The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-03


charged that this agreement was pro-
duced by soius means which were not
entirely proper.
The agreement originated with DEM
ocrats. and 1t was accepted by the Re-
publlcana. / think 1t played an import.
ant part In bringing about the election
OF a senator in Il proper, legal. and or
derby wal-an election of Republican
that carried out the viii Of the people.
because The clear purpose Of some Dem
ocrats was to unseat sufficient numbsr
of Republicans 10 enable the Democrats
TO elect a Democratic senator, which
would have been revolutionary. wrong.
and against the win Of the people OF the
state.
l regret exceedingly that the Junior
Senator from Alabama saw At to refer
to the governor o. West Virginia in the
terms he did. The senator does not
know Governor Atkinson or he would
not have done so. The governor is a
scholarly and cultured gentleman, 4
man of stainless character; he has held
high positions. been member Of the
other house. and is now closing bril-
liant term as governor Of his state, in
which he has given West Virginia a
pure, clean, honest and businesslike ad-
mlnistratiun. He is a man against
whom there has never been breath Of
scandal; and yet he is held up here as
unworthy because he preferred the cleo
ton of Republican by a Republican
legislature to the election of a Demo-
crat. The attorney general. who is also
attacked, is a reputable man Of the
purest character, and is highly esteem
cd by all citizens of West Virginia.
Collector A. b. White has also come IN
for his share in the charge of consplr-
acy-a conspiracy to elect Republican
senator by u Republican legislature
the same kind of conspiracy which per-
mltted the senator from Alabama HIM
self to get here, Mr.. White Is now cam
dIdate for governor of our state. There
is no citizen in the state that stands
higher, more worthy, or more reputable.
and no man with purer and cleaner
record, both as a private citizen and
public officer.
Will Not bo Silent to Charges.
The secretary of state is also charged
by the senator as being in this conspIr
acy. He is attacked. cannot sit hers
as a representative in part from my
state and permit such unjustIfiable as
saults upon leading Republicans of
west Virginia without resenting than
and declaring them not only to be Tn
fair and unjust but unfounded. There
are thousands of Democrats in West
Virginia who will resist and resent
these unfounded attacks and assaults
upon the character of these gentlemen.
Connected with the election of my col
league, Mr. President, there is chapter
which has not been referred to in the
debate. In counting out Brohard in the
county OF Taylor, thIrty-elght votes
were changed in the manner have
stated. The question was brought to
the attention of the grand jury, made
up of good Democrats and good Repub-
llcans,
Mr.. Allen-The senator admits there
are good Democrats there?"
Mr.. EIltins-Yes, there. are good Dem
ocrats in the senate and there are good
ones In West Virginia.
Mr.. Aren-sAnd good Republicans, too:
Mr.. Elklns-All Republicans are good.
Oaughter.)
This crime was so fragrant, this viola
ton of the law so open and outrageous,
that the grand jury and the district at
torney took 1t up after the court had
decided that Brohard was entitled to his
seat. The result OF the inquiry OF the
grand jury was that this crime causai
a change of thirty-eight votes; and the
facts pointed directly to a man as the
chief of the conspiracy. who suddenly
died.
Death Saves Them From Prison.
But for his death the consplrators
would have been prosecuted, and some
of the participants in this crime would,
perhaps, to-day be in prison,
The finding of the grand jury was
that u felony had been committed in
changing the ballots after the election
by writing In the name of Dent, the
Democratic candidate. instead Of Bro
hard. the Republican candidate.
There is no Partially about tlGs re.
port. 1t cannot be charged that thu
members of the grand jury would have
signed the presentment or report II tho
facts were not as stated. Its members
were made up OF good Democrats and
good Republicans.
felt that 1t was my duty and due the
people Of West Virginia that / should
make this statement and present some
OF the facts to the senate.
II 1t was a fraud, In my Judgment 1t
was the only fraud connected with the
election in the state Of West Virginia in
1898. Happily the state OF West Fir-
gInla Is growing frecr from fraud and
from violence in elections; and this iu-
stnnce, where Republican Who had
seventy-fve majority and was excluded
from his seat by having thirty-eight
votes changed. was perhaps the only in
stance OF fraud being committed, and
there was an attempt u prosecute it
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