Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-10
THE ARTFUL DoDGER AT WORK.


When the Artful Dodger after theft
wished to throw off his pursuers he
doubled on his tracks and came up
in their rear yelling stop theft
louder than any of them, to lead them
on a false scent.
This familiar ruse of the "Artful'
is ever and anon brought to mind most
forcibly by the tactics of the political
Artful Dodgers in this State. When
ever the Republican ring masters in
Charleston and Washington contemp-
late an exceptionally crooked piece of
political skullduggery it will be noticed
that they never fail to prepare the
way by suddenly setting up a tre-
mendous howl over the alleged discov-
cry Of a purpose on the part of Demo-
Gratis to engage in the very same sort
of work If it is crooked work at the
ballot box during the counting of the
ballots they invariably preface it by
directing attention to some innocent
Democratic county and yelling stop
thief" at the top of their lungs. II
they desire to steal a United States
Senatorship, they hold up the tally
sheets, seat members who were not
elected and threaten to call out the
militia if protest is made, under the
prextext that it is to prevent Demo-
scratic fraud. So often have these
political Artful Dodgers resorted TO
this old ruse that it has come to be
quite familiar and those who watch the
political game can tell almost invari-
ably when it is the intention of the
ringsters to perpetrate a particularly
glazing fraud-such is the sameness of
their methods.
Thus it will be noticed as the time
approaches for the assembling of Con-
gress and tha contamination of the
theft of the Senatorship, hat the ward is
sent all along the lire in this State to
their organs and henchmen to "a the
familiar Artful DoGger cry as inst
Hon. John T. McGraw, who purposes
to make a hard fight in the United
States Senate against the consumma-
ton of the gigantic fraud perpetrated
at Charleston last winter by which the
sovereign people of West Virginia were
boldly deprived of their choice of a
United States Senator by the revolu-
tionary tactics of the Republican ring.
We need not rehash the details of that
n the memory of the people. Suffice
it TO say it was acconpl ahed by the
deliberate violation of the law by the
Secretary of State, who placed upon the
roll Of the House men shown to have
been defeated on the face of the re-
turns, men without certificates of cleo
ton as required by law
The threat was held by the revolu-
ti0nists that their plans would be car
ried out with the assistance of the
bayonet if need be. So strained was
the situation, so great the Indignation
of Democrats and honest men general
ly at this villianous subversion of law
and order that a physical conflict was
prevented only by the magnanimous
action of the Democrats under counsel
CT their ieader-Hon John 7. McGraw.
Seeng the ring leaders determined to
carry out their revolutionary purpose
NJ all hazard, as they had already car
ried out the preliminary work of fraud
and to preserve the semblance Of Re-
publican government In the State, In
the future OF whose hills and valleys
be has SO great a stake, Mr.. McGraw
aounselled a compromise leaving the
ring in control Mr. McGraw may be
blamed for this by some. But will
anyone seriously censure him when
they consider the alternative that con-