West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-06-15
DEMAGOG|C DOOMERANGS.
The MOrSantOEn Post AMI It's Editor
ln-Chief Called Down
IN Regard to Some Recent Politi'
cal History and Registra.
ton Legislation.

bare faced Misrepresentation as the
following editorial utterance from
the Morgantown Post, supposed to
be from the pen of the Hon. George
c. Sturgiss:
Our Democratic friends howled
about the registration law after the
war, till they got into power, and
then adopted constitution that pro-
hibited and made unconstitutional
any registration of voters.
Later they saw their mistake, and
when a Republican Legislature and
their constituents amended the con.
stitution requiring a registration of
voters as safeguard against frauds
on the ballots they howled again be-
cause such law was not immedi
ately enacted.
Now that it has been passed and
is about to be applied to our Con-
gressional election, they suggest
that it be ignored by common con.
sent "just this once" because they
have not had time to study il.
Everybody that knows anything
about it at all knows that the Re-
publican Legislature would never
have passed any law submitting an
amendment to the constitution re-
quiring a registration Of voters il
they had not been forced into it by
the Democrats and even then they
never intended to pass any laws put
ting it into effect, for they well knew
they would destroy their main
chance for carrying and controlling
the State by doing so. For several
years hordes of niggers have been
voted in Fayette, Kanawha and
other counties throughout the coal
region in the southern part of the
State and along the border of Vir-
ginia and Kentucky, and enough
illegal votes have been cast to con-
troll the balance of power. This
could not be accomplished under
an efficient and vigorously enforced
registration law and the Democrats
were anxious to have law of that
kind and tried hard to get a bill to
that effect and finally forced the
Republicans IN the Legislature into
a compromise, agreeing to submit a
registration amendment providing
the Democrats would vote for the
other four amendments which the
Republicans were very anxious to
have passed in order to get another
member Of the Supreme Court,
make the Secretary Of State elective,
get wha:k at the School Fund and
increase the salary of the State Off
GERS. While the Republicans con.
trolled the Legislature they did not
have the necessary majority to sub
init these amendments without Dem
ocTatic votes and the latter refused
to vote with them for the four above
mentioned unless the Republicans
would include registration amend
ment, which they we're forced to do
and the whole people OF the State,
Democrats as we'll as Republicans,
voted overwhelmingly for these
amendments. And yet the Post
talks about ga Republican Legisla-
ture and their constituents amend.
ing the constitution requiring a reg
istration OF voters as safeguard
against frauds on the ballots" II
that ism cheek we never met with
t. The idea OF the Devil himself
prating about piety OF course the
Democrats howled because this reg.
istralion amendment was not put
into effect, after solemn agreement
with the Republicans 70 that effect.
The Republicans very promptly
passed laws, putting into effect the
four amendments they wanted, but
never intended 70 keep faith on the
other amendment II they could help
1t. The Democrats made it so warm
for them about the matter that
another compromise was made in
the last Legislature and a miserable
make.shift was passed, that II is
very little II any improvement on
the subject and going into effect Just
when it did, on the eve Of the spec
ial election, entailed a heavy ex.
pense on the counties in this district
and made confusion confounded and
instead OF the Democrats suggesting
and wanting It ignored, as claimed
by the Post, the suggestion came
first from the Governor Of the State,
who IS swofn to enforce and uphold
the laws and who was supported
vigorously bY the Post in the last
campaign. The candidate Of the
Republican party himself as we'll as
! other leaders Of the party fell IN