The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-10-31
Republicans in Congress
Report on DR.. Hatfield

Se'St ny CoioTcu men, ueSptle the faCt
that the testimony taken on the part
of the contestant disclosed that there
were but 10 coIored voters in the pre-.
cinct. Conditions had in recent
years become SO outrageous at this
precinct that number Of women be-
longing TO the Women's Christian
Temperance Union determined to put
Ia stop to fraudulent elections there,
and with the finest spirit Of Ameri-i
can womanhood repaired to the poll
ling place at daybreakk and begged
the election officials to see to it that
a fair election was held that day.
| Fed From Tubs, Like Hogs.
| The evidence further disclosed
that colcred men were modified in
several vacant buildings in the pre-
Icinct of Matewan for two or three
days before the election and that
food was carried to them in tubs.
Despite, the protest of the women,
1 these negroes were shamelessIy voted
under the direction of Greenway Hat
field, above referred to- Hatfield
was not voter in the precinct, and
1T 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
1 this defect in the system they were
given slips of paper with their names
appearing upon them. It appears
that Mr. G. r. Buskirk, a Democratic
lelection commissioner, made an effort
to prevent some of these negroes
from voting. Thereupon the plan
was changed, and Postmaster Hat
field would stand at the gate and he
was occasionally relieved by a man
by the name of Harmon. AS the
negroes would approach the door OF
the polling place they would shout
out the voters name to the Repub-
lican commissioner r clerk, and de-
spite further protest of Mr.. G R.
Buskirk in each instance, they were
permitted to vote. DR.. Turner, a
reputable citizen, who testified that
he was a Republican, remarked IN
the presence Of Greenway Hatfield
that It was a shame to permit these
darkies' to vote. Thereuposi he
was struck in the face and driven
from the polls by the overzeaIous
postmaster. It appears that many
OF these negroes voted more than
once, and G. r. Busl..rk, Democratic
commissioner or clerk, adopted an in
gerious plan of determining this
question. AS the negro voter would
cast his vote, usually over the pro-
test of Mr.. Buskirk, he would put
. a chalk mark upon his back, and one
Industrious repeater had twelve of
. these marks. non
i Just AS Bad ElseWhere5su.4
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,
aud it seems that the county Officials,
i all OF the party of the contestee,
were directing the election in much
the same manner as Postmaster Hat
field at /, Matewan precinct. The
: plurality Of 1,180 received byothe con.
testee in Mingo county is changed to
: plurality of 157 for the contestant
!, by the proper exclusion ofgthe pre-.
cincts.
!, f'In the ten counties outside OF
Mingo and Mcdowell, the vote for
Wiley, the contestant, was 1912,
and the vote for Hughes, the contes-
tee, was 1854. Adding the plural
: ity of the contestant in Mingo by
: the proper purging of the poll in thai
, county the vote in the Congressional
District, exclusive of Mcdowell coun.
, ty, gives the contestant a plurality
of 2,345 votes. The vote of Nc.
Dowell county, as shown by the off.
: cial returns, gave the contestee $3.50
: plurality and if the returns from that
county are not rejected he will have
plurality of 1,605 votes over the con.
: testant The question of the validity
} OF the returns in Mcdowell county is
: therefore, vital one in considering
this case
Fruitful Place for Wholesale Frauds
II Mcdowell county is located i'm
! mediately east of Mingo county. Its
4 population is largely made up of for
h eigners and negroes who are EN-.
: ployed in the various coal develop
! ments of the county. All of the
county officers are Republicans
: The county court, the body which
: appoints the election commissioners
: is composed Of Republicans, and the
testimony in the case shows conclu
? siyely that the method of conduct
| ing elections in the county make ii
Z most fruitful place to perpetrate
wholesale election frauds. The testi
lmony shows that the president of the
J county court, one DR.. n. D. Hatfield
} who is also president of the Senate
: of West Virginia, refused to appoint
chalIengers for the Democratic party
, at the various voting precincts Of
! Mcdowell county, although the law Of
: West Virginia seems clear that the
l county chairmen Of the two leading
political parties shall nominate and
Z the county court shall appoint chal
iengers of election. This testimony
) shows that this same DR.. Hatfield
was very active In the actual con
duct of the election In Mcdowell
county, and the refusal to appoint
: Democratic chalIengers raises a
] strong presumption that the conduct
of the election was to be neither fair
i nor honest"
8 Personal Violence Threatened
J However, the absence of Challeng.
er 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.
, tannnfad ~ c6rua fbau xsyar1 nftI ~