The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-30
LIVING POLIrIcAL ISSUES,
NfOm Ire Chicago 7dIu1t (RepuIllcln.l

stronger desire on the part OF the great
mass Of the people 10 ignore mere party
divisions, and unite In n restoration OF
that era OF good feeling which marked
national politics In the years succeed.
Ing the war OF 1912 There Ia no aban.
donment Of principle on the part OF the
people, but there IL q universal Weari.
ness and disgust OF any further aTgu.
ment and contention upon questions
which have been lrrevocAbly settled,
and which but few would disturb even
II they could, The man who wants
office, or seeks ONCE, because OF bis
mere party fidelity, and who parades
MS record upon past and defunct Ia.
sues, who has no word for the future,
but ID ever appealing TO tho past; who
asks ONCE that he may kill those who
are already dead and buried, mistakes
public sentiment and outrageB public
patience. The people are tired OF these
thlugs, and will have no more OF
them. Loyalty during the war was o
virtue, and dIsloyalIy crime, But
Tor men to undertake 10 run q party
upon the mere fact that its members
were loyal during the war, and ignore
the new, living and practical questions
which now address themselves to the
public mind, and affect the popular In.
terestB, ID as direct an Insult TO popular
intelligence % Ia mat Of the Democrat
10 party asking the election OF Alder.
men and ConstableB pledged 10 q faith
ful devotion 10 the nullflCatlon reso-
buttons Of '9s, The country, at FIRST
from necessity, was compelled by the
presence OF the civil war to elect men
TO Congress and other offices upon the
Issue OF The salvation or destruction OF
the Union; In the face OF positive dan.
ger, patriotism necessarily oyersh Rd.
owed all other qualifications. The
choice Of representatives continued 10
I'll the war was effectively and permR-
nently closed up by the rehabilitation OF
the insurgent States. and the re-estAb.
llShment Of popular civil government
founded upon the consent Of the whole
people. But the queatlonS Of these
times have been decided and decided
forever.
We have living questions which
must be met. The dead OF the past
have been buried, aud no post moTtem
examination or Coroner'1 inquest Is
needed. We have other business be-
fore us-business OF taxation, OF
finance, questions Of political econo.
my, measures Of International trade
and commerce, questions OF internal
communication and transportation,
questions Of labor and production, OF
capital and monopolles, and to act
upon these important subjects we want
quite another-and, We may add,
superior-claSs OF representatives than
those whose sturdy patriotism supplied
the lack Of general Information during
the days OF rebellion. A good war
record, though valuable addition,
will not alone Justify the election OF q
Congressman who Is ignorant of
finance; who does not know when he
votes tax; who has no taste for study
and no talent for obtaining informa.
tIon. Mere party nominations will no
longer secure the election OF an igno.
rAmus, and 1t ought not to do no. The
people are taxed TO the rttermost far.
thing Of their earnings, and through
the negligence OF some, ignorance Of
Others, and adroitness Of few, these
taxes are not levied for public uses,
but to give bountles to favored class.
II will not do for men 10 ask popular
favor merely because they have been
sound on the issues OF the war; the
man must also be able ~ understand
that nine.tenths Of his constituents are
go taxed upon all they eat, drink and
wear, that their entire earnings are
consumed. while the other tenth are
accommodating the entire wealth OF the
country. The candidate for office at
this day who does not, or cannot, I'M.
derstand this fact, and who has no In.
formation or knowledge that will lead
him to an intelligent vote TO remedy 1t,
Is no more 1T to be elected to Congress,
than Is the boy fresh from the corn
FIELD to be placed In charge Of the en-.
glnes Of q steamer.
The American people have occupied
widely different views upon the exist
Ing questions. But that division no
longer exists. Rebellion might now
sound its trumpet throughout the land
without eliciting an approving echo
from any quarter. Iavery Ia no more.
The nation In the aggregate was never
more productive or prosperous; bat the
producer Is taxed beyond his means Of
production, and the result OF hls labors
Is garnered by those who, under shell.
ter OF our revenue laws, are the reClp.
tents OF the national wealth. This ex>
traordlnary condition OF affairs makes
brothers Of the whole suffering popula-
tlon, aud parties must hereafter take
sides, not for or against the emanCIpa
ton OF this or that race, or class, but
for or against the emancipation OF the
producing labor Of the country, for or
against the emancipation OF the trade
and commerce OF the nation, or for or
against the preservative OF the national
credit These are the living Issues OF
the day, and woe beiall the politicians
or parties that seek to Ignore them or
any Longer. endeavor to foIst ignorance,
corruption or stupidity upon the pub.
lie under the shadow OF the remote
past.
A striking Instance OF this partisan
folly Is shown In the case OF the Demo.
cratic party In Ohio and Pennsylvania,
That party Is discussing In their States
the prOpriety Of negro suffrage, the ex.
pedlency OF reconstruction, the aboll.
ton OF slavery, and the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution, In
Pennsylvania their candidate ia "a
bloated bondholder who pays no taxes,'
80 they say nothing there upon finance
and taxation; while In Ohio their can.
didate talks largely OF the vested rights
OF the South destroyed by the war de.
nounces negro suffrage In Virginia, for
which all Virgluians voted Insists
upon paying the debt In green backs,
and denouuees the government for buy.
Ing the bonds with green backs, and Is
generally unhappy because oil the many
violations Of personal liberty By mill.
tary arrests during the war. The per.
formances Of this party are like those
OF the old horse, who, In early life, was
put at work turning a wheel In the
upper story OF mill for grinding tan.
bark. In the course OF time he was re-.
leased from hts secluslon and put into
pasture, but his days OF usefulness
were gone. he forever after moved In
a circle. and, even when In the broad
teld, would have died by starvation,
had he not been fed by nose bag,
from which he ate while he kept walk.
Ing In the circle, pulling, In imaRlna-
ton, the old wheel.pole OF the bark,
mill. As long as the Democratic party
walks In the accustomed circle, pulling
away at negro suffrage, military ar.
rests, reconstruction, the Fifteenth
Amendment, and reputation, 1t must
remain hopelessly imbecIle In national
afairs. So with any other party which
falls Into the hallucinalIon that Il is
still grinding the mill Of the past. The