The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-05-22

Irnfortur,tsly that the power OF the
Damocrats is not exactly prDportioheu
20 their patriotism, and sothey can T. a'
nrsssnt achieve the public good TO Do
attained by giving votes to our ir'eHu'
from Dixie. They thought they cOuia
Ios+ FalI-made a mighty effort, ana
f,iled While they are quietly picking
themselves mp and recupcrating for an
other brush, with all their constitution,
al confidence in "better luck neA'
time" a proposition begins TO oe us
o,ssad in influential Republics quar-
tara for the removal ofthese disabilities
with the expectation of so diViulns
the nswly-enfrsnchised upon ne" 10
sues "a TO have at least ap equal chance
with the Democrats in controlling tne
tstate The Democrats take calm sur
yev of the field They see their state
hampered in the first stages OF It's pro-
gress by policy of prescription. Ihey
see many thousands of intelligent tax
payers in the State, not only dfsfran-
cbised. but excluded from ths Courts Of
Justice and from some of the liberal pro-
fsssions. They see these people, grosning
upder the burdens of Go Sernmest, and
yet cut off from the privileges of citi-
zenship, preparing as fast as pos
sible to leave the State and take
with them thefF brains, energy,
influence and capital. To remedy
all this, these DSts ocrats say to the more
liberal Republicans, 1--WE congratulate
you upon the policy you advocate, and
we are ready for the sake of the public
good to be reached and the private rights
to be conferred to make this a non-par-
tisau movement and to cooperate as
good citizens for its success" Just at
this juncture comes along one of the
Parkersburg inevitable and indomi-
table" class, who would rather a good
thing should remain undone than allow
somebody else the credit of doing 1t, and
precipitates into the discussion a mess Of
froth and fury like that we have quoted
from the Gazette, with no result possi-
ble save to convince these advanced
Republicans that the spirit of conces
sion they manifest is not reciprocated
on the other side and TO put the success
of the movement entirely out of the
question.
The Ga@ette's article will furnish quo
ting matter to every proscriptiOnist in
the State. 1t will be held up as show
ing that "the rebels are not yet to be
trusted" 1t will be magnified, distort-
ed and construed in all manner of
shapes, and were it's spirit not known to
be unshared by the masses of the rebels,
it would do them immcasurable harm.
1t will make no votes. Every Republi-
can who reads il will feel himself attack
ed No matter how generous his inclin-
ations, the effect upon him will be the
same that would be produced upon any
other human being in a similar situa-
tion.
Upon the single issue of rebel enfran-
chisement Legislature might be elect
ed next Fall, that would initiate
measure for the ultimate removal of the
rebel disabilities. But if the Gasette's
idea were to obtain, that no man ought
to be voted for who was not sound upon
all other issues, "past, present and fu-
ture," the Democrats wouldn't carry
more than five counties in the State,
and they wouldn't deserve to carry one.
The people for whom the Gazette
speaks may feel aggrieved by the past
acts of the Republican party. How a
bitter rehearsal of their grievances is to
80 divide the Republican party as to Sc
cure retribution, we are unable with
our limited light to perceive. The best
thing possible under the circumstances
is to restore the rebels to the privileges
from which they have been debarred. To
do that one thing the masses of all par.
ties and classes are showing a willing
ness to come together Whatever per
sonal vindictiveness any man in the
State may feel, he ought to be ready to
suppress it for the sake of lifting the
yoke from the necks of twenty. five thous
sand prescribed citizens in West Vir.
ginia. Fight the battle next Fall upon
the resolutions of '93 and we will make |
the usual landing Fight it upon vital
questions like that of enfranchisement.
and we may succeed in making these
disfranohised people voters. Ifthat re.
suit is achieved no good citizen will |
grumble because Republican aids in
achieving IT.