The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-03-31
The Immigration QuesIiOn.

ton law.
The Immigration Question.
The late sQuabbl% between the Com
missioner of Immigration for this State
and some of the newspapers of his party
has in some measure directed public at
tsDtion to the question of building up
West Virginia by the aid of settlers
from other States aud countries. Desir-
able as all admit the influx of popula-
tion to be, il is found that for some
reason or other, West Virginia is by no
means fayorite place with persons in
search of homes. They 90 through it or
around it; they seldom tarry within
its limits.
On the other hand, it is known that
by reason of emigration from tue
State, our population is gradually but
surely }essened. 4 short time ago party
of sixty West Virginians took steamer
at Parkersburg for the West. More re,
Gently still about twenty families
passed down the Great Kanawha, de.
parting from West Virginia to find a
home i'm a distant State, and yet later
seven families also from the kanawha
Valley, made their exodus upon the
same erraud. There ought to be some
mode of arresting this process of rapid
depopulaUion. A wise craftsmanship
would find the remedy and apply it.
We remember that under the old Viz
giuia regime our Northern friends adj
monished Ia that slavery was the great
obstruction TO the progress and devcl-
opmeny of this portion Of the State.
That was negro slavery. May not
white slavery be equally pernicious :
The disfrauchised white classes OF this
State are in a condition fully as disgrace
fuland far more intolerable to them than
was the ancient system Of bondage to
the blacks. They are restless and dis
conteAted under It's humiliations. Many
of them are now hunting homes in the
free States. II the people of the West
and Northwest want these men and are
willing to extend to them all the PRIV
ilegrs Of citizenship, may not West
Virginia find it worth her while to so
ibggIlize her policy as to retain them
We have heard the proposition stated
that the cuigIuchisomcut of fne social
ed rebel classes Of West Virginia
will be accomplished As soon as
thCr become good and "loyaP ciu-
2cus. And yet no honest man can deay
that in obeyiug the laws, supporting
the authorities and promoting the peace
and order Of their respective cOmmuni-
ties they discharge to the full every du-
ty which good and wise Government
demands of its citizens. THOR single
sin is tie supposed political difference
between them and the dominant
party. The whole matter in q
nutshell then is tLat they are
DISTINGUISHED because it is not GER
tain they will vote the Republican
ticket. If this position be correct, then
there are twenty thousand others in the
State of West Virginia, there are two
hundred and forty thousaadin the State
Of Ohio. there are more than two mil
lions Of voters in the country who
ought 10 be disfrauchised. If suffrage
is 10 be conditioned upon the voters
agreement with Radicalism, then no
Democrat in the country has any better
right to vote than the masses who are
now disfranchised; the Republicans may
lust as well take thee ballot from all
:heir opponents as from the men who
are prescribed in West Virginia.
The Radical argument that rebels are
disfranchised because they won't vote
RIGHT covers a villajnous swindle. No
honest man would offer il; no honest
party would act upon it. 1t is the mis-
erable make-shift of partisan expedien-
CIV, and when 4 Government is run upon
that idea il becomes the mere tool of
rascally demagogues and political
mountcbanks.
1t is time for the people Of West Viz
Ginia 10 reflect upon this matter They
have been gulled long enough. They
have followed the lead of d gang of
bowling partisans until their most I'M
portant interests are suffering. Fanat-
ical folly is driving their best citizens
away, and it is keeping away the en-
terprising men of other States, who, II
there were deccut Government here,
would gladly come into our State. II
is giving temporary protection to =
party, hut it is doing permanent dam
age to the people. No Test Oath
or Registration Law ever yet
made a good citizen of bad one, or
made a rebel "loyal;" much less has pro-
scription built any railroads, opened
any mines, cleared any forests or erect
ed any manufacturing establishments.
The dis!ranch;semsnt policy may have
partisan advantages, but in all that con-
ceFns the civil, social, and material in
teIests Of a community it worketh moth
ing but evil and that continually. If
black slavery was q curse, white slavery
Is sure damnation TO every country in
which it exists.
The San Francisce Herald, in discuss
ing the tenure of office law, asks this