Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1922-10-27
Record Shows
Harrison Won
1920 Election

l9ZO, declared Representative L.
W. Harrison, Democrat, of Win
chester, in his opening speech of
the congressional campaign Mon-
day night at Boyce, Clarke county.
The meeting was held in the
town hall, and Judge Harrison's
speech frequently was interrupt
ed by cheering and applause on
the part of enthusiastic Demo-
Gratis from that section of the 7tl
Virginia district. Judge Harri-
son is being opposed this fall, as)
he was in 1920, by State Senator
John Paul, Republican, of Harri-
sonburg.
1T remained for a Massachus-
etts Republican congressman,
Representative Dallinger," he
said in discussing the contested
election case Of 1920, to conceive
the idea that the Virginia peo-
|ple were not properly qualified to
provide their election laws and
suffrage qualifications. After
severely denouncing our consti-
tuition, our laws and our people.
he proceeded to elect a member
| OF Congress from this district.
He had great deal Of trouble to
do so. Every possible flaw in
the election was centered out,
but on investigation every irreg-
ularity, big or little, carried to
its logical conclusion, increased
my majority.
AT the outset of the contest
complaint was made as TO the
Registration of ladies. We have
All educational test for registrar
ltion, prescribed III the constitu.
Ition and laws, but when the reg
listrars were fully convinced that
1.-THE applicant for registration was
Icompetent to meet the test he OF
lshe were registered without max
ling the test.
| we also heard a great dea
Iabout omissions on the part 0
registrars to do their duty. Score
lof the sweetest and noblest wo
men of the Shenandoah Vale,
, and Piedmont Virginia wer
lcharged by the contestant, Mr.
Paul, with being fraudulent,
registered, while others, mostl,
, LOT different complexion, regis
/ Itered under the same condition
. and were unchallenged.'
i Judge Harrison declared til
Ieviderce was overwhelming tia
There was no discrimination, eth
Ter on account Of politics, color o
religion III the registrations an,
detection of 1920.
He said there were 49 precinct
lin the district in which voter
were not required to make appli
cation in writing to register. o
these, four were ties or nearly so
I25 were Republican and q wer,
Democratic. If the count hat
been applied, he said his ma jority
would have been increased three
fold. The count, however, wa.
abandoned by the House elections
lcommittee.
| Our Massachusetts, friend
Though somewhat staggered, was
mot dismayed," declared Judge
Harrison "he could still count
Paul IN tor the SIS, 900 Of unearn-
lei salary if he would simply
Throw out a sufficient number of
Democratic precincts and disfran-
Ic}lise enough Democrats, many Of
whom had been voting 40 years
without question. He threw
Iout So precincts-32 Democratic
and 3 small Republican precincts
to save his face. There were,
therefore, II Republican precincts
in which people were permitted
to vote without written applica
tions, but which were considered
Republican beyond suspicion"
Judge Harrison read to the
audience the statement Mr.. Paul
made to the House elections COM
mittee, as follows
The only evidence in the case
as to the honesty of the election is
the statement by Democratic
election officials that their con-
duct was honest. while at the
same time every item Of their
conduct and every fact surround
ing their action shows it was ex
actly to the contrary. The only |
thing lacking in a perfect chain
of evidence to esta blish dishon-
esty at the election is the fact |
that Democratic election officials |
lid not admit upon the stand
hat they had acted fraudulently.
Every other fact of evidence Isl n
he record to show that they did,