The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-08-29
An EXP 0SURE
That Ought to Put Political Fraud From Mingo
County.
The United States Congress Speaks.
CONGRESSIONAL REPORT ON
MINGO COUNTY ILLEGAL vOT-
ING AND FRAUD.

ING AND FRAUD.
The Committee States in Full the
Corruption as Pract:ced.
ACCORDING to the returns duly GER
titled by the proper officer of the
state OF West Virginia at the election
held In the Fifth congressional dis
trict ofsWest Virginia on the Sth day
OF November, 1910, in which Rankin
Wiley, contestant, was the candidate
of the Democratic parity and James A.
Hughes, contestee Was candidate OF
the Republican party for the ONCE OF
representative In the sixty-second
Congress OF the United States, the
contestee received on the face OF the
returns plurality OF 2,942 votes.
The contestant, Rankin Wiley, In due
time served upon the contestee,
James A. Hughes, notice OF inten-
tiOn to contest the election, contain
ing charges Of fraud, corruption and
intimidation OF voters, and contain
ing also an allegation chat the said
James A. Hughes, the contestee, IL
mot citizen Of the United States.
To this notice the said James "A.
Hughes. contesbee, filed an exception
and also an answer charging certain
Irregularities which the contestee
claims resulted favoraIbly to the cam
didacy of the contestant In certain
counties Of the congressional district
The issue was Joined upon the ans
wer OF the contestee, and large
number of witnesses were called and
examined ON the part OF both the
contestant and the contestee. the
case was fully argued by counsel
for both sides. and 1t has been very
carefully considered by the commit
tee.
THE Fifth congressional district is
compose rsf IL counties and no Dues
tom has been made with reference
to the returns from any but Mingo
and Mcdowell counties. The contest
ant specifically charges Illegal and
fraudulent voting and irregularity In
the conduct Of the election In those
counties, and in support OF these
charges, particularly with reference
ito mine precincts in Mingo county, he
shows that negro floaters were voted
by and under the direction OF the
postmaster Of the town OF william
son, Greenway Hatfield, and other
Republican officials. The counsel for
contestant and contestee in thefr
briefs and by oral agreement, elm
mated practically every question in
this case with the exception of the
charges of fraud in the nine precincts
In Mingo county and In Mcdowell
county. and the question OF citizen
ship OF the contestee. before the case
was argued before the committee.
Fraud Admitted.
During the courses Of the argu-s
ment Mipgo county was eliminated
as factor dul this case by the admis-
sion OF counsel for the confestee
that fraud was committed In that
county in the interest of the con-
testee, and that 1t was fragrant and
outrageous that the returns from the
nine precincts where the frauds were
perpetrated ought to be excluded in
counting the vote for contestant and
c0TlteStee. But the fraud and COR
ruption was of such serious charac-
ter that the committee deems 1t its
duty to refer the conditions IN the
mine precincts ais disclosed by the
Testimony and admissions Of counsel
aMingo county with population
Of about 20, 900 had something over
5000 registered voters, and it has
considerable shifting negro popuia-
tdon. The testimony discloses that
at the precinct of Matewan there was
q total Of 327 votes cast, of which
237 were cast by cOlored men, de-
spite the TACT that the testimony Ia
ken on the part OF the contestant /
discloses that there were but 10 col |
ored voters In the precinct Condi-
tions had In recent years become so
at this precinct that q
of women belonging to the
Woman,s Christian Temperance Tn
ion, determined to put stop to
fraudulent elections there, and with |
the finest spirit of American woman
hood repaired to the polling place at
daybreak and begged the election
cfiicials to see to 1t that fair cleo
ton was held that day.
DR.. Turner Assaulted.
The evidence further discioses
that colored men were modelled In |
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