Year: 1866

honestly and impartially executed, the


Radical party in West Virginia would


IL, badly beaten. This opinion lis con-


frmed by the conduct of the Radicals


themselves in violating in the most


cIaripp manner, the offensive election
laws enacted for their own exclusive


benefit. After exhausting the resources
of Jacobin genius for legislative ap-
pliances by which at all times to secure
their own triumph, they find themselves
forced to transgress their own enact
mcnts, and supplant their own statutes
with the higher law of usurpation and
force, in order to retain that power
which else would pass from their grasp.
The instances in which the Registration
and other election laws have been set
aside for the attainment of Radical pur-
poses are both numerous and shameful.
The names of ninety-eight Democratic
voters were stricken from the lists in
Calhoun county without the slightest
semblance of the trial required in all
such cases. and the first intimation of
their disfranchisement had by the citi-
zens was notice to appear in Iprit
ls57, if they so desired, and show cause
why their names should be restored. The
very wrong against which the law makes
ample provision was committed, and
then the sufferer was advised that after
having submitted to the outrage for six
months, he would be permitted to show
cause why he should not be subjected
to the indignity he had already received.
In Gilmer county, q similar policy
struck off the names of eighty voters,
without notice or trial, and when 1t
was found that greater purgation was
necessary to Radical success, the Regis
trars met again and repeated the pro-
cess until the strength of their oppon-
ents was so reduced as to guarantee
them an easy victory. In Lewis county,
where, notwithstanding the arbitrary
government of the Radical authori-
ty, the Registration books were first
decimated until Radicalism itself grew
ashamed of its iniquity, and when it
was proven that the Democratic voters
still preponderated, a corrupt and SER
vile Board of Supervisors actually, and
for no cause rejected the returns of a
sufficient number of precincts to
.'.~>>-- ''- " I:oal
ticket. We say "for no cause" and the
extract in another column, from the
Clarksburg Conservative, proves the cor
rectness of our assertion. Because an
ignorant and incapable Registrar, sub
sttutes one vowel for another, or uses an
initial instead of the full name JOHN,
inregistering q voter, then not only does
the voter lose his ballot, but an entire
township must be disfranchised. Shame
shame. The concluding portion OF ;he
Conservatives article, throws some light
ON this subject and we therefore extract
ii:


The fact that the Board of Supervis-
ors had to be urged up to this dirty
work by "our excellent Attorney Gener-
al" perhaps palliates their offence. The
elevation of that gentleman of fine le-
cal attainments and unimpeachable
Character" ''our excellent Attorney
General" TO the position of Judge OF
III, Sunreme Court. which he lis so well
qualified to ILL.," depended upon the
number of votes he received, therefore
il was the purest patriotism that ndu-
ccd him TO 20 to Weston and instruct the
Board of Supervisors that they must re-
iect the uhole polls of those townships
in which these clerical errors occurred
and which had given Conservative ma
ioritieS. 1t is true that the law prohlb-
its all Attorney General from giving an
opinion upon any case i'll which he Is
interested. 1t is true that Judge Berk-
shire was treading closely upon the
heels of Mr.. Maxwell for seat upon
the Bench of our Supreme Court; ana
it is true that the throwing out OF those
six Conservative precincts Ill Lewis
county might decide the election III his
favor, but what obstruction does the
law oppose to the ambition and villain
les of the loyal men" of West Nirglniaf


Let us see what is the pretended au-
thority upon which this outrage is per-
petrated upon the people not only OF SIX
tow ships, but the whole OF Lewis
county and the State of West Virginia.
The first clause of the 18th section OF the
Registration Law says:


THE board of Supervisors, the House
of Delegates, the Senate and the Cover
nor, and the final judges of any election,
State, county, town or municipal, may
examine the registry books of such cleo
tion, and reject any returns contrary to
the provisions of that act"


This is the only clause in the whole
act that gives them the ghost of the
shadow of pretext for this shameful
violation of the spirit of republican in
stitutions, and if any body can see au-
thority for the outrage in this, they
must have double geared speotacles.


The whole transaction was wanton,
arbitrary abuse of power that will
eventually recoil upon them. They are
setting an example that may become
very boomerang" to them.


We have no disposition to.dwell upon
The action of candidate for the first
judicial Office in the peoples gift, in
lending to such villainy the sanction OF
official authority. 1t would seem, how
ever, that LEES description Of this
excellent Attorney General as "a man
who had petit larceny written in every
lineament of his countenance," was
something more than a mere fgment OF


the brain.


We expect, hereafter, tOpresent many
other facts of this same character, show:
ing the corrupt policy that controlled
our recent election, but in view ofthose
already given, we ask all honest Radi-
Gals, how they can sanction by their


votes and influence the outrageous
course which their leaders have devised,
and which their petty officials have