The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-03-11
KU-KLU-X.


burgh Commercial:
KU-KLUX.
Raid on Charleston, W. Va.-A General
Jail Delivery the Object-The Organi-a-
ton Wide-Spread-The Government TO
be Called Upon for aid to Suppress Lac
leSsRess
WHEELING, w. Va, March 9.-United
States Marshal Slack writes from
Charleston, Kanawha county, the re-
Gently selected Capital of the State,
under date of March Sd, that an organ
ized band of Ku.Klux entered the town
in open daylight on the morning of the
I'd, and advancing to the Jail with keys
and other fixtures, deliberately unlocked
the outer and cell doors, releasing the
prisoners. To those who happened to
be present, cooked revOlvers were pre-
sented, with threats that if an alarm
was given death would be their por-
ton. The organization is said to be
widespread, and the civil authorities
are powerless. In view Of the speedy
removal of the Capital to Charleston,
the Governor, it is said, will call upon
ID6 lOl civ W SNP
press the lawlessness.
That is the Governors story, revised
and embellished. Now read the RepHb-
licdn's statement:
Mes r.. Cox and Whitelaw, the former
known as horse thief aud the latter as
a counterfeiter, both of whom have been
staying in our Jail awaiting trial, con-
cluded ON Wednesday last that 1T was
too long between term aud term, and IN
broad day light during the afternoon
of said day they quietly tsok their exit:
1t is rumored that somebody turned
them out, and we are not disposed to
dispute the statement. 1t is getting to
be a very common thing for meu to get
out of an $1,000 Jail. Wouldn't it be
good idea to swap doorkeeFers occasion
allyf
We put it to any impartial observer,
does the latter item read as if the earth
were quaking around Charleston, be-
meath the tread of the Ku-Klux klan ]
Can it be possible that disinterested citi'
zens of that town could be in the midst
of anarchy, with "the civil authorities
and yet not know it 7 The
telegram would Indicate that every per-
son in the Jail was released and that
by the Ku-Klux. The letter published
by the Governor on Tuesday only as
serted tSe release of two prisoners and
utterly failed to charge that release
upon the organization in question. The
first case failing, it is now put stronger;
facts are discarded and the most excited
fiction placed on duty.
We believe this whole proceeding,
from beginning to end, to be part of
settled programme to carry our next
election by the bayonet. We further
believe that the Radicals at this end OF
the State have an additional incentive
in that they want to work upon the i'm
agination and fears of the people, scare
them with painted devil" so as the
more readily to secure the removal OF
the Capital from Charleston. There is
no evidence anywhere that "the civil
authorities" of the Kanawha Valley
"are powerless." We happen to know
that one of the leading Republicans Of
that section, q gentleman high in public
life, now in this city, utterly repudiates
the idea that troops are needed in that
county for the enforcement of the laws
or for the protection of the State or local
offices. He further denies that there have
been any disturbances there of a polit-
ical nature. OF course, when the black
and white races are competing for en-
ployment, as about some of the Kanawha
Salt Works, there will be more or less
bad feeling. 1t has been the case
where laborers of different nations have
been brought iR competition, aud where
all could not be employed. Itwould be
so in this city if large number of
Negroes, Cinnamon, or any other race,
were bringing cheaper labor into COM
petition with the employees of any of
our large manufacturing establishments.
Such things are inevitable. But they
do not and cannot raise above the level
of contempt few desperate party
leaders who, for the sake of political
capital, would infuriate the country
over an insignificant quarrel or two that
never amounted to the dignity of first
class "shindy."
Another singular feature of this pro-
gramme of the Governor was developed
yesterday. Letters were received in
this city by leading gentleman from
Radical members of the Legislature,
asking them to urge the Governor to
call the Legislature together to remove
the seat of Government from Charles
ton, on the ground that the letters he
tthe Governor) had Published showed
that it was unsafe to risk the archives
and money of the State and the lives of