The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1864-11-09

H., -, ,;mc he becomes one Oh INC I'"s'
-" ;;,.u leaders in the. New State; nc Is
l ,.ntc,1 to Office, and every honor paid HIM
.ho, r,,,,l he bestowed on political martyr:
"" ;r,,red will make useful man, but IT VIII
,a 10 Eastern Virginia, and no, to his stupid
constituency. who, by.a blind venerat'on lot
.,;,,;nr found their political faith and prac.:
49, nm tho latter clause Of the text heretofore
ouotcd "Thcy indeed arc 1a'"'IesS as 't''es'
,a,in it has always been our policy 10
,.,cn the ncoplc Of West Virginia in 'sno-
rance and when they became clamoro'iS Tor 4
.hoo, system, we so shufIlcd the cards as 10
c,,,sr all the counties but two or three 10
reject it: and We succeeded in getting II
broken down in all Of these counties except
K,oowha, where it was continued because
somc or our friends could make their living
hr i ,rho could not do it otherwise H"t ]
will here observe, that this system, which
has only been in operation twelve or i'l'ee"
wears has done our cause incalc,Ilablc in]ur;.
/ /, has raised up n set of young politicians
who think and act for themselves ami fe'"'e
10 he controlled by lis; and that is the reason
that Kanawha could not he sot to 80 with us
into the Southern Conftdcracy rs easily rs
other counties Of the west.
And lastly, under this head; 1t has always
hccu our custom, when amongst the West
virginians, to talk loud, boast OF our own
actions, and speak contcmptnouSIy OF theirs
drink largely, play cards, lay wascrs' swear
and talk nmmodr<tly before their females -
this they take for superior taste and talent
and they send much Of their time in trying
| to initiate us.
As to our mole Of operating at elections
VIC resolve to carry the day at all hazards
and having thus resolved, We first choose our
candidates from some Of the following classes
and for the annexed reasons, to-wit: we
choose men Of property, because they arc
generally with us, and the masses love to he
governed by them; next we choose men
who arc supposed to have property, for the
masses never stop to enquire whether those
who are in a habit Of treating them with
contempt are really wealthy or not,-thcy
think that nobody but 4 rich man can assume
such superior position, and they vote for
them at any cost. But should have said
that, first Of all, We choose men who formerly
held slaves, because they arc SURE to be with
us; and rs they have been in habit Of gov,
crning black men, they know better how to
govern white ones and in all our choosing
We Try to get those whose interests arc most
nearly identified with the interest Of the
people Of East Virginia.
Having thus chosen orr candidates, VIC
make it convenient to sec the more prominent
men in every ncis hburhood anil by various
arts which VIC practice on them, VIC bring
them to believe that it is their interest and
duty to support Our nominations; and we
fnd it MI easy matter to get them 10 de-
things too low for us to do ourselves. They
willingly fabrcatc any kind Of falschood
make and offer to make large Lts, drag and
hnul men about mort than We could ourselves,
and thus do what we would really be ashamed
to TO-.
And when il becomes necessary for iis to
invent some enormous ralschood-as it some.
times docs-thcy will eagerly give it cifcula.
ton, carefully concealinS the author; and il
it is proven to be false, they will confess that
they fabricated it, rather than divulsc the
real author. But their love for us is not their
only reason for making this confession; we
have taught them that it is an honor to tell
cunning lie, and they always think ours
belong TO this class.
During the commencement Of the war,
Southern statesmen held that Cotton ,oas king,
which doctrine we acknowledge to be fully
exploded. Cotton may have been on the
throne for time, but he was at best but n
usurpcr. But NO have n maxim in Our politi-
chi creed that is not so easily disposed Of
that is, that Money it King and Ignorance and
Whisky arc his two mnjor.gcncrals. When
NC wish to make war on a country, our king
makes private visit to the capitol, where all
the influential characters fall in love with
him; the aforementioned Of our great generals
then throws kind Of mental stupor. or spell,
over tho masses, rendering them unable to act
for themselves. Our other general then takes
command, tho whole nation is PROSTATE at
our feet and he in,prrsscs into them his own
spirit, and makes them eager to do our druid
gerry. But to speak without figure, VIC be-
lievc that every man has his fixed market
price, and the only trouble is to get money
cnoug h to buy them up in any considerable
numbers. 1t then becomes cXpcdcnt for us
TO reduce the price. This we effect by hiding
from the eyes of The masses the lights of sci
cncc and general information; by dcpriving
them Of tho benefit Of public schools; and by
lcadcning their conscicnces and putting out
the light Of natural reason by means Of spirit
nous liquors aa.. be-. -.
And as 10 this mode Of procedure, We have
no scruplcs whatever. We believe that this