The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-23
IIHE TAYLOR STRAL.
Outrage Attempted by Democrats
OF That County.
The COUNTY COURT RECOUNT
Declaring the Election OF Bent After
Brohard had Received n MAJORITY
ofSt on the face OTthc RetuIRs-The
Ileea1ity ofthe Proceedings Of the
County Court Plainly set FOrth-A
PalraDle Fraud.
tha rdIlor 81 the 1nlellIreneer.

TO the Editor OF the 1ntelllgencer.
sIR-There never was more bare
laced or bolder theft attempted In any
state Of the Union than the one at
tempted by certain Democrats Of this
county, and men who should be heartily
ashamed Of themselves are giving aid
and comfort to this outrage.
The returns made by the commits
uioners and clerks conducting the cleo
tion show that H. F. Brohard was
elected to the legislature by a majority
OF ISL votes, and these returns are prima
facie correct, and upon them the county
clerk would declare the result Of the
election II nothing were done to show
that they were erroneous. These re-
turns would entItle the person. so
shown to be elected, to his Office did
the county clerk fail or refuse to act.
Then, let It be borne in mind, Brohard
Is entitled to his seat. But Mr.. Dent
appeared before the county court, sitting
d q canvasslng board, and demanded
q recount Of the ballots. This he had q
perfect right to do
A recount was made. The canvaSsing
board consisted Of two members only,
and they did not agree upon the result
ofthe recount. One OF them certlfies
that upon the recount Dent i5 elected
By. q. majority. while the other certihes
that the returns made by the commits
eioners conducting the election are
correct, and therefore that Brohard has
81 majority. Hence the result OF the
recount amounts to nothing, and the
returns as made by the commissioners
and clerks holding the election must
stand, In the absence Of a contest. Ell
ther party could have appeared before
The county court while the recount was
being made and have excepted 10 any
ruling or count made, and could even
have made every ballot u part OF the
record by proper bills OF exception, and
( have had the action OF the canvassing
board reViewd by an appellate court,
but this was not done.
we have simply the returns OF the
election oificers, the demand for re-
count and the action OF the county court
dlmgreeing as to the result. Why
should Dent be seated upon the certlh-
cate OF one member Of the county court,
and Brohard denied his seat when he
holds the same kind OF a certificate
GERS In addition thereto. The Register
correspondent from here Intentionally
fnls-Btates the facts when he says the
recount shows that Dent was elected.
The fact Is, as the records show, that the
county court, sitting as canVassers,
never adjourned sine die. One member
entered upon the record his notion OF
what should be there, signed II, and
hastily left the state. The other mem
her did not sign 1t, and refused to do
So The legal status under our statute
Is that the board stands adjourned
from day to day for want of quorum.
(See Sec. 6S. Chap. 8, OF the COde) This
record has TO be signed by the board.
or a majority thereof" Sec. GS Of the
Code.
The Republicans seeing the difficulties
which would arise under these clrcum-
stances. lmportuned their Democratic
IlGlghbor9 to have Curry return. Curry
being the member OF the beard who had
left the state. and open these ballots.
examine them, and discover, II possible.
how and by whom this great fraud had
been committed, but they would do
nothing. Curry remained away. The
Judge Of the circuit court issued writ
az mandamus, holding that the board OF
canYassers was not dissolved, but stood
adjourned, and required the members
10 assemble and complete the canvass
and declare the result, but Curry kept
out OF the reach of the court. Means.
the other member Of the canvassing
board, answered the mandamus. say
ing that ne could not sign the record as
prepared and signed by Curry, because
he believed 1t did moi state facts; that
he was ready and willing to join Curry
IN making full canvass and In declnr-
inE the true result.
The matter has thus stood open for
more than month. The 18th instant
was the time for the regular term OF the
county court. II was well known that
the Democrats would endeayor to or
ganlze the court by seating member
not elected, and hence last Saturday, nt-
ter giving ample time for n fun can
Vasg.dr. Means made n record as he be-,
lleved the result of the election to be.
He simply cnncurs in the record made
by Curry except as to the house of dele
Eates and one member OF the county
court and us to these he says he be-
lieves the returns made by the election
officers are correct. What else could he
do? Join with Curry and certify to what
he believes to be false? Why did not
Curry remain in the state and at his
post of duty until his work was dOnc2
When he found that his record wAs re-
E JgGtIM w Alla Gull@uRuE WHY IIpk EAAUl.
ine the records until Il satisfactory rec
ord could be made?
Every sensible, honest man in the
county knows that fraud has been
committed. A change OF over 100 votes
was made IN three voting places where
there were less than 600 votes cast This
could not occur by mistake. We can
not assume that the officers conducting
the election, composed OF Democrats
and Republicans. were such fools that
they made more than one mistake In
every six votes. The records OF the
canyAssinE board we're kept open for
more than month to give tho Demo-
Gratis an opportunity 10 Investigate the
returns. and the circuit court issued n
mandamus "a require the Investigation.
They evHded the process OF the court,
and refused TO convene the canvasBlng
board, and now that they are defeated.
and their attempt to steal thwnrted,
they SET UP howl OF fraud and reyplu-
ton. All honest men viii understand
this.
Here arc the ballots In the clerks
Office. at Grafton. and they refused to
Inspect them in open daylight and by n
fair tribunal. The ballots are still nc-
ceSsible. Let Nate" Curry contest and
appeal TO the ballots. II will not be-
done. These bnllots will never he in
spected n the Democratic conspirators
can avoid II. REPUBLICAN.
Grafton, Dec. 2i,