The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-09-24
REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMOCRATS
IN SAYING CANDIDATES.
CONDUCT
RAISED STRONG PRESUMPTION
THAT ELECTION WAS NOT
TO BE FAIR OR
HONEST.

mittee on elections OF the House of
Representatives, and the honesty OF
his political conduct was questioned,
i'm report made unanimously by
Democrats and Republicans alike in
the contested election case of Rankin
Wiley against James A. Hughes.
Six Democrats and three Republicans
compose the committee which heard
the testimony in the contested cleo
ton case and reported upon IT, stat
log that Or. Hatfield's actions in con
nection with the last election i'm Me
Dowell county raises n strong pre-
sumption that the conduct of the cleo
ton was to he neither fair nor hon
est"
The maiorities which have been
given TO the Stand-'at tickets in West
Virginia FOR many years have come
principally from the tier OF counties
in the southern part ol the state, in
Guiding Mcdowell county, the home
of DR.. Hatfield. IL is the announced
intention or Or Hatfield TO have that
county increase it's Republican vote
this year Whether hc is TO again
employ the methods which provoked
the criticism of Congress- and caused
the assertion that Or IlatGeld's con
duct RAISES strong presumption
that the conduct OF the election was
10 he neither fair nor honest" cannot
be stated. but ID is known that
methods have been used which were
open TO question in the elections of
many years past and il is to be pre-
sumed that if the Republican vote oh
tanned in that way is TO be increased
81 viii have to be done by n repetition
Of the same old methods
Criticism is Official.
The criticism of the political
methods of DR. Hatfield and his as
sociates i'm political work in the
southern part of the state, as eX-
pressed by the Democrats and Repub-
leans Of the elections committee,
alike. is contained in the official re
port Of the committee TO Congress in
the WileyHughes case, which is as
follows:
THE Committee on Elections No.
/. 10 which was referred the con-
tested detection case i'm which Rankin
Wiley is the contestant and James A.
Hughes is the contestee. respectfully
submits to the House of Representa-
tives the following report:
According TO the returns duly GER
titled by the proper officer of the
state of West Virginia at the cleo
District OF West Virginia on the Sth
day of November. 1910, in which Ran
kin Wiley, contestant. was the candi-
date of the Democratic party and
James a. Hughes, contestee. was can
didate of the Republican party for the
office of Representative in the Sixty
second Congress of the United States
the contestee received on the face OF
the returns a plurality OF 2,942 votes
The contestant. Rankin Wiley in due
time served upon the contestee,
James A. Hughes, notice OF intention
10 contest the election. containing
charges OF fraud, corruption. and in
timidation Of voters, and containing
also an allegation that the said James
A. Hughes, the contestee, is not a
citizen of the United States.
"To this notice the said James a
Hughes, contestee, filed an exception
and also an answer charging certain
irregularities which the contestee
claims resulted favorably to the can
didacy of the contestant in certain
counties OF the congressional district.
The issue was joined upon the answer
Of the contestee. and a large number
Of witnesses We're called and exam
ined on the part OF both the con
testant and the cOntestee. The case
sides. and II has been very carefully
considered by the committee.
Negroes Voted by Postmaster.
"The Fifth Congressional District is
composed of twelve counties. and no
question has been made with refer
cnce TO the returns form any but
MlnPo and Mcdowell counties The
contestant specifically charges illegal
and fraudulent voting and irregular
fly I'm the conduct Of the election in
those counties. and iu support of
these charges, particularly with ref
eernCe 10 nine precincts i'm MiugO
county. he shows that negro flOaters
were voted by and under Che direc-
tiOn Of the postmaster OF The town OF
Williamson, GreenWay Hatfield, and
other Republican officials. Tho coun.
pol for contestant and contestee ia
their briefs and by oral agreement
eliminated practically every question
ia the case with the exception of the
charges Of fraud n The nine precincts
IN MingO county and in Mcdowell
county, and The question Of the citl
Icnship of the COutcsico. before The
case was argued before The commit.
tee
During the course Of the argument
hinqo county was eliminated as q
factor IN this case by the admission
~ counsel for the contestee that fraud
'yf1 committed in that county In the
!at,leGt Of the contestce. and that it
Wac so fragrant and outrageous that
the returns from the nine precincts
tYLare Go frauds we're perpctratcd
ought SO 5e excluded in counting the
wore for tho contestant and contcstce.
But the fraud and corruption was Of
ouch serious character that thc com.
mittce deems 10 It's duty 90 refer TO
the conditions in the nine precincts
as disclosed by the testimony and I'D
missions Of counsel
Mueo county wIth population or
about 10000 had something over 5000
registered voters. and DO has 81 CON
siderable emitting negro population
The testimony discloscs that &c the
precinct Of WatcWan there was a total
az t2I votes. of which POI we're cast
by Colorcd men, despite the fact that