WEST VIRGINIA. 



801 



the restoration of good- will in the reconstruct- 

 ed States, the jealous guarding of national 

 honor with foreign powers; also declaring 

 that the last three amendments to the Federal 

 Constitution shall forever remain inviolate. 

 No passive policy, no disguises assumed by 

 malcontents, no false pretence of disappointed 

 men, can alienate the Republican party ; prais- 

 ing the economical collection and disburse- 

 ment of the revenues; eulogizing General 

 Grant, and instructing delegates to use all 

 honorable means to secure his renomination." 



No candidates for Governor and other State 

 officers were nominated by the Republicans 

 of West Virginia at this convention. 



The Democratic and Conservative party held 

 their State Convention at Parkersburg on the 

 30th of May, "to nominate candidates for 

 Governor, four Judges of the Supreme Court 

 of Appeals, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney- 

 General, and State Superintendent of Free 

 Schools ; also to form an electoral ticket, and 

 select delegates to represent the State in the 

 Democratic National Convention." The con- 

 vention was largely and fully attended. 



The nominations of the various candidates 

 for State officers were made, with the follow- 

 ing results : For Governor, Johnson N. Cam- 

 den, of Wood County; for Attorney-General, 

 Henry Mason Matthews, of Greenbrier Coun- 

 ty; for Auditor, Edward A. Bennett, of Marion 

 County; for Treasurer, John L. Burdett, of 

 Kanawha County; for State Superintendent 

 of Free Schools, Benjamin W. Byrne, of Clay 

 County. Mr. Bennett and Mr. Burdett were 

 the incumbents of the offices to which they 

 were respectively renominated. 



The following platform was unanimously 

 adopted : 



The Democratic and Conservative party of West 

 Virginia, in convention assembled, present to the 

 voters or the State the following declaration of prin- 

 ciples as applicable to our political affairs : 



1. We congratulate the people upon the faithful 

 redemption of all the pledges upon which the Demo- 

 cratic party was placed in power in West Virginia. 



2. We heartily indorse the Democratic State ad- 

 ministration, and point to its honesty and efficiency 

 as a full guarantee of our continued fidelity to the 

 interests of the State and people. 



3. That, in the opinion of this convention, the 

 elements of opposition to the present national Ad- 

 ministration should be consolidated in the approach- 

 ing presidential campaign, without prejudice to the 

 unity and perpetuity of the Democratic organization. 



4. That, with full confidence in the wisdom and 

 patriotism of the National Democratic Convention 

 soon to assemble at Baltimore, we pledge the De- 

 mocracy of West Virginia to abide its action or rec- 

 ommendation, and to express their approval thereof 

 at the polls. 



5. We pledge to the nominees of this convention 

 our earnest and active support. 



6. We indorse the proposed new constitution of 

 the State of West Virginia, and recommend its ratifi- 

 cation by the people, without distinction of party. 



The Governor of West Virginia, John J. 

 Jacob, regarded as belonging to the Demo- 

 cratic party, presented himself to the people 

 as an independent candidate for reelection, in 



VOL. XII. 51 A 



competition with the regular nominee of that 

 party. During the campaign preceding the 

 election of August 22d, he addressed public 

 meetings at several places. The Republicans, 

 who had no candidate of their own for the 

 office, he having retired, warmly supported 

 the reelection of Mr. Jacob; their principal 

 object in this being, it was stated, to defeat 

 the ratification of the new constitution. 



At the general election on August 22d, the 

 new constitution was ratified, as above stated, 

 and the whol'e Democratic State ticket elected, 

 except the Governor, Mr. Jacob having been 

 reflected by a majority of 2,693 over Mr. 

 Camden. Mr. Jacob received 42,988 and Mr. 

 Camden 40,305 votes. The majorities by 

 which the nominees of the Democratic ticket 

 for the other State offices were elected were 

 large. 



Candidates for Congress were voted for at 

 the election in August, although the new con- 

 stitution, on the authority of which that elec- 

 tion was held, did not order it for Congress- 

 men, but only for State, county, and other 

 local officers, in case the instrument was rati- 

 fied by the people. The day for the election 

 of Congressmen, appointed by the State con- 

 stitution of 1862, and sanctioned by Congress, 

 was the fourth Thursday of October, on which 

 account the Constitutional Convention did not 

 provide for such election, as it could not alter 

 its day, the matter being beyond its power, 

 and reserved exclusively to the Legislature 

 by the Federal Constitution. Candidates for 

 Congress were subsequently nominated, and 

 voted upon also, at the election on the fourth 

 Thursday of October, and some of them at 

 both of those two elections. For these rea- 

 sons, and others relating to the manner of 

 voting, and to the election returns concerning 

 those candidates, the matter seems to be en- 

 veloped in such doubt that the Governor has 

 felt himself justified in refusing to issue elec- 

 tion certificates. After the reassembling of 

 the Legislature in November, 1872, one of the 

 Senators introduced a bill entitled " An act to 

 extend the time for ascertaining and certifying 

 the result of the election held on the twenty- 

 fourth day of October, 1872, for representa- 

 tives of this State to the Congress of the Uni- 

 ted States." This bill was passed by both 

 Houses, and vetoed by the Governor, who re- 

 turned it to the Senate. In the communica- 

 tion which accompanied it he said : " It is a 

 matter of regret to me personally that the 

 first exercise of this power in this State should 

 be connected with a question about which 

 there exists wide differences of opinion among 

 the people." He adds, among other things, 

 that " the subject, under the circumstances, is 

 not within the jurisdiction of the Legislature ; 

 that there was no necessity for this legislation ; 

 that the returns of the election of October 

 24th, for the whole State, except three coun- 

 ties, were in his office;" and that "even if 

 elections were then held in those three coun- 



