Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-09-19
Honesty Ol Df. Hatfield
Questioned by Congress

ing place at daybreak and begged the
election officials to see to 1t that a
fair election was held that day.
Fed From Tubs, Like Hogs.
"The evidence further disclosed
that coiored men were modified IN
several vacant buildings in the pre-
cinct of Matewan for two or three
days before the election and that food
was carried to them In tubs. De-
spite the protest of the women hese
negroes were shamelessly voted
under the direction OF Greenway Hat
field, above referred to. Hatfield
was not voter at the precinct, and
it is not apparent, except for the
position which he holds, why he was
directing the election at that place.
The negroes were given names at the
gate. They then repaired to the
polling place, and in many instances
forgot their names, and to remedy
this defect in the system they were
given slips of paper with their names
appearing upon them. 1t appears
that Mr.. G. r. Buskirk, Democratic
election commissioner, made an effort
TO prevent some of these negroes
from voting. Thereupon the plan
was changed, and Postmaster Hatfield
would stand at the gate and he was
occasionally relieved by man by the
name of Harmon AS the negroes
would approach the door of the poll
ing place they would shout out the
voters name to the Republican COM
missioner or clerk, and despite
further protest of Mr.. G.. R. Buskirk
In each instance, they were permitted
to vote. Or. Turner, reputable
citizen, who testified that he was
Republican, remarked In the presence
81 Greenway Hatfield that 1t was a
shame to permit these fdarkies' to
vote. Thereupon he was struck In
the face and driven from the polls by
the overzealous postmaster. 1t ap-
pears that many of these negroes
voted more than once, and g. r. Bus
kirk, Democratic commissioner or
clerk, adopted an ingenious plan OF
determining this question. As the
negro voter would cast his vote, usual
" over the protest of Buskirk, he
would put a chalk mark upon his
back. and one Industrious repeater
had twelve of these marks.
Just as Bad Elsewhere.
"In the other contested precincts
of Mingo the conduct of the election
was Just as bad, fraud was perpe-
trated In the interest of the contestee,
and it seems that the county officials,
all of the party of the confestee, were
directing the election in much the
same manner as Postmaster Hatfield
at Matewan precinct The plurality
of 1,189 received by the contestee IN
Mingo county is changed to plural
ity Of 157 for the contestant by the
proper exclusion of the precincts
an the ten counties outside Of Min
go and Mcdowell, the vote for Wiley,
the contestant, was 1912, and the
vote for Hughes, the contestee, was
T.554.. Adding the plurality OF the
contestant in Mingo by the. proper
purging Of the poll in. that county the
vote in the congressional district, ex.
elusive of Mcdowell county, gives
the contestant a plurality OF 2,345
votes. The vote of Mcdowell county,
as shown by the official returns, gave
the contestee 1850 plurality, and II
the returns from that county are not
rejected he will have a plurality OF
1.605 votes over the contestant.
The question of the validity OF the
returns in Mcdowell county is, there
fore, vital one in considering this
case.
Fruitful Place for Wholesale Frauds.
"McDowell county is located I'M
mediately east of Mingo county. It's
population is largely made up OF for
eigners and negroes who are EN-
ployed in the various coal develop
ments of the county All OF the
county officers are RepuDlcans.
The county court, the body which ap-
points the election commissioners, Is
composed of Republicans, and the
testimony in the case shows conclu-
siyely that the method of conducting
elections in the county make 1t a
most fruitful place to perpetrate
wholesale election frauds. The testi-
mony shows that the president Of the
county court, one DR.. n. D. Hatfield,
who is also president OF the Senate
of West Virginia, refused to appoint
chaIlenaers for the Democratic party
at the various voting precincts OF Nc
Dowell county, although the law OF
West Virginia seems clear that the
county chairmen of@thc two leading
political parties shall nominate and
the county court shall appoint cFal-
ienuers of election. The testimony
shows that this same Dr.aHatfield
was very active In the actual conduct
of tho election in Mcdowell county,
and the refusal to appoint Democratic
chalIengero raises strong presump-
ton that the conduct Of the election
was to be neither fair nor honest.
Personal Violence Threatened.
However, the absence of challeng-
ers from the voting precincts is not
of itself actual proof of fraud. the
contestant relies upon the failure OF
the county court to appoint challeng-
ers of his party. upon the evidence
that where Democratic challengers at
tempted to serve, they were either ar
rested or driven from the polls, and
upon his own testimony that general
political conditions were such in Nc
Dowell county that he had been
warned not to go into the county to
make speeches for fear of personal
violence, to establish such general
conspiracy to defraud as warrants the
rejection of the entire vote of NC
DoweH county. Whit that PROPOSE
ton the committee is unable to agree.
1.-THE circumstances are all strong
as showing deliberate intention to
commit fraud in the interest of the
S.,k - nv, fbo nfhnr hand there