Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-10-29
HATFIELD BILL WOULD IMPRiS
ON FOR ONE YEAR EVERY
REPUBLICAN VOTING FOR
ROOSEVELT.
SAME PENALTY FOR THOSE WHO
FAIL TO VOTE THE TICKET
STRAIGHT.
BALLOTS TO BE MARKED AND
PRESERVED FOR USE IN
PROSECUTING VOTERS.

If the primary election bill intro
duced in the Senate by DR.. Fl. ID.
Hatfield had become law, every
person who participated at the pri-
mary election at which he was NOM
mated last June and who votes for
Theodore Roosevelt for President at
the election of November 5, would be
sent to the penitentiary for one year
and would become forever ineligible
to hold any position of profit or trust
in the state.
Under the provisions of the same
bill, had it become law, every per.
son who participated in the primary
election at which DR.. Hatfield was
nominated, whether he voted for DR.
Hatfield or some one else, who re.
fuses to vote for DR.. Hatfield at the
November election would have been
liable to the same penalty-one year
in the penitentiary and disqualified
ton to hold public office forever.
That is the kind of friend DR.
Hatfield is to the Progressives. He
claims they assisted in his nomina
ton, yet he would send every one oil
them to the penitentiary for one
year and disqualify them perma
nently from holding public Office OF
any kind in the state if they vote foI
Mr.. Roosevelt. More than that, he
would send to the penitentiary every
person who voted at the primary
election and who fails to vote fol
Ievery candidate on the Republican
ticket. from President 70 constable.
Saved From the Penitentiary.
1t is merely because the legislature
majority of it composed of his OWL
party refused to pass the Hatfield
bill that every Progressive in West
Virginia who participated in the Re
publican primary election before the
birth of the Progressive party and
who may vote for Colonel Roosevelt
for President will remain out of the
penitentiary, for the Hatfield bill, Il
| it had become law, would have SEN
every one of them to that institu
ton. and for no other reason thar
because they chose to exercise the
right of an American and vote FOL
whomsoever they preferred on gen
eral election day
Under the provisions of the same
bill, before becoming member OF
any political campaign committee, q
man was required to make oath thai
he had voted straight ticket at the
preceding election and that he would
vote for every candidate on his party
ticket at the following election.
Language of the Bill.
Section II of the bill (Senate Bill
No. 125, introduced January 80, 1909
by DR.. Hatfield) provided: Every
person chosen, or appointed, as a
member or chairman Of any state,
congressional, senatorial, judicial OF
county central committee, before en-
tering upon the discharge of his du
ties as such, shall take and subscribe
an oath to support the constitution
of the United States and the consti-
tuition of he state of West Virginia
and that he will faithfully discharge
his duties as such, and stating that
he did not, at the last proceeding
general election, vote against any
nominee of his party. He shall fur
Their state under oath that he will
during the time that he acts as such
committeeman, if permitted to vote
at the regular election, vote for and
SuppOIl dn Vi TIC nOAhiuCto VI thN
party for which he is to act. Such
oath, duly attested by the officer TAX
ing the same, shall be filed with the
clerk of the circuit court of the coun
ty in which the person taking such
oath resides, and be preserved by
him: and any person who knowingly
swears to any false statement in said
oath shall be guilty of perjury, and
upon conviction thereof shall be con
fined in the penitentiary for one
year, and shall be forever disquali-
fed from holding any position OF
trust or profit in the state of West
Virginia.
Prosecution for Perjury.
If this bill proposed by Dr. Hat
field had become a law, no man af-
filiated with the Progressive party
could act as member of any Re
publican committee, whether such
committee be State, Congressional,
Senatorial. Judicial, County or Mag
isterial. There are several members