The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1871-09-13
"OuR FORMER PoLlrlcAL LEADERS

"OUR FORMER PoLITlcAL LEADERS
WHERE ARE TdEY?"-Editor Iele-
graph In an issue of your paper a
short time since | noticed an article
with the above heading, signed "a
Voter, and which attributes the leth-
argy heretofore shown by our people
on the subject OF elections to want of
effort to arouse them on the part of
former political leaders.
Whilst there is much in the commu-
nication of"A Voter" that is worthy
of note, think moments reflection
viii satisfy him Of the fact that he Ia
mistaken when he assigns this as a
cause of the peoples failing to vote
their strength at the elections hereto
fore in opposition to Radicalism, ]
think IA Voter" will have to go be-
hind this to ascertain the true cause of
the peoples Indifference upon this sub
ject.
Il Win be remem5oral by YOU that
when Clayton and Wiltshire Travelled
the State, urging the people to call a
State convention, they were not per,
mitted to go unanswered at any ap.
pointment in the State. Later than
this when the convention was called,
and the present Mongrel constitution
submitted to the people, an active can
yass was gotten up in opposition to it
in this county, appointments fixed and
speeches made at every precinct in the
county by som. one or other of the
very individuals who are included upon
"a Voters" retired list. Yet despite
all this we failed to rally the strength of
the county by great number.
The writer Of this is one of the indi>
yiduals mentioned in the communica-
ton, and he well remcmbe . the
suffering Of body and mind which he
endured IN trying to rally the people
upon this occasion. Since that time
these men have carefully watched the
current Of events, seeing how fully and
precisely their pr)?ecAi33 have been
fulfilled in regard TO the designs of
Radicllism upoa the people Of our
State, and they have waited with pa
ticnce and hope, trusting practical
experiment OF Radicalism on the part
of our people and taste of its bitter
fruits, might serve to accomplish what
words of warning on oar part have
failel to 90. Bat eyol in tA they
have been mistaken.
All the expressions of the Radical
party high taxes, etc. have failed to
! rally our peop!e at the polls. At the
last election at least one hundred con-
, servative voters 10 this county failed
to register, and nearly three hundred
procured certificates of registration
+ and failed to vote.
Certainly speeches woul'l have avail
ed nothing in these cases. For these
, men certainly could not have been un'
mindful Of all that they hal beard
their political leaders say, upon former
r occasions They now hal a strongcl
appeal to them than words from Us; fol
: the wolf was at Their very doors.
, Perhaps, Mr.. Editor, it was all foi
the best. Perhaps the result would
have been the sumo at all events. Rad
icalism with the Federal bayonet to up.
hold it-in facttho offspring Of the bay
onet-and with the law under its feet,
had determined to, and could easily
carry its point But its eXcesses have
disgusted all honest people, and enlight'
ened countries, and we may confidently
hope that that its race is run. The
coming election will be one of general
interest, and we may expect that many
causes will conspire to bring out the
entire strength ofthe county and State.
Only satisfy the people Of the fact that
the election will not be farce,
and that their votes will be counted,
and the difficulty is at an end. And
if the plan oforganization as proposed
by the State Central Committee be
faithfully adhered to and carried out,