American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-04-16
CIRCULAR.-By REQUEST.
TO the Voters Of NionOngalia County
Hear INC for my Cause.

| FELLOW-CITlLENS: va Cd :
Through the generous solicitations
of q number OF my personal friends,
who manifest greater concern for my
promotion from my humble position
among them, than consideration Of my
distrusted abilities and qualifications,
am before you, for the first time in
my life, for mn office at the disposition
of your sovereign wills. /. ! iI II 4
With but partial acquaintance
without distinguished namc without
wealth-without an extended relation.
ship--as one of the least among you,
l present my. humble name and claims,
for your generous consideration.
My political convictions are Demo
cratic, and under these convictions, l
have ever acted, never having cast al
opposition vote in my life. =,
am candidate before the prima-
ry election, for the office of circuit
clerk Of tho county of Monongalia--
the county Of my birth, and the home
Of my now more than half spent life
time. My little all of this worlds chat
tells is within her borders--my every
feeling and impulse, is with her. r.gs
l am, fellow citizens, and ever have
been, an advocate of the one-term, or
rotation principle, in all Offices of prof
it, believing it to be a just principle
just to the people, necessary to the
| public good, and preservative of the
morals of selfish, ambitious, present in
cumbents. l..s.. 'a. 'F iIfaufaa ~
Every one should be taught to know
and to feel, that the Offices are as
much one mans as another's; and that
in democratic government, where
they are elective, no generous, honest,
conscientiously constituted individual,
should have the effrontery to urge his
claims to a selection, in the face of a
meritorious and generous constituency,
thereby excluding them and their sons,
and dear and deserving kindred, from
the honors and emolumcnts of Office
the gifts Of their own justice and gen.
crosby. 1881. r#a., Ha... .8
For what, my fellow citizens, was
our constitution recently amended p
Was it not in part, and great part,
indeed, that the right of election to Of
flee should be held by the people, and
that the right of suffrage should be ex-
tended? And for what? Truly, that
we might as freemcn, clothed with the
sovereignty of suffrage, under more
liberal organic or constitutional struc-
ture, have voice in the selection of
our of1icers-that we might get rid of
the anti-republican, the odous feature
that filled our lucrative places by ap.
pointment for life--the appointing pow
err being the prerogative of an individ-
val or individuals, creatures Of their
own creation, not answerable to the
sovereign people, and scarcely amena-
bic to the law. These things were
justly repugnant to us. Our intolli-
gence and a just sense of right and
wrong, rose up in rebellion against
them. We called and clamored for
reform--for the right to fill the Offices
of the State by tho sovereign will of the
people, expressed viva poce--or with
the living voice, at the ballot box. All
this was granted. But we are relaps.
ing with our eyes opcn--in the face of
light and knowledge, into our former
ignoble state or condition. What is
the difference, fellow citizens, between
appointing a man to office for life, and
clccting him, term after term, in sue
cession, during his life? We are ma
king mockery Of duty and q privi-
lcge. While we were compelled to the
hard necessity of submission to the
stern appointing prerogativc, the grie-
vance was grievous and intolerable,
but now there is no compulsion, no
necessity, we can revert to the same
principle, under all our liberal privile-
ges, and convictions to the contrary
Where is the consistency-where in
deed, the common sense, in thus acting?
Six years ago, the 4th Thursday in
May, next, our first general election
was held for officers under our amend
ed constitution. Some have held of.
flee from that time to the present,
whilst others have but half served out
their terms. Some of those Offices
pay their hundreds and thousands of
dollars per annum. Butt have to deal
with but few at present. There is the
Office of sheriff, among the very lucra-
tive offices, which is filed for two years
at time, with the privilege Of six or
seven months after the term expires,
to finish up the fat business. ~.
The office Of county clerk, is the best
office in the county, by great odds, pay
ing from twelve to fifteen hundred dol
lars every year. Only think !! Six
times twelve or fifteen hundred dollars !!
The circuit clerkship is worth from
FIVE to eight hundred dollars per year,
larger sum than any of us can make