764 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



Schools, "W. K Pendleton received 57,605 

 rotes; F. H. Crago, 42,196. For Auditor, 

 Joseph S. Miller received 57,830 votes ; Charles 

 M. Shinn, 42,271. For Treasurer, Thomas J. 

 West received 57,772 votes; Moses Frankin- 

 berger, 42,239. For Attorney-General, Robert 

 White received 57,843 votes ; John A. Hutch- 

 inson, 42,196. 



Thereupon the Speaker of the House of Del- 

 egates, as President of the Joint Assembly, 

 declared that, " for Governor, Henry M. Mat- 

 thews ; for Superintendent of Free Schools, 

 William K. Pendleton ; for Treasurer, Thomas 

 J. West ; for Attorney-General, Robert White ; 

 and for Auditor, Joseph S. Miller, having re- 

 spectively received the highest number of the 

 votes cast for the several offices, were elected 

 thereto." Frank Hereford and Henry G. Davis 

 were duly elected United States Senators, the 

 former to fill the unexpired term made vacant 



by the death of Allen T. Caperton, and the 

 latter for the term of six years, commencing 

 on March 4, 1877. 



At the time of his election to the United 

 States Senate, Mr. Hereford was representing 

 the State in the other House of Congress, hav- 

 ing been elected to that office in 1870, and 

 consecutively reelected in 1872 and 1874, 



Shortly before the final adjournment of the 

 Legislature, the Democratic members of both 

 Houses met together in the Hall of Represen- 

 tatives for the purpose of deliberating upon 

 the proceedings of the Electoral Commission, 

 and the action of Congress in regard to the 

 counting of the electoral votes. From the 

 Committee on Resolutions, consisting of nine 

 members, a majority and a minority report 

 was submitted. After discussion, the ma- 

 jority report was adopted, which was as fol- 

 lows : . 



HARPER 8 TERRY. 



Whereas, By a fair and honest expression of the 

 will of a decided majority, the people of the United 

 States on the 7th day of November last declared in 

 favor of Samuel J. Tilden for the office of President, 

 and Thomas A. Hendricks for the office of Vice- 

 President, of the United States; and 



Whereas, The electors chosen by the people of the 

 several States on December 6th met in their re- 

 spective States and cast at least 197 votes for said 

 Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks for the 

 office of President and Vice-President of the United 

 States, -which said 197 votes were a decided majority 

 of the number of electoral votes cast; and 



Whereas, By fraud and corruption, and the falsi- 

 fication of the returns of the election in at least two 

 of said States, the legal majorities in said States 

 were attempted to be set aside and disregarded in 

 pursuance of an organized conspiracy by the lead- 

 ers of the Radical party against the liberties of the 

 people ; and 



Whereas, In pursuance of said conspiracy, fostered 

 by fraud, corruption, and falsehood, the Radical ma- 

 jority in the Senate of the United States expressed 



their determination not to count the electoral vote 

 legally cast, as aforesaid, in the manner prescribed 

 by the Constitution and every precedent established 

 in the history of this country in like cases, but by 

 hypocrisy, deceit, and false professions of patriot- 

 ism induced the House of Representatives to assist 

 in creating a tribunal unknown to the people, yet 

 possessing the power to inquire into the fraudulent 

 transactions, and ascertain the true and lawful vote 

 of said States ; and 



Whereas, Said tribunal refused to inquire into said 

 alleged frauds, and utterly disregarded tlie plain pro- 

 visions of the act creating said tribunal, rendering 

 contradictory and partisan decisions, attempting to 

 legalize and force upon the people the results of the 

 most infamous frauds ever attempted upon a free 

 people: Therefore 



Resolved, That our Senators be instructed, and our 

 Representatives in Congress be requested, to use all 

 legal, constitutional and honorable means to pre- 

 vent the consummation of this most foul conspiracy 

 against republican government and the liberties of 

 the people. 



