Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-28
ONLY THINK OF IT!

With what avidity the Intelligencer
quotes the remarkable utterance of
cowed Democratic editor at the cap
ital of the Republican county of Pres
ton, to the effect that charges of fraud
and irregularity in that county are not
true.
We can imagine the situation of
this Democratic editor, whose neigh
bors and patrons to the right and left
and in front and rear are Republicans
of the hard shell variety, and whose
bread and butter cut more or less of
figure in his opinions. Suffice it to say
that his sentiments are no more
weighty or valuable than those of any
one else not well informed as to cleo
ton and post-election doings in certain
sections of that great county.
If he and the Inteliigencer wish to
know, the truth OF this matter and the
extent to which actual Irregularities
of the grossest and most outrageous
kind prevailed there let them examine
the bill of exceptions filed by the at
torney for MIR. McGraw and SIGNED
BY THAT SOLIDLY REPUBLICAN
CANVASsING BOARD OF EIGHT.
That is the only method now re-
naming of getting at the legal evil
dence of the gross Irregularities that
prevailed in the voting and afterward
in the canvass in that solidly Republi-
can county. And it must carry con-
viction with it.
But, we are informed by our hypo-
critical neighbor of Fourteenth street
that what irregularities there were
were the RESULTS OF IGNORANCE!
Well, we'll, we'll! Now, whoever
heard of such thing as ignorance,
and ignorance in such vast benighted
chunks, in so Overwhelmingly Repub-
lican a county as Preston? We have
always understood that Republicanism
stood for special enlightenment as well
as progress and prosperity! We have
heard our learned Republican friends
refer to dark and benighted WetzeP'
where, by the way, neither fraud nor
irregularity has come to light. But
that's all right, you know Wetzels
Democratic, and Democracy in our
contemporary vocabulary stands for
dark, deep ignorance and mossback-
ism. But whoever heard of such
things in the brilliant and enlightened
"banner' Republican county of Pres
ton, which usually gives any kind of
Republican majority required? The
idea of ignorance, being so prevalent
In Preston-the home of the chairman
of the Republican State Committee!
Well, WE'LL This is a confession, in
deed, and involves a complete rear
rangement of our ideas on this subject
Moreover, such Ignorance as Is
confessed to in Preston exceeds any
thing ever brought to light in any
backwoods county on the far western
border of civilization. Ana IN the very
centre of the benighted picture, in its
verdant and primitive setting, sits the
solidly and stolidly Republican county
court of Preston, whose eight Repub
Sscan members did the canvassing o.
votes, although, three of those mem
bers and canvassers were CANDI
DATES WHO HAD BEEN VOTEI
FOR IN THE ELECTION AND THUS
SAT AS JUDGES UPON THEIR own
CASES-a state of affairs that shoul'
vitiate the entire proceeding, ant
which is absolutely unnrecendente'
outside of humorous fiction.
Let the Republican organ sing low
Hereafter, of that glorious enlighten
ment and progress for which its part
all along has been supposed to stand
To think-but. alas! the subject
zoo distressing. Let us draw the cur
tsin of charity!
esVTI;c &c eyororrv,o,,f J,xy Tho voop11