The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-20
A Radical Appeal to Democratic
MeFcy

A Radical Appeal to Democratic
Mercy.
The Radicals are very well convinced
of the ability of the Democratic party
to carry this State. Fearing such re-
suit, the Intelligencr has been appeal
ing frantically to the Democrats of this
section to vote the Republican ticket
and thus save the FOREMAN dynasty
from overthrow. A leading article in
that paper on yesterday, addressed "to
the moderate and reasonable Democrats
in the Panhandle countless" processes
to give some reasons why these men
should vote against the party to which
they belong.
Among these reasons, the familiar
humbug that the Democrats desire to
destroy the new State is not found.
The ntelligencer is willing to suppose
that such step is "either not contem-
plated or not practicable" A ready
reason for this concession is found in
the fact that the reconstruction bills
declare null and void the Government
of Virginia which formed West Vir-
ginia, and thus as consequence, deny
the legality of West Virginia. AS the
Radicals have themselves declared this
State illegal, their organ has not the
etfrontery to reiterate the stale charge
of Democratic hostility to West Vlr-
ginia.
The chief reason assigned why Dem
ocrats should vote the Republican tick
ct and save the Republican party, is
that with Democratic success will come
the enfranchisement of the rebels, u
measure which the Intelligencer profes-
ses to dread. Nevertheless the Radical
party has already registered numbers
of rebels on condition that they would
vote the Radical ticket; it shas given
high position to original and iIrepres'
sible rebels like NAT HARRISON, who
actively co-oporated with the rebellion,
inside the Confederate lines during the
war, OF like Judge GILLAsPIE who, as a
member of the Virginia Convention of
1861, voted for the passage of the ordi-
nance of secession; it has placed upon
its electoral ticket the name of K. S.
Brown, of Jackson county, who, to
quote his famous rebel circular which
we have before us, believes chat each
State possesses the inherent right
peaceably to resume the powers delegat-
ell to the Federal Government" This
same gentleman voted for the ordinance
of secession in 1861, and there is not a
Radical in the State who can vote the
ticket placed in nomination by his par
ty in the Clarksburg Convention with.
out at the same time voting for an out
spoken and original rebel. Hence, 1T is
clear that the Radicals do not specially
fear the elevation of rebels to power,
for that they do themselves whenever
these rebels will vote the Repub'
licau ticket; they simply fear the en-
franchisement of the opponents OF
Radicalism in such numbers as to dis
place the dominant party in this State.
If then any man fears that the Demo-
Gratis of West Virginia will remove the
restrictions from rebels, the remedy OF
vcting the Republican ticket is the
poorest Imaginable, since the Republl-
can party stands pledged by its record
in this State and by its Chicago plat
form to eufranchise all rebels, of what
ever grade, who will cooperate politi-
cally with the "loyal" party of this
State and country. A thousand living
witnesses, from JOE BRowN down to
NAT. HARRISON, attest the correctness
of this proposition.
The Intelligencer tells us further that
if the Democratic party shall succeed
in this State, whatever that party
had to bestow would be given to posi-
tive and representative men-origina
Democrats, not old U'higs, and most like
" to original rebels A little further
on the same article assures US that il
the event of Democratic success Mr.
| BENJAMIN II. SMITH Zone of the oldest
Wings of this region) would have the
bonds of the State issued to build {
railroad or turnpike through every farm
of this 25,000 acres of wild lands in tn,
mountains of the Southwest" W,
hardly know which TO admire most, tht
rhetoric or the logic. Colonel SMITHS
"wild lands" are not "wild' afte
all, but are cut up into farms.
Is he the happy proprietor of fertile
fields and blooming valleysi Or is b,
merely the owner of barren deser
of mountain land which Democratic
railroad is to permeate at the expens
of the Statei At the same time
"whatever the party has to bestew
will not be given to old Whigs.' Just q
we receive this as settled fact, we ar
asked TO reconcile Herewith the fearfu
scene to be enacted when Colonel SMITH
one of those "old Wings" who are ol
no account to get a morsel of publ
favor, shall potently control the ap
propriations of the State for his persona
aggrandisement, and compel Demo
cratic Legislature, which gives "ol'