The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-02

man of rare eloquence and the following
brief synopsis conveys no idea Of the
smootbness and elegance Of his style OF
speaking:
Mr.. Travers' Speech.
lam, fellow citizens, in the condition
of the alderman who was appointed to
make speech after Edmund Burke
who had just finished one OF those
great oratorical flights that placed him
among the great orators Of the world.
Burke had just concluded, and with the
brilliant sentences still ringing in his
ears, the alderman arose and said,
Gentlemen, you have heard what Mr..
Burke has said; ! say ditto, gentlemen"
That, said Mr.. Travers, is my case.
You have heard the eloquent gentle
men who have preceded me. To all
they have said l say ditto" They had
covered the entire ground, he said, and
there was but little for him to do but to
reiterate the arguments OF those gentle
men.
He came from the Shenandoah Val
ley, and although separated from the
Ohio by the magnificent Alleghenies,
our interests are identical.
l fear that our history is not known
to you. Would You believe it, that in
the county Of Jefferson, with 2lOO
voters, there have been occasions when
we had but 300 persons permitted to
vote Will it be believed that in Grant
township, in that county, with 600
freemen, who were entitled to all the
privileges OF such, but eight voters held
twelve offices-not enough to so round.
In that county were men who had
borne arms not only in our earlier wars
with foreign foes, but who also in the
late terrible struggle bore the flag of the
country and were marked with honor
able scars, who were disfranchised be.
cause they would not vote the Radical
ticket, and 10 whom the question was
put, Will you vote the Republican
ticket, or will you take your place
among the DISTINGUISHED
In Jefferson county we are making
no canvass. There is no one to argue
the question with. When the oath day
of August comes that county will give
majority OF 1000 to 1900 in favor OF
the Constitutional Convention. There
are many things in the present Constl-
tuition that should be changed. By
our Constitution as now amended a
large number OF colored citizens in my
comfy are not represented, and Jeffer-
son county will therefore lose delegate,
and will the Republicans who have
taken the colored men under their espec.
ial protection, and made them citizens,
deny them the light of representation
And not only does this affect our local
representation, but under the Four
teenth Amendment it affects the repre-
sentation in Congress for that amend
ment, it will be remembered, looks OF
this very matter Of non-represented citl-
zens.
There are many things in the Con-
stitution that need reforming. The
present township system should be
changed. 1t is costly without produc-
ing adequate results for the great out
lay. am not prepared to say would
favor a change in the ballot, for though
| am more accustomed TO the viva voce
plan, ! am satisfied that the re-
demption OF the people OF my country
is due to these silent missives that fell
so heavily upon those in power then.
From the feeling in my part Of the
State, said Mr.. Travers, | am satisfied
that the people will, on the Oath day OF
August, order a Constitutional Conven-
ton to be held, by majority so decided
that there shall be no cavil about it..
When the Constitution is formed, when
the greatly needed changes shall be
made, when the abuses under which
some of our citizens have groaned are
so far removed out of the way that
there can be no chance Of their ever
being repeated under the shadow of a
constitutional enactment, then will
West Virginia start forward on career
Of prosperity.
Mr. BOggess' Speech.
Mr.. Boggess being introduced excus'
ed himself from speaking at length be-
cause Of suffering from indisposition
that would prevent him from being
heard by halt the audience present. He
said that the question was whether the
people should come together in their
sovereign capacity and change the or
ganic law. -
He had heard but one or two objec-
tons to holding a Convention. One Of
these was the cost. 1t will cost too
much it is said. The two Conventions
before held in this State-and there have
been but two held-cost but $25, 600
and we are now told that it will cost
S350,000 to hold a Convention. | see
in this one of the strongest arguments
for holding a Convention. If the ma
chinery is go ponderous; if the army
OF officers to be moved Is so1arge that
it will cost S350,000, the sooner the
Constitution that'makes this so expen'
sve is changed the better for US. ''
When the Radicals had control Of the
State, in one year, the first year the
registration Law was put in operation
they expended as much mohey in en-
forcipgthe Ubiquitous DISTINGUISHING law
as the first Constitutional Convention
cost the State They forget all this,
and now comes the cry OF retrenchment.
The only other objection that | have
heard, said Mr.. B., is that lis danger
GUS. What, dangerous to allow the
people to meet and abolish their pres
ent form of Government and adopt
some other What a commentary
upon Republican Government, when
we are told that the people are not to be
trusted There is not the same danger
in selecting delegates to Convention