The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-21
Aa'heslias gsgister
Thursday,--.-----.Ianuary II.
The Local Situation.

izing his bolts and bars oe'o'' n0
in for the night, the symptom Is pa'
one. VIXEN disorder and tumuit nj
the nights with music" and ourgiar'
and bummers give form and 6Sdy U
"the cares that infest the day" the IN
dieatiops are ugly. When the merry
folks who quafft the "rosy, delightin up
roar and believe in the sovereignty o.
mpscle. betoken q desire to inaugurate d
reign of Plug Uglydom aud revive
The coed old rule
The simple plan,
That he shall take who has the power
And he shall keep who can,
the outlook is unfavorable When
ordinances for preserving the peace, Sc
curing at least an outward respect for
tho common decencies of life, aud COM
neIliug certain moral ebservances that
are peculiar to civiliEation-when such
ordinances become dead letters upon the
book, the inferences are disagreeable
All these things show that the times are
ripening for relapse into an anarchy
where force takes the place oil law, 10
which batbarism would be preferable
And We, all those uuCnmely signs and
wonders are part and parcel Of our cur
rent luGal history. Th~y are facts ia
miliar 70 the experience of every man
who walks with open eyes through our
streets. They are the results OF incom-
potency OF uufaithfulness on the part OF
those entrusted with the guardianship
OF the community. Not to put TOO
fine "a point upon it, they are traceaoie
70 the head of our Police system; and
they are at once public scandal, be-
cause ;hey destroy the community 6
GOOD name abroad, aud IL common evil,
because they subject every citizen to
violence within his own doors and in
salt without.
We say that the existence OF this state
OF affairs is a bad symptom-5ad tor the
people, bal for the city, bad for the au'
thorities But what shall we say OF the
stubAofn determination to prolOnS IT.,
thas has organized voting force III our
midst, auG been apparently sanctioned
in one OF the nominations of our city
ConvemtionI Such determination Is
rcckiessly entertained in this city to-
day. Worse than all, those who enter
tain il arc no; cOnten to abide the de-
cision of public opinion expressed In the
usual form. We admit that among the
supporters OF TIE STANLEY movement
are those who are discharging what they
believe to be a political duty, and who
dcp0rt themselves accordingly, but the
movement derives it's chief strength, its
vital force, from those who are bentu upon
compelling a public verdict in their
favor, by dragoOning, bullying, brow
beating and all kindred appliances.
Ii this he not true, why arg those
Democrats who hesitate to vote for the
continuance of lawlessness denounced
rs renegadcs and purchased traitors 7
WHY are Sncers and threats and taunts,
common salutations upon our streets to
those who do not cheerfully avow their
support of the regular ticketf Why is
there "A systematic effort to use every
means short of actual violence to bring
about tho success of q man, whose first
election was sad mistake and whose
re election will be n crying shame 7
Think OF these things, Democrats,
friends of fair play, order and peace,
and then withhold if you can. your CO.
operation from the reform movement.
But you say "you can't aid the de-
feat OF your own party" and hence you
are going to " support the whole ticket"
Let us tell you, that the very end you
propose to avert will thus be accom-
plishcd. The endorsement of the law
less ideas represented by n portion OF
that ticket means the political death of
the Democratic party here. That party
is under an obligation to furnish the
city with good government, if its ticket
be elected. If it give bad government
or no government, it will be false to its
trust; it will 90 to pieces before two
years; nopower can prevent such re-
suit. Furthermore, as a condition of
your support, the Democratic party is
bound to furnish unohjectionable can
didatcS. This is the cnly ground upon
which it can claim your allegiance in
local matters. Failing to do this, it for
feits its claim. When your party can
didates can guarantee You no protec-
tion for either property or family, your
right to vote your own protection is in
cOntrovertible.
The idea that because party defeats
its own obnoxious candidates it must
die. is too ridiculous for sober consider.
alton. 1t simply correctS its own errors
and becomes stronger by the process
The idea that even tho election of :
Republican local candidate, by Demo
cratic votes, is necessarily fatal, ha'
been thoroughly exploded in this city
possibly 10y the aid of many who vii
read this article. The Repub
lican candidate for Treasurer has beer
regularly elected 10y Democratic votes
His election has been looked upon a:
quite a matter of course. We are net
advised that the election of Mr.. ELIJAH
DAY was regarded twelve months age
az very serious calamity to the De
mocracy. And yet many of those who
voted for him are to-day clamoring fol
straight ticket, on the ground that
anything short of it will be ruinous.
Away with all such transparent sub
terfuges. Let us take away our re.
proach. Let us right glaring wrong
Let US make life, property and decency
IN nur