The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-04-27
I.Oyai E.eaRues.

Laval Leagues are falling into dis
favor with portion OF the party that
has 80 long patronized them. They
have lately been attempting i'll some
sections to dictate the course and Opin-
IONS of the Radical organization and for
this reason are losing popularity with
iheir former friends. So long as it was
the Democratic OK which was gored, we
heard no murmurs from the loyal
masses. II was perfectly decent and
iust for an oath-bound political associa-
ton to set its. spies around our hearth
stones. stir up enmities among friends,
ruin the business prospects of political
opponents, and even in church kick
from the communion table Hlch
parties as were 4: obnoxious by
reason of their political tenets.
While the war was in progress, and
since its close, il was the aim of these
leagues and the duty of their members
t" carry their proscriptiye ideas into
every relation of life, aud to make their
intolerance felt in all classes and con-
ditions of society. Crime was sancti-
he'd if it was only committed in the
name of loyalty" and the purest vir-
tue OF the citizen was deemed of little
worth, ii it acknowledged no allegiance
to these sworn aud secret organizations.
ln short. like the fanatics and madmen
of France, who put to death the best
and hravest citizens of the Republic in
th- name of liberty, the. Radicals,
in the name of loyalty and
Though instruments made and
qualified in the passion-heated cham
bers of the loyal leagues, scattered the
seed, of misrule. prejudice and disre-
gard for the rights of all who differed
with them broadcast over the land, and
the harvest OF outrage, crime, corrup.
ZION and yillainy has been most abnn-
dant."s Latterly the leagues have been
operating in another directions; they
have been usurping the management OF
the Radical party TO an extent that is
alarming some of the faithful. The fol-
lowing ia an extract from the Albany
Erenisg Journal on the subject Of 10y
al Leagues:
The questions which now divide the
people are simply political, and to
great extent partisan. As n conse-
uuence, The League has ceased to be a paf,
r;oiie auxiliary, and is rapidly becoming
cot merely the instrument ofG party, 6ai
the tool of clique rithia u party. No
longer called upon to recruit armies, to
send supplies for soldiers in the field
to hold public meetings and influence
the Jealous arlor of loyal men, il is now
engaged In the enterprise of building
an factions, seeking the dispensa.
ton of petty offices, packing primary
caucuses, controlling conventions, and
making tickets. Thus, by during too
long'-by remaining in the arena o.
action after the occasion has passed fol
which il was called to act-the League
is at this time in great danger of degen
Grating into mere cabal, and closing
history which began so auspiciously ant
gloriously by q repetition of the same
fate which has always followed th'
creation of secret political bodies II
this country.
We are wrrranted in these cOnclu
siOns by an observation of the influence
which this organization is exerting OF
attempting to exert upon the politics Of
our State. If there is at the present
momext any serious controversy in the
Republican party which threatens its
future integrity, We trace it to the fact
that small body of men, controlling
the "inner circle" Of o mystic order
hare undertaken to dictate to The great mas
ses mho must do the thinking and the rotiRg
They are to name The officers; they are Il
motld the policy; they are to sas
sest the appoistHents;s they are :: +
perfect the machinery; they, ssttin.
+" their star-ckambers, aader tho seil Of |
scorn secrecy, are TO enter Up all the jsdg
nents, 'cith wkich the people at the poll
Aarf Nothing TO do bat to endorse and con