The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-03-21

demns Inc mayor, branding MIN
with an attempt 10 commit fraud in
the city election.
Mayor Harmer in his wrath over
the exposure of his scheme and the
thwarting Of this high-handed at
tempt at steal Of the rights of
franchise by the citizens OF Clarks-
burg says through his mouthpiece
that the council violated, the laws
pertaining to the taking or the regis
trauon. The Telegram here brands
that as maliciously false. Mayor
Harmer knows himself it is false and
the Telegram here challenges him to
contradict this statement. His own
words in this respect prove it to be
false and brand the statements and
utterances made against the council
by his mugwump mouthpiece as lies
OF the whole cloth. Here is what he
said TO council in this respect. He
had it typewriter and will not deny
1t. If he does. he too is in the same
class as his mouthpiece is shown
here to be. Harmer said:
Chapter 40 of the Acts of the
Legislature of 1905, requires that
before each election the assessor
register and make true list of the
names of each qualified voter in each
ward or voting precinct in the city
alphabetically arranged in a we'll
bound book prepared for the pur-
pose, which list shall contain the
name, age, occupation, residence and
voting precinct of the voter, where
born. and If a naturalized citizen
where naturalized, and If colored
voter the word 'colored' shall be
written after his name; said chapter
also provides that the oath be taken
by each and every voter and the
fourteen questions to be asked and
answered before such voter can be
registered and that no person shall
vote until he is registered
There is no law that says the
mayor or any one else shall pre-
scribe the duties of the assessor or
tell him that he must confine the
registration OF voters to two days
like Harmer wanted 1t to be. There
is no law that says the assessor
must disregard his oath and fail to
do his sworn duty, because the
mayor or council says he shall SO
disregard the law and fail to do his
sworn duty. Yet that is exactly
what the mayor and his mouthpiece
have undertaken to construe the law
into.
Owing TO the fact that the former
assessor had overlooked the matter
of taking the registration until rath-
er late, there certainly need be no
contention that it was not right to
empower the new ASSESSOR to appoint
hv deputies TO help him in taking
the registration in the time which
is short. but FIVE or six times longer
than Mayor Harmer sought to have
It, Council is not to be condemned
for this action and the people will
thank that body for resisting success
fully in their interest Harmers at
temple to cheat them out Of their
franchise rights.
The Telegram here rciterates the
charge that If there is any move thus
far towards fraud in the coming cleo
ton, Mayor Hammer has attempted
it,
All the circumstances of the meet
ing held to appoint an assessor prove
the statement and the Telegram de-
ties Mayor Hammer to deny it. It al
so calls upon him, if he be honest,
to refute the unjust charge he has
allowed his mouthpiece TO make
against the city council.
Mayor Hammer is the man who
wanted hut two days for the voters
of Clarksburg to register. The city
council said the voters should have
all the time there is between this
time and the election. Mayor Ha :
mer mist answer to the people Of
clarksburg for this brazen attempt