Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-04-19
VIRGINIA
In the old Days They und 20 Vo,.
ar Pay ENtra TaNsN


In the clerks office Vi Nle.klenbur-
l md sn old copy % the acts Of the
general assembly or Virgins. Ia il an
act Is found passed by the assembly ON
Dee. -. 1855. which required all per-
sons entitled TO vote TO do so. This Is
the bill; Any elector qualified accord
ing TO this act failing To attend any an
nual election % delegate or OF a sena.
tor and IN n poll be taken to give or
ofer to give his vote shall nav one
fourth OF his portion of all such levicS
and taxes - shall be assessed ami
levied In his county the ensuing year
And for discovering such defaulters tho
sherih or other officer taking the poll
shall within ten days after the sail
election deliver To the clerk of The
county or corporation court. as the
case may be, Il copy OF the poll bv him
taken. TO be kept in his office. who shalt
suffer any candidate or %electnr Ia iYk,
a copy thereof. aud the said clerk is
hereby directed to cause = copy uf the
same 10 be- delivered to the next grand
jury. TO be sworn for the county ur
corporation, who shall be charged by
AhakANAA dAfs ~ ulNAt nIs'.
sentiment or all such persons qualified
TO vote residing in the said county or
corporation who shall have failed To
have given their votes at the said clec.
ton agreeable to law. And for the
better Information OF the said Jury the
sheriff OF the county is hereby com
nanded, under the penalty Of $50. TO
De recovered and appropriated as the
penalties for other neglects OF his
duty, 10 lay before them n list OF All
the landholders resident therein"
There are filed in the clerk office
many certified excuses TO the court for
failure TO vote. begging 10 be excused.
oy voters who had been indicted for
failure TO vote. Some or these excuses
are novel as we'll AS amusing. one fell
low writes that the election was held
on hls ishing day. Another one saws
he was working i'm a meeting house.
then another says he was ignorant OF
the day Of the election. Still another
said be would have had to walk eight
cen miles. as his mare was very lame
and his plow horse very poor one
says II copy him verbatim) that he
was ready fixed to start to the court.
house OF said county TO vote when he
was Informed that "A certain COW OF his
which had n young calf was missing,
when ! set ont TO look for her and did
not hnd her that day. and several days
after l found her drowned In the riv-
r." This excuse satisfied the court. as
the paper ia marked Excused"
Sir Peyton Skipwlth. barouct. Of
Preastwould. who settled i'm this u
~ from England in the eighteenth cen
fury, makes his excuse in his own
handwriting. dated June 10. 1893: Up.
SkIpwith's reasons FOR not attending
the two last elections in Mecklenburg.
81 was summoned 10 attend the high
court OF chancery early In March and
did not consider myself legally dis.
missed until after the seventeenth day
or the court, which happened on
"Wednesday, the Goth OF the month. so
that 1t .'as not in my power to attend
the election OF Il member OF congress.
N on my way MP from Richmond |
unfortunately broke one OF my car
rlage wheels. 80 that | could not with
any degree "t convenience get repaired
In time tO attend the election OF mem
Der OF the general assembly, and in
consequence OF an injury / received
some yenis ago in my back M loins /
cannot ride more than three or four
miles ni a time. and the very short
rides on horseback that / sometimes
take about my plantation. FOR | never
attempt to ride any where else. are sue
ceedc by violent pain and sometimes
a Ger, which was the case the last
time ! attempted TO ride TO our court.
and ] trust and believe that the wor
shipful court has more humanity than
to desire q man at near sixty years OF
age 10 do what 80 certainly Injuries his
health and feelings Richmond Times
ntsnatnh