The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-24
THE sUFPRAGE QUESTION.

To the Editors OF the Inte1ltgencer:
Ihaye lust read an article in your
daily isg1, Of the 18th inst, which in
nv judgement, is calculatedito do much
towards again reunihng our people In
the bonds Of common brotherhood.
I have long wished to see IN your pa
per, a leader of this kind from your
pen. Amnesty by Presidential procla.
nations. has become universal, and I
pea no good reason, why manhood suf-
fraoe sSould not now be made so too.
Negro suffrage, may now be regarded
as an accomplished fact; and 1t is but
natural, that we should ask ourselves
II race so recently freed from slavery
and ignorance, can be trusted to exer-
else one OF the most valued rights OF
the Intelligent American citizen, why
NAV not the Intelligent 1Chite citizen
having paramount visible interest in
the community, and yielding willing
obedience to the laws, and who contrib
utes largely with his revenues, to the
support Of the State Government, be
trusted alongside with the negro, in the
exercise OF the same political priv.
legesH
been heretofore pursued In this State
by our law-making power, has, in my
Judgment, been most Injurious to the
growth and prosperity of our young
State. 1t has prevented thousands of
industrious Southern citizens from
coming into our State with their capt.
tai, and driven out thousands OF our
best citizens, who had been deprived of
those equal rights and privileges, which
were accorded to their neighbors, no
but much less scrupulous.
Sirs: am sure alarge majority of the
people of this State heartily concur
with your article in the main.
We IOnnC reform III our State Constitution
It was made in the midst of the revolu.
ton, and not adapted in many respects
to the genious OF our people, and our
initiatory steps be adopted at the next
session of our Legislature, TO take the
sense of the people on the call of Con-
vention, to amend our State Constitu-
ton.
A majority of the Republican party
OF this State, not In office, want to be
liberal and are opposed to longer con-
tinuation of the prospective policy here.
tofore pursued by our Legislature.
Let us 30 reform our State Govern
ment, as not only to retain our present
population, but induce by wise legisla-
ton and practical craftsmanship
thousands of other good citizens to come
ent system too many officers and too
much tao to pay. Our system of
Internal Improvements is too fatally de-
fective, and not adapted to our impov-
erisned condition. 1t needs State en-
dorsaIion and State patronage to make
it efficient, which Is prohibited by the
constitution.
It must not be forgotten that the
masses of our people are poor, and
many of Them broken in spirit. They
want something to stimulate them, and
to breathe into them life, and energy and
manhood.
The Southern tier OF counties of this
State are perfectly lifeless. A few bad
men are controlling them, whilst the
great mass of the people, stripped OF
all political power, and bound down by
laws both proscriptive and cruel. are
seemingly Indifferent to what is pass
ing around them. And indeed 1t is
painful to see this feeling of ihditfer.
ence growing among the people
throughout the whole State. This
should not be so. We have within our
borders all the elements of wealth to
make OF 1t great and populous State,
and if you will unmanacle her people,
strong arms, and stout hearts, and
creative minds will appear. that will
unite In bringing all these elements
of wealth and power into speedy
development, by which we may hope
soon to see our young State shake off
her deadly stupor, and unbosom her
rich mines to commerce, and move on
ward with giant strides to that niche In
the galaxy OF States, TO which God and
nature destined her.
Very Respectfully,
WIN. L. ARNOLD.