The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-17
The Rssucs, Nominee for supre,ne
LudRe.

The Hsgues' Nominee for suprern
Judge.
The bitter and malicious attacks 0
the negro suffrage papers in West Viz
ginia, upon various Democratic and Con
servative candidates, have had a saln
tary effect, in inducing the people to in
quire into the antecedents of the Rad
ical nominees. The public seem to thinl
that if the record of candidates for offic'
upon one side is to be garbied, and mis-
represented under the pretext of investi
cation, then the party which makes
studied vilification of opponents mean
of success, should at least be able q
show that its own nominees are withou1
spot and above reproach. This is ths
conclusion of the popular mind, and th'
people generally are now asking of thu
Radical leaders some information con
cerning the men whom they have set up
as candidates for high position. Thu
curiosity in respect to Mr.. MAXWELL:
antecedents is especially great. Who il
this worthy gentleman, that under ths
dictation Of "a despotic cabal has been pui
forward for one of the highest Judicial
positions in the State? What are his
qualifications. What is his history
Was he as true and loyal upon the ques-
ton of secession ordinances as he was
Jealous and active i'll the Test Oatll
business Was he as fearless and
outspoken in the perilous days Of
81 as he was fanatical and bitter
in the safer times of '64 and 65 !
Is Ihe the same EDWIN MAXWELL,
who in '61 went before secession Sem
atorial Convention in the Wood County
District, and sought to be made ie'
nominee, Is he the EDWIN MAXWELL
who then and there competed with Mr..
PRNNYBAKRR for the Senatorial candi-
dacy and the championship of secessioui
If so, his defeat was his salvation. 1t
enabled him to retire for time from
public notice, and to accomplish in
privacy that political regeneration
which purged him of rebellion, cleansed
him of treason and sanctifed him into
new and noble manhood, whose loyal
ty is lustrous and whose patriotism is
pure. If this be the MAXWELL of an
cient memory, then it was exceedingly
appropriate that the regenerate rebel
should be nominated by the pardoned
thief. JAMES H. FERGUSON, confessed
criminal, rogue in fact, at large
through mercy, was fitting advocate
of the claims of a renegade and apOstate
secessionist. We publish to-day, the
violence of this FERGUsoN's guilt, and
we ask every candid Republican to con-
slider the consequences of giving to
knaves the selection of our judges !
What will be the character of your
courts when thieves are permitted to
name the interpreters of your stat
utes 7 Where will be the purity of your
judiciary if felons are allowed to
select the expounders of the law: The
judge that criminal would name, is
not generally the judge that honest
men would select, and however untar-
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character, he cannot escape contamlna-
ton. if he comes in contact with Of
tenders of this class. He cannot hold
fellowship with prison birds and de-
pend for endorsement upon acknowl-
edged villains without furnishing his
fame with some of the pollution that
defiles the character Of his associates.
If a man breathes the air of pest
house, he will scarcely escape infection,
nor if he inhales the pcstilential atmos-
phere of villainy and derives his in
spiration from companionship with
pardoned felons, will he avoid the con-
tagion of crime and the deadly infection
of moral guilt and infamy. While this
is true of nominee named by rogue,
we warn our Radical friends that it
may be equally true of q party which
numbers thieves among its leaders. If
those who manage an organization be
guilty and corrupt, those whom they
lead must be injured by their influence
No party can win honor under the
guidance of JIM FERGUSON, or gain
glory under the direction of a man, who
owes his prominence in politics to the
pardon of mercy, and whom the penal
ties of justice may at any time embar,
rass with cross-barred obstacles and
blacksmith's harness, on the plastered
side of prison walls.