The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-05
TIrECI1YELECrI0N.

The time is close at hand when the
voters OF Wheeling will be called on to
elect municipal officers for the ensuing
year. TO nine-tCnths OF our readers
there is but OneiwOrd in the vocabulary
which, they would rather not hear than
''election'-so thoroughly weaIied are
they of elections and political excite
tnents. Yet there is one word still more
unwelCOme-ViZ: Takes" The com
ing election affords our citizens an OPP
pOrtunity to put their city government
into tho hands of competent and con-
scientiOus men, and i'll this way to so
imurOv. the cUuduc; of affairs as to
make tax bills lighter next year than
they have been the year past. We
think the time has come when the in
terest4 of the city ought to be looked
after without regard to partisan poll
tics. It. is "a time when men of all par
ties mag unite i'll this common purpose
without being tied up by their opinions
ON general politics which have nothing
in the world to do with the affairs of
our municipality; and unless we very
much mistake this is the view which
our citizens generally are Inclined to
tax" I'm article which appeared in
Yesterdays Register shows such II.
whuIesom" realization otthis met that
"" copy the greater part Of IL, adding
ouly that we 6ud much III il TO COM
mend.
Ever SINCE the war the parties have
kept up close organization and carried
on constant warfare. In every election,
hn,vpvnT local III its character, the result
has tHTned upon the general issues be-
fore the country. This condition of
Ihiu"A terminated with the last cleo
liCn. Weary of the strife, the people
generally are indispnsed to continue II.
For time, ut least, party organization
will bc less close; party men will be
less Zr,,lOus and party questions less
considered.
Hence, we think that in elections like
that ahead, the winning ticket must
have some merit aside from it's political
designation. Those who participate
will vote in discharge OF their duty IA
ciIiZ4ns, rather than in obedience to
their disciplin" ~ partiSanS. We are
fast approaching The old condition al
things, when, rs far AS local elections
were concerned, the result was deter
mined by considerations of merit rather
than by the main strength OI a numeri-
cal majority. We do not propose TO
discuss the question whether this state
OF affairs is desirAble; we merely pre-
sent the fact as one which cannot be-
con:rovcrled, and which must be con-
siderCd by any organization that shall
hereafter put forth ticket for popular
support.
In latter-day politics, the rule has
been 10 give the nominee the support
Of the party. Whatever the merits of
the candidate, mnny, few or none, his
endorsement by the Convention OF his
pHrty has sufliced To secure him its vote
In the midst of excitement, such as has
prevailed for three or four years, where
overy man felt that he was supporting
his principles rather than his candi-
date this result generally followed.
Even then. to be sure, it did not always
follow without effort, but in some way
or other, the issue has generally been AZ
stated. In our Judgment, the task of
bringing ii whole party up to vote for II
candidate simply because he is the
nominee, will hereafter be beset with
difficulties whenever Convention
makes au unfortunate choice. The day
when men voted without regard to the
merits OF their ticket has gone by.
Party discipline, the gOad and spur aud
lash, have doubtless been found useful
in times past, but the party, Democratic
or Repu blican, that shall hereafter rely
solely upon their efficacy i'll carrying
local elections will, i'll all probability,
bitterly regret the adoption of such II
policy.
To make practical application OF
these views, we believe that the Demo-
cratic party of this city, will vote solid
only for an unChieCtiOnab ticket.
With all our maiority here, we nave no
right to presume that we can win as
easily as heretofore, unless by our NOM
nations we assure the Democrats that
their party ticket is in itself worthy OF
their support. The tax. payers OF the
city have large interest in the matter
of local government. They furnish the
supplies that run the machine. II our
affairs be well administered they pros
per; II badly, the suffer. Whether
rightly or not, they are going 10 consult
their own interests III this election. The
best men in the field, possibly with lit
tie regard to politics, will receive their
support. We have no right TO find fault
with their purpose. We merely admOn-
ish the Democracy to respect it. II the
Democrats nominate tirst-class ticket,
not in the hackneyed sense OF the term,
but ticket of genuine merit, they can
Rucceed with as much ease as hereto