The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-13
PhIIosophy Of the ElectIon,

From hs RClLSGurO Herald.
We do not know any reason why we
may not as well as others, have our say
In regard 10 the late apparent let
down In political matters In this State,
seeing lt 10 very common. In the flrst
place, looking at Il from our stand
point, and having In view future proba.
bililles, we are far from considering Il
particularly disastrous, although as O
party, We have come out OF the contest
rather dllapIdAted. There IL generally
a cause for everything and there is q
cause for this, as well 90 for other
things, or rather a variety OF causes,
and II Is the part OF wisdom 10 flud them
out In order 10 remove them.
II is fashionable with some OF our Re.
publican contemporaries to attribute
the falling OF In the vote TO the lnfu.
ence Of the liberal movement lately inS
Stttuted, and which did certainly create
much uncalled for bitterness OF feeling
In certain quarters; but this will not
account for II. Il 10 probable that ex-
cept rs between few aspiring polltI>
clans, here and there In the State, the
direct effect on the vote Of the let up
oommotlon was hardly RppTeCiable.
The mischief, II mischief Il ID, was done
before the policy OF o let up was pub.
lloly mooted. The public temper In
regard to disabilities has been In pro.
cess OF being modified ever since the
close Of the war, and the let up move.
ment was a result OF this feeling, not
the cause OF Il, by any meAnB-only
the Legitimate embodiment OF an
idea that pervaded the public mind
and thus found expression. The idea
was operating all the while to swell the
Democratic vote, and u did swell Il,
but the way the matter now stands, q
considerable portion OF the Republican
party have the advantage OF having
voluntarily fallen In with and adopted
II, instead OF having been coerced and
compelled to II rs inevitably would
nave been the case. This, In future
anu more Important elections, will
give the men who compose the Re-
publican party decided advantage.
In the absence OF any great national or
even state or local Issues, the Republic
can party, no matter how numerically
strong to>day, could not afford to give 10
It's adversary the moral advantage Of
the position. Liberallty and generosi.
" Is the style now everywhere else,
and the party that arrays itself In op-
position 70 II In this State, IL bound 10
lose. Had It been universally, prompt.
~ and chserfully adopted this cleo.
ton, the opposition would have been
enectuAlly dlsarmed, and had nothing
TO fall back upon but personal fitness
or unhtness, popularity or unpopular
lily OF candidates, which would not
have RValled them. When It Gomez to
the question OF fitness or unfitness, the
Republican party has nothing TO lose.
Members OF It may be incompetent and
may have made poor legislators, but
every one knows that the other party
as general thing had they had the
selection Of the Legislature would
not have sent any better-probably
worse ones. There has probably been
not only lncapAclty, but probably cor.
ruption; but no one will plead who
knows the ground, that less corruption
was TO be expected with the West Vir-
ginln democracy In power. The think.
Ing men OF the party know all this aud
know 1t 10 be true. II would have
suited AspirAnts for Office exactly, 10
make the Republican party appear
prosCriptivs and illiberal. That ia "A
position behind which they could have
hred with effect. They can't do 1t now.
1.-THE recent election means anything,
II means that the liberal Republicans
OF the State are sincere, and that furth.
ermore, they hold the balance OF power.
Hence, we conclude, that In view OF
the future, the result OF the recent cleo
tlon Is not at all disastrous.
Further, coming nearer home, The
people Of our county had become rest.
I've under the long continued reign OF
Republican officials and desired a
change. The regularly decreasing ma
jorlties showed that. They have 1t now,
aud they have 1t merely for the sake OF
q change, so far as we can see. A
change OF very few votes or full
turn out OF the Republican vote Ms 1t Is,
on any we'll defined subject will soon
unh orse them again. A year or 30 OF
continue nee In oGllOe with It's dIsputing
about nominations, oavlls at mistakes
and miscondncts, will furnish that Is
sue, and very probably from this time
out, the Democratic vote instead Of In
CreaSing will diminish.