Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-08-14


, two other illegal votes in the Senate
those Of 4etzendanner and Pierson,
whose acceptance of commissions in
the army had vacated their seats in
the Senate according to the law-the
Republicans were enabled to secure an
apparent majority fortheir candidatefo for
United States senator, whereupon, the
urgent necessity for Republican ma
jority on joint ballot having passed,
Kidd and Dent took their seats with
out lurther opposition.
Recorded Facts.
These things are facts taken from the
record, and plainly show the desperate
lengths to which the Republicans of
this State will go to carry out their ends
and aims. If Kidd and Dent were not
elected fairly enough to entitled them
to vote for a United States senator
they were not elected fairly enough to
entitle them to vote on any other
proposition that came before the Leg
islature, and The fact that they were
allowed to hold their seats without
opposition after the election for United
States senator had been held is proof
positive tnat the Republicans knew
they were fairly elected, and only
adopted the bulldozing methods they
did in order to secure one more SEN
ator in the Congress of the United
States who would be willing to obey
the bosses and serve the trusts.
A party that will resort to such
methods to continue itself in power is
not fit to be trusted with the control
of public business, and we call upon all
true patriots to assist in hurting the
Republicans from the places they have
usurped and the power they have
abused.
UsurpatiOn of Power by the Score
tary.
The action Of the Repyh Score
tary Of State BY appointment of Coy
ernor Geo. w. Atkinson, should be re-
membered by the people. He, without
authority of the law, at the Legislature
of 1899 placed names on the rail- of the
House of delegates who had no certifi-
Gates of election, and omitted there
from others who had certificates regu-
lar and legal, thus making up a roll of
the membership of that House to suit
| his own partisan purposes, and to en-
able the election of United States
Senator by persons not elected to the
Legislature or holding any legal evil
dence thereof, and permitting persons
to vote therefor who were not elected.
Such action on the part of a high Of
fetal, acting under oath, was arbltra-
ry, revolutionary and subversive of
constitutional government.
If such methods are to be tolerated,
any Secretary of State could make up
a roll of the membership of the House
of Delegates, who could organize.
transact business, make laws, and
elect United States Senators without
having received vote at the polls.
A statute should be passed, author
lied under the Constitution, specifically
making such usurpations punishable
under the criminal statutes of the
State.
How the Republicans Rob One An
other.
AS being of piece with their meth
DDS in turning out Democratic legisa-
tors who were elected. and putting in
Republicans who were not, attention is
called to the manner in which the
dominant Republican faction has acted
with regard to the weaker one in pri-
mary elections in which the question OF
factiona1 supremacy was at stake. In
Kanawha county, at the primary cleo
ton held on the 18th OF May, 1900,
} such methods were employed by those
. in whose hands the machinery Of the
party had been placed as to render
} them odious in the minds of honest
men of all parties. Even the Governor
OF the State so far forgot the dignity
; Of his high office as to allow himself
to indulge his natural instincts for low
and dirty politics. and to get down in
the mire and filth Of personal seram-
be for votes. Acting as a commits
sioner at one of the voting places, he
} so conducted himself in the effort to
secure votes for his son-in-law. ring
candidate Tor prosecuting attorney, as