg pardon, Senator.
You are off there. They did not
desire to do anything of the kind.
The names of VIM. G. Brown and d.
w Shafer did not appear upon the
National Democratic ticket as made
up by the "selfappointed gentlemen.
Other gentlemen" took upon them
selves the task of completing that
ticket Senate" Skaters friends
without any action on my" [his]
u art presented petition signed by
the requisite number on names" and
the clerks in Jefferson and Berkeley
counties Doth Democrats and both
candidates. for re-election) placed those
two names on the National Demo
cratic ticket AGAINST THE PRO
TEST of the National Democratic
committee. In fact the names OF
ShaffeI and Brown were on the ticket
some time before the committee was
aware of it.
The law provides who are compe-
tent to sign petition of that charac-
ter We venture the assertion that
not ten names on that petition had a
legal right to be there. AS the Her
aid stated at the time, Senator"
ShafIer 'sneaked in" He wanted
the votes of the handful" and was
willing to resort to any method to Sc
cure them. The National Democrats
were justly indignant and had it not
been known that the wrong could and
would be righted, in case Shaffer or
Brown won by such questionable
methods, their names would have
coma oH IN a iiffy