The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-05-14
The West Virginia Press.

sentiment of the majority OF the peeple
of the State is afforded by tie number
and Political complexion Of the news
papers of West Virginia. 1t is fair to
presume that the party that sustains
the most newspapers embraces in It's
ranks the majority of the people Men
do not, as a general thing, spend money
and labor in publishing newspapers 10
advocate doctrines entirely distastefui
to the people. They must look to the
people for support and they must renect
the opinions of the people if they expect
to be sustained.
There are twenty-eight newspapers
now published in West Virginia
Of these, eighteen support freS-
ident JoHNsoN's restoration policy'
and oppose the adoption of the consul
tional amendment; while the remaining
ten may be ciassed as radical, The
papers that support the President are
the following: Wellsburg Democrat,
Wheeling Register, Wheeling Arbeiter
Freund, Germany Parkersburg Gazette
Parkersburg Democrat, Point Pleas
ant New Era, Kanawha Repab'
lican, Romney Intelligencer, Weston
Herald, Martinrburg Ne,r Era, Charles,
town Spirit of Jefferson, Charles
town Free Press, Shep herdstown
Register, Lewisburg Times, Union Regis.
ter, Fairmont National, Clarksburg Con-
serratire and Buckhannon Republican.
The papers favoring the adoption OF
the constitutional amendment and ad-
herring to the radical policy in Congress,
are the Wellsburg Herald, Wheeling In
telEgencer, Parkersburg Times, Richie
Press, Point Pleasant Register, Kanawha
Journal, Clarksburg Telegraph, Morgan
town Post, Fairmont Fedette, and Berke-
ley Union.
The argus, published in Sistersville,
Tyler county, was conservative in poll
tics, but, as we have not received a copy
for several weeks, we arc unable to say
whether it is now issued.
Eight of the conservative newspapers
we have enumerated above are published
in counties where there is no radical
paper and where none could be sustained
Two of the radical newspapers are pub
lished in counties where there is no
conservative paper established. The
majority of the conservative papers
have sprung up within the past year,
several being entirely new publications
others merely the resumption of business
interrupted by the war, and Others still
are papers that supported the Republi-
can party during the war but refuse TO
endorse the radical c0use of that party
at the present time During neatly two
years the Wheeling REGISTER was the
only conservative paper published in the
State, and it is still the only Democratic
daily, but we are glad to learn that the
Parkersburg Gazette will soon be issued
in daily form. There are two radical
dailies: the Wheeling Intelligeneey and
.Parkersburg Times.
But our object in referring to the
West Virginia press at this time is
simply to show that it affords almost
conclusive proof of the fact that large
majority of the citizens of the State are
opposed to the radical party, The con-
sentative newspapers outnumber the
radicals nearly two to one. And il
should be remembered, too, that these
anti-radical newspapers rely solely upon
the people Of the State for support
They receive no government patronage, |
they receive no contributions From any |
outside source, their editcGs hold no In |
crative Offices under aither the Federal |
or State government but in defiance OF |
She power of patronage. Democratic
AMI conservative journals are springing |
into life and prosperity all over the |
State because they axe demanded
by and reflect the opinions ol
the people. With all the ap,
planes of patronage, and the free n,s
of official plumber and the advantage
gained by long establishment and 10y abe
fnrcible suppression of rival newspapers
and the sort Of monopoly that Was for II
time enjoyed by the radicals, still The
radical press embraces only onc-third Of |
the newspapers NOW published in tir
State
That the conservative two-thirds Of !
rhe West Virginia newspapers represen. ,
the opinions of the majority of the cii,- /
zeus, does not admit of doubt T.ege |
can be no question. then, that chs. raai-
cal party, striving, 10y revolutionary |
means, to retain its cont;oL is violating |
the fundamental principle of republicans
ism. In any government of the people |
the majority bears rule, and West Vfr-
ginia must not be an exception
How They Voted.
On the passage by the House of Rep |
resentatives Of the constitutional amend !