The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-09-08
Organize Immediately.

It is a well known fact that in every
county in this State, except perhaps half
dozen, large majority Of the legal
voters are conservative men. The clique
of radicals that has been making the
laws and governing the State almost ever
since its organization are fully cognizant
of this fact. One of the most vindictive
and ultra members of the late Legisla-
ture was frank enough to admit, in the
course of one of his speeches in advocacy
of favorite scheme, that if free vote
were to be had in his county his party
would be defeated by FIVE hundred ma
iority. There were other members who
heard this declaration and knew it was
true also of tie counties they claimed to
represent, but they lacked the candor to
make the admission. A party that has
been and is still largely in the minority
has elected the officers of the State, the
members of the Legislature, and,
as a general thing, both county and
township officers of every grade. A
concerted system of intimidation and
violence has been put in operation to
prevent the expression of the popular
will at the polls, and, where these failed
to produce the desired result, fraud
has been resorted to to increase the ap-
parent vote of the Republican can
didates or destroy the real vote Of
their opponents. All this has been
done in subversion of the laws of
the State, in obedience to the dictates
of what was called military necessity"
but which was really uothlng more than
the selfish will of the office-holding fac
ton Being unwilling to vote for the
Republican candidates and being liable
to persecution of all kinds if they dared
to vote against them, in many of the
counties large numbers of the best citi-
zens have absented themselves from the
polls and have aot exercised the right of
suffrage during three OF four years past.
This was Just what the radicals desired,
andlwhat they will perpetuate if they
can. 1t enabled them to obtain and hold
the power which they have welded
tor the benefit OF their party rather
than for the good Of the State.
But is it not time that this state of
things should cease 2 If, under the con-
stitution of the United States, West Viz
GINA is guaranteed "a republican form
of Government" is it not time that it be
made republican in fact as we'll as in
name2 Is it not time for the majority of
the people to select those who shall make
and administer the laws? The war is
over and there is not within the whole
territorial extent of the United States
certainly not within the limits of West
Virginia, single man i'll arms against
the Government. Neither is there any
where to he found those who contem-
plate at any future time engaging in
armed rebellion against the GoveInmcnt
of The United States OF of this
State Whatever excuse there once
was for interfering with the freedom
of elections is now utterly void,
Military necessity" for any vic lation
of the rights of citizens 10 longer exists
and he who attempts to continue during
state of peace the abuses which were
tolerated during the war, is IN ehemy to
the public good and should be punished
rs such, i'll accordance with the law. If,
in this State, the people are ever to have
a free, fair and lawful election, they are
certainly entitled to it this fall. We have
reason to hope, too, that this will be the
case, and that all who are legally entitled
TO vote will he permitted to cast their
ballots for candidates of their own choice.
representing their own political views.
In this belief, we urge the Democratic
and conservative voters of every county
in the State to rally their full strength
at the polls OH the Goth of October next.
The time yet to elapse before the cleo
ton is so short that it may not be eXpe-
dent or advisable i'll many ~ *le coun-
ties to hold conventions for the nomina-
ton of candidates, but in every county
some prominent and reliable men can be
selected for candidates BY common con.
sent. and the fact of their candidacy be
spread from one neighborhood to another
until 1t is sufficiently known to insure
their election. There is nothing stands
in the way of the redemption of the
State from radical rule, but the apathy
of the conservative men themselves
The power is i'll our hands if we
but choose to exert it, Then let
every lover of Democratic principles,
every opponent of abolitionism in its ra-
dical forms, every enemy of prescription
for opinions sake, so earnestly to work
for the election of conservative and hon.
est men to fill every office, especially for
members of the Legislature. If all who
read this article and agree with the sem
timents we have expressed will do their
duty; see that Democratic or conserya-
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