Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-09-23
JUDGE !. N. WOODS
CONDEMNS VOTE
BUYING IN COUNTY
DELIVERS STRONG CHARGE ~
GRAND JURY ON THIS PAP.
TICULAR QUESTION
CORRUPT PRACTICE, HE Save
STRIKES AT FOUNDATION
OF GOVERNMENT
THE USE OF LIQUOR ON FLEE
TON DAYS is ALSO VIOLA.
TON OF LAW

In his charge to the grand jury tbs.
morning, Judge j. NJ. Woods dyalraJ
at length on the corruption alaa
tions. He said he was infoIz .be.
fully one third of the voters q. ,er6a.
ly county were purchasable; that f.o
political workers knew them and wb3,
each man wanted before he would
go to the polls, and that those Men
who regularly sell their votes alw8v.
expect to be paid before they agree
to vote.
If there are one-third of the Voter.
in the county purchasable then there
are 1920 men who must be visited
and paid their price previous Ia fba
elections. The judge emphasized the
fact that this practice is daily growing
worse, and if continued and permit.
ted to grow as it has. it will net be
long before public sentiment will be-
come so strong that there will be
a revolt, and the honest people will
want to know why they have been
deprived of their rights through the
fragrant use. of money on election
days.
The judge also said that the prac
tice struck at the very foundation Of
our government; that it would soon
give the purchasable voters an oppor.
tunity to hold the balance OF POWER
and they would elect to office any
man or set of men they desired aud
when that was done they would not
fear prosecution because of the vote.
buying business.
This practice has now become
custom in the county. Men refuse 10
exercise their right of suffrage be.
cause they are not paid, and by their
actions they are acting dishonesty
and have no right to place their bal
lots in the box against those of the
honest man. There was a time, he
said, when men would scorn to be APP.
preached and asked to sell their
votes, but the custom had become so
prevalent that many men say they
get nothing from the government.
never expect to hold office, and, there
fore. must be paid for their day if
they vote.
The only way to prohibit this prac
tice, he said, was to enforce the law
fearlessly against the violators. They
should be prosecuted to the fullest
hny hot 10
would not seek to be dishonest at
the polls:
Another matter in connection with
this he said was the use of liquor at
the polls on election day. He said
liquor cannot be given away only at
a mans home, and when he does
otherwise he violates the law and de-
serves punishment.
The matter of reckless driving of
automobiles on the county highways
he condemned, asking the grand jury
to inquire diligently into all cases re-
ported He said on the various pixies
of the county some drivers exceed the
speed limit, % miles an hour, and in
every instance placed in jeopardy the
lives of people travelling on that road.
He referred briefly 10 rne states
revenue explaining how the govern
ment is maintained. He said no per
son is allowed to sell or o4nr for
sale certain drugs or intoXit~ Ig IL
quers, and should any case be ieport
the they should be thoroughly inyest'
gated
He also referred to the work OF the
assessors. pointing out that they
should not through fear or influence
place a small value on the property
of certain persons, and neither should
he through enmity or spite overyalue
property. He then called attention 10
the different kinds of proPerty-tahsF
BILE and intangible. The former IS no'
difficult to find, but the latter can be
easily hidden and often escapes taxa
ton.
He urged the jury to be faithful ana
present all cases worthy OF consul
GRAFTON, and to aid in the enforcement
of the law.
The jury is composed of T. P. LICK
lider, foreman; C. M. Speck, j. d. pl'
lon, j. J. Ridgeway, E. ]. WhltmoIe
j.. H Smith, j. L. Porterfield, II, J."
Couchman, j. A. Butler, G. w Ben
der, James Shepherd. w. S. Snyder
w. H. Mcdonald, John Myers, > "
Fiery and Joseph Shade.