The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-19
Lnu NiphI,a lIeciing.

The encouragement Of the thluhIuB
portion of the pNblic is an object whose
value i not 20 be lightly estimated.
We are happy to acknowledge that We
have received this encouragement IN
the somewhat unusual course adopted
by the REGISTER i'll relation 10 the
pending city election. Wherever IN our
Community there are those who deem
good and reliable local government, a
more desirable aim than the needless
bestowal of place and power upon can
didates whose chief merit is their par
tisanship, the REGISTER has received
that cordial approval which is by no
means worthless, when a devotion to the
right is followed by bitter denuncia-
tion and onslaught from the thoughtless
or reckless classes.
That this paper has fairly interpreted
n powerful sentiment in this communi-
iy, could not he more clearly shown
than by tie action of the Democratic
meeting last night. That meeting was
called under 4 rash impulse, to whip In
or whip out every Democrat whS could
not support that portion of the ticket
To which allusion was made in our artl-
Gle of yesterday. 1t was pledged, IN
advance, to purge the ticket OF
every nominee who should fail to de
cline running on the Citizens Ticket
1t was meant to operate chiefly III the
interest of the present City Sergeant
But the gentlemen who directed 1t have
had time to consider the character aud
consequences of their policy. They
have abandoned the most vital objects OF
their meeting They have tacitly rec
oguized the right of their regular can.
didatcs to run upon another ticket, and
as q consequence have admitted the
right of any Democratic journal or vo.
ter to support just what candidates il
or he may deem, in calm Judgment, to
DO best. For if the right of a nominee tC
run on any ticket in the field be allow
ed, the right of any journal or voter o
the party to support any candidate il
the field, regular or independent, canno
consistently be questioned.
In short, tho action of the meeting /
virtual concession of the coFrectnes
of that public sentiment which canno
sanction such nominations as that 70
City Sergeant, and clear admission
that to draw party lines for his eXclu
sive benefit, would be perfectly ruinoss
The meeting was probably right. l
could not 80 the length ef THROWN,
overheard an obnoxious nomination, 70
under the circumstances this would hav,
been farcical. but it could and did do al
that was necessary to admit the point
that have beSn made against the regu
lar ticket, and TO abandon the projec
of forcing STANLEY through as the can
didate of the Democratic party.
The meeting has effectually disposed
OF the party allegiance idea in our loca
affairs. 1t has, as we have shown, sane
toned the doctrine of individual libert,
IN extreme cases like the present, ant
those who have hesitated over the posi-
blllty OF breaking faith with their par
ty, have thus been absslved by the high
est possible authority. Let every tru,
Democrat who is also a good citizen
avail himself of his conceded preroga
tive and strike bsldly for Reform-Re
form in the government of his city, bu
not that merely-Reform also in tn
management and policy of the party {,
which he belongs and which it is hi
duty to rescue and to improve.