Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-05
John ]. Cornwell Nominated
for Governor.
COMPLETED THE WORK
WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS
MAKE STATE TICKET.
Adopt Platform and Send Telegram to
Senator Davis Pledging State
Electoral Vote.
special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

fAhhEhSbC RG, w. va. August o.
The democrats of West Virginia adopted
PLATFORM nominated their ticket and add
journed After lively contest State Sem
ator John ]. Cornwell Of Romney was
nominated for governor. The nominee is a
lawyer and editor of the Hampshire Re-
view. He Is also known as catchy
stump speaker
William G. Peterkin of Parkersburg was
nominated for secretary of state. He IS
thirty-ffve years of age and has served as
city councilman.
William l.. Mansfield of Wayne received
the nomination for state auditor. and Rev.
NJ. d. Helmick of Pleasant county was
nominated for superintendent of free
schools. The latter is young Methodist
Protestant minister, who has recently en-
tered politics.
Lawrence A. Raymann. the Of lead
ing brewer of Wheeling, was nominated by
acclamatiOn for attorney general:
Robert 8. Carr of Charleston, kanawha
county. received the nomination for treas
urer. He is said to have been former
greenbacker and DOouliSt-
Before adjournment a telegram of greet
Ing from the convention was sent TO Judge
Parker at Esopus. pledging him the cleo
toral vote of West Virginia in November.
The platform follows:
The Platform.
vention assembled declares:
1. That we indorse the platform adopted
by our national convention at ST Louis.
and pledge our devoted support to the can
didates of that convention Judge Alton B.
Parker. a safe guardian of our property
and political rights. and Henry G. Davis.
our honored fellow-citizen and trusted
counselor
2 We arraign the republican party in this
q q a " troy Crov mo- In n
populations and for it's corrupt and fraud
ulent use of the machinery of elections. to
the end that 1t might be perpetuated In
power at the taxpayers expense. 1t has
increased the burdens or government and,
through the acts of its venal placemen. has
corrupted the ballot and lessened respect
for our institutions. We demand the cor
rection of these practices and the restora-
ton Of our politics to decent plane to the
end that neither ourselves nor our pos
terity shall be deprived Of the blessings of
honest, popular government.
g. We believe that efficient and honest
government can only be secured and MAIN
tanned by combining the right of suffrage
strictly to the legal and bona fide citizens
of the state. and we believe that the strict
est legislation should be enacted to confine
the right of suffrage to this class. And
we especially denounce the action of the
states republican executive and its legisla-
tive majority in disregarding the manda-
tory and clearly expressed will of the peO-
pie announced by the adoption almost two
years ago Of a constitutional amendment
requiring the legislature to enact a regis
tration law which would prevent Illegal vot-
ing.
That such disregard was for the purpose
of continuing their party in power by means
of venal. corrupt and illegal voters is rem
dered the more conspicuous by the fact
that the legislature has since the adoption
of such amendment convened in regular ses-
sion without the enactment of such reg
istration law, and has also been since con-
bot ha IL ls,x.r
sion under a call which permitted and re-
quired the enactment Of laws creating an
independent school district, and other laws
of relatively far less import than the Sc
curing of honest elections by the legal cit
liens and voters of our state, but failed To
provide for the enactment of registration
law.
Illegal Voting.
We declare that the crying evil in our
state and the greatest menace to our civic
veal is the debauchery of the ballot by
means of repeating and Illegal voting
which is, and has been. Systematically
carried on In many counties of the state by
ring of corrupt republican officials state
and federal, and which is rendered possible
by the systematic importation of Illegal
voters into the state and by the republican
partys refusal to enact a registration law
as required by the constitutional amend
ment.
/. We further condemn the republican
majority in the present Legislature for hav-
ing defe ated the submission of a constl-
tutional amendment making the payment
of poll tax prerequisite to the right to
vote.
). We condemn the present special and
extraordinary session of the legislature
called by a republican governor upon hol-
low pretense of reform and designed for
the purpose of enacting into laws hybrid
bills cohcccted beyond the limits of the
state. with the intent not to relieve but TO
deceive the people. We condemn the same
as hypocritical futile and extravaganza
o. We declare that the democratic party,
now, as 1t always has been, is in favor of a
uniform system of taxation, so arranged as
that 1t will bear equally upon all persons
and property alike. so that equal and exact
Justice may be done to all, with special
privileges and exemptions from such bur
dens to none. and that equality of right
with equality of burden may prevail But,
DeneVing the objects may not be attained in
the fullest and fairest sense under the
present constitution, we approve the enact
ment of a law providing for a cali for
convention to frame new constitution for
TIE state. to the end that the people there
OF may vote upon and decide the questions
mere involved In accordance with their
wishes and best judgment
d we recognize that capital and labor
are dependent upon each other and thar
each mas sacred rights which 1t is entitled
10 ana must have equal protection before
the law
s. To the accomplishment of these ends
me cooperation of all patriotic citizens is
Iesafuiess OF past or present party aff1IIa-
tiohs. most cordially invited and the con-