The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-15
The Fifteenth Amendment.
Radical Economy and Reform.
A Large Audience and Much
Enthusiasm.

The Court House was crowded to over
flowing last night to hear Hon. John
J. Davis, of Harrison county, Demo
cratic candidate for member Of Con-
gress in the First District of West Nir-
ginia. The meeting was organized by
the election of Hon A. j. Sweeney,
Chairman, and o. S. Long, Secretary.
Mr.. Davis was introduced by the Chair-
man and, after the applause with which
he was greeted had subsided, he spoke
substantially as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS: | appear before
YOU tonight as the nominee OF the
Democratic party of the First Congress
sional District OF West Virginia. The
nomination, | may say truly, was not
sought by me, but having been freely
rendered ] have cordially accepted 1t
and will do all ! can to bear up the
Democratic standard in the political
campaign. In representative govern
ment such as our fathers ordained
and intended this to be, political par
ties arise holding different views Of
public policy and supporting different
public measures. 1t is right that the
people hear the discussion OF these diff
ferent views, and that they be informed
concerning the doctrines entertained
by the several parties who solicit their
support. propose to refer to some of
of the questions at issue before the peo-
pie at the present time; questions OF
much importance to the welfare OF the
citizen.
The candidates of the Republican
party, when they come before the peo-
Die, try to resurrect the skeleton of the
dead rebellion and awake anow the
passions engendered by the war But
these things do not belong TO the pres
ent campaign. The war is long since
over and the question now is, who Is
responsible for the present condition Of
affairs; who is TO be held to answer for
the evils that now att!ict the nation?
In truth many of those who are now
loudest and most blatant in their chat
ter about the rebellion are those who
have most profited 10y it. 1t was for
tunate thing for many OF these men
that the war occurred, else they would
never have been heard Of among men.
They have risen, like scum, to the sur
face of the political caldron and but for
its boiling they would have had neither
place nor name.
| have been told even recently by
these Republican gentry who prate so
much about the war, that its object was
not to maintain the Constitution of our
country as it was made and understood
bv the founders of the American Gov
eminent, but to reform it, to make it
what these selfconfdent Solons think it
ought to be. have also heard it as
serted that all the measures adopted
by the Radical party in Congress
are right and proper; that even that
elimination of all the iniquities Of
Radical legislation, the Fifteenth
Amendment, was fairly and rightfully
adopted and approved by the people;
that negro suffrage was right and ought
to be accepted with rejoicing and not
with murmuring or complaint. And
TO such an extent do they carry this
complacency over their disgrace, that
when any man shows that they have
acted wrongfully and in violation of the
Constitution; when he points out the
evil they have wrought and the
landmarks they have efiaced, he is de-
nounced as revolutionary and rebel
lious. The Fifteenth Amendment to
the Constitution OF the United States is
at variance with the whole spirit, scope,
and original intention of that instru-
ment. 1t is wonderfully violative OF
the principles of the government to
which the thirteen colonies gave their
adherence and so completely changes
that structure that its founders
would be unable to recognize in the
present consolidated despotism the free
government of equal powers which they
ordained. For these changes the Dem
ocratic party cannot be held re-
sponsibe. For partisan purposes
alone, they have been fraudulently
forced upon the nation by the
Radical party. The Fifteenth Amend
ment was not only adopted by fraud,
but in direct violation OF the most sol
emn pledges any political party could
give. We all remember that when, two
years ago, we charged upon the Radi-
Gals here in West Virginia that their
party was in favor Of negro suffrage,
that they aimed to enfranchise the
blacks, they denounced it everywhere
as "a Democratic liz" and men high in
position before the people and candi-
dates for prominent and import
ant offices declared that they would
leave the Radical party should
negro suffrage be adopted by its
consent or through its instru-
mentality. now ask the people who
has lied? Is it the men who only two
years ago charged that the Radicals
purposed this thing and would, if pos
sible, bring it about; or is it the men
who denied that any such purpose was
entertained, or that any such PROPOSE
llOu "Oulu ItCtlNG NHOll support
And now, what is the result Of this
abomination Without any change in
the State Constitution or laws, which
are the only legal arbiter Of the qualifi-
cations OF voters, and which, by express
terms, restrict the suffrage. to ,white
citizens, every male negro in the State
of twenty-one years Of age, &c, is in
vested with the power to vote am
informed that all over this State these
negroes are registered as voters, and are
expected to come in solid column to the
ballot-box under command Of their new
masters and vote against the Demo
cratic ticket The Fifteenth Amend
ment subyerts the form Of our govern
ment, and is intended to degrade and
debauch the white race to level with
Al Hal. 7. L., Il Il