The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-21
I. the Democra,ic Party De.ds


timent, and seems scarcely worth re-
futing. 1t certainly gave very conclu-
sive signs of vitality in the last Presl-
Dental election, when, in opposition to
the power of Federal patronage, which
was never so extensive nor so thorough
" employed as then, it cast nearly half
of the votes in the northern States
Many of these, too, we're under military
control, and only the most courageous
and independent members of the party
da ed to cast their votes for the Demo-
cratic candidate. 1t is still, and will
probably remain forever disputed ques-
ton, whether if all military influence
had been removed from the people dur
ing the last Presidential campaign, the
Democratic ticket would not have re-
ceived majority of the votes cast. A
party that in the face Of the persecution
and misrepresentation to which it was
exposed, could number among its open
and declared adherents, nearly half ofthe
people, only six months ago, cannot be
considered dead Men do not forget po-
Htical principles so soon, or so soon aban-
don all organization which manifests
such strength.
But, laying aside its manifestations of
life in the past, do the signs of the times
indicate its speedy dissolution in the fu-
ture2 The Democratic party has been &C
cused by its opponents of being in sympa-
thy with the rebellion. The chargencver
was true, but was persisted In by Its
authors until it came to be believed by
the Southern people, Is it now improb-
able that the people of the South, no
matter upon what basis the Southern
States are reconstructed, will hereafter
cleave to and vote with the old Demo
cratic party2 That such will be the
case no man who is capable of judging
and who has made use of the ordinary
sources IF information concerning the
doubt The amnesty proclamation OF
the President has already conferred the
right of suffrage upon enough of the
Southern citizens to give to the Demo
cratic party a prepOnderance in the ma
ton. More than the balance i'll favor of
the Republican candidate in the last
Presidential election has already been
wiped out That this fact is known and
appreciated by the more sagacious ones
of the Republican faith is seen in their
anxiety to bestow the right OF suffrage
upon the negroes. Is any person verdant
enough to believe that this is advocated
merely Tor the Negroes heneht ana us
reward for his loyalty 10 the Union Z
These arguments do we'll enough to put
forth publicly in philanthropic har-
rangues, to throw dust in the eyes of the
people, hut they do not bear moments
scrutiny. The leaders of the Republican
party never have cared three straws for
the negro, except as a political hobby
They would be very far from putting
themselves to any Inconvenience or put
ting forth any exertions, in his behalf,
if they did not hope to obtain power and
profit thereby.
But will their present plan succeed p
Suppose the negroes of the South were
all invested with the right of voting,
would that insure the triumph of the
Republican ticket, or justify the asser-
ton that the Democratic party is dead
1t will be necessary for the negroes to
remain, for a long time, in the employ
ment of their former masters Here and
there a negro may labor independ-
emily, and here and there northern
man may become an employer. But the
great mass of the negroes will be EN-
ployed by southern men and dependent
upon them for their daily bread. Is it
at all supposible that the newly eman
cipated slaves will be possessed of more
intelligence and public spirit and free
dom Of action than characterize the
greater portion of the white laboring
class at the North2 And is it not well
known that in the Northern States the
employers largely control the votes of
those in their employ 1t is wrong to
do so and contrary to the spirit of our
Government, but still it is done. Then
it is not fair to conclude that the same
system will prevail in the South to even
greater extent than it does here, where
the intelligence of the workmen, their
familiarity with our political system,
the scarcity of labor, the competition of
rival establishments and the exis-
tence of stringent laws for the protection
Of the employees, are all insufficient to
prevent them from being subject to the
undue political influence of their employ.
ersl The southern negroes will vote az
their masters may desire, no matter what
may be the issues involved in the con.
test, or what the name and principles of
the party with whom they cast their bal
lots. The idea that the negroes of the
South will march to the polls in solid
pha1anv aNI ,,nk. a. -x..: =,