The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-08
GLleGateL!iaet
Gov. Jacob and a Convention.

The Register in reproducing Gov. IA.
coB's inaugural from our columns, rises
to explain that the Governor is not or
posed to convention, and the editor says
hc violates no confidence in saying so
Very likely he don't, for there may be
none to violate. OF course the Governor
will not feel called upon to rush into print
either to confirm or deny the statement
We violate no confidence in saying that
the inaugural fell like a wet blanket on the
revolutionary part Of the crowd assembled
In front Of the State House 10 hear it last
Saturday, and that the applause which
greeted portions of It came from those
who belong to the other wing Of the par
ty and from the Republicans, Wepreiert tc
Judge Gov. JACOB by his own utterances
and not by what Others may represent
and the tenor Of his inaugural is un,
friendly to the scheme for a convention
His references to enfranchisement show
that he considers when that is consum,
mated, rs it will be when the amendment
is ratified, the cause Of irritation and alien.
alton will have been removed, and thai
ail era Of reunion and harmony may be
expected to follow. The theory of those
who want a Convention Is that nothing
will have been accomplished without one
The Governor is warmly in favor Of en-,
couraging the settlement of the State
He is too sagacious q man not to understand
(and II he were not he would have long
since learned by reading the Register) that
intestine bitterness and commOtion consti,
tute IN almost insuperable barrier to i'm.
migration, and that there must be q peace,
full condition and friendly Feeling
throughout the State before strangers in
any considerable numbers can be induced
to lOpk for homes within its borders Hc
knows, MS does every intelligent per.
son, that the calling OF Convention
will renew the unhappy turmoil and bit,
terness that have divided our people for
many years, and thus neutralize all the
influences soon to be set in motion by that
mighty engine Of attraction known as
"Senate bill No. 73." a,
Governor JACOB also declares for the
most rigid economy and the lowest taxa.
tion, and recognizes the necessity Of M
early provision for our share Of the Vir.
ginia debt. He would be very inconsistent
to make the declarations he does on these
points and at the same time favor such a
general tearing to pieces and reconstruc.
ton Of laws, as would be made necessary
bya convention. What the Convention
itself would cost, though very consider.
able sum, would be but q small part oil
the expenditures It would render neces.
sary. 1t would take several years Of leg.
islation to perfect, codify and publish a
new statutory system; and all that, our
people know by experience, costs heavily.
OF course the Governor, like all others,
Except the few partisans Of d convention
whose purposes have mo reference TO the
popular wellare) must desire to avoid an.
other era of confusion and trouble and
chaos, in which nobody knows what the
law is and nobody can find out, such as We
are now just emerging from. But we are
speaking now more with reference to the
question Of economy. The gentlemen
who want their axes ground by a Con.
ventiOn say they would make a constitu.