Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-16
MIR. RUCKER AT 1T AGAIN.

1t appears that that apparently high
ly nervous and excitable body, Attor
ney General Rucker, who was quoted
some time ago as declaring that he
would prefer to see civil war rather
than a Democratic majority seated in
the Legislature, has allowed that
rather loose article, his tongue, to get
Che better of his judgment and COM
mon sense again.
He was one of the attorneys who rep
resented Brohard and Via in the con-
test proceedings before the special
committee on elections appointed to
consider those exceedingly fragrant
cases. He is reported as saying that
if the committee did it's plain duty in
the premises and ousted Brohard and
Via "a condition of affairs would pre-
vail within thirty-six hours which
would be disgrace to the State
Just what Mr.. Rucker meant he did
not further elucidate, but read in the
light of Collector Whites anarchistic
threat that if Brohard and Via were
unseated the Senate would unseat every
Democratic Senator, regardless of the
facts or the law, it is surmised that the
Attorney General but reiterated covert
ly Whites anarchistic utterance.
What do the people of West Virginia
think of this attitude of their Attorney
General the first official representative
of the law in the State, the man who
should be first in advocating that the
law be upheld?
Brohard and Via are no more en-
titled to seats in the House of Dele
gates than the man in the moon, and
every Republican in Charleston is fully
aware of the fact. The Secretary of
State committed a plain and fragrant
breach of the law when he placed them
on the roll of the House when neither
possessed a certificate of election, and
in denying enrolment to the Demo-
Gratis who were legally elected and pre-
sented legal certificates of election.
The Secretary of State grossly eX
ceeded his power when he did this
partisan thing and went clear outside
his duty, which was merely clerical
and in no way judicial.
If Attorney General Rucker does not
know these things and that BrOhard
and Via have not the shadow of title
to seats in the House, he is not capa-
BILE of filling the highly responsible Of
flee of Attorney General. Knowing
these things and taking the stand he
does and in view of the covert threat
he seemed to make, the Attorney Gen
eral is sailing very close to an act that
may call for impeachment proceed
ings.
If we understand Attorney General
Rucker rightly. such an attitude as he
assumes considering his high Of
fetal position is scandalous, to use the
mildest term applicable to the case.
The people may permit such anarchist
ic utterances to pass unnoticed when
made by such hare-brained and ire
sponsible politicians as Collector
White, but coming from the Attorney
General of the State it becomes quite
different matter.
If the Register is doing injustice in
this matter to Mr.. Rucker it will be
glad to have his statement and to
make a correction. 1t is a serious mat
ter and involves the good name and
standing of the State abroad and it is
a subject that cannot be permitted to
pass unnoticed.
AS to the charge that Mr.. Elkins's
henchmen are behind the apparent
scheme to throw out every Democrat
in the Senate so that he may have thir-
teen Republican followers pledged to
support him for Senator in 1901, when
he will be a candidate for reelection,
while this is unquestionably the whole
purpose behind this anarchistic prop
osition, we shall decline to believe that
Mr.. Rucker is actuated by so base, so
Infamous and lawless a motive. 1t
would be monstrous to believe such a