The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-19

The moral influence which sue"
An amendment of the Constitution
would make compulsory upon the peo-
n,e would not be the only argument
which might enlist in its favor tie
active energy of the large body Of eier'
symen in the State. 1t is . notorious
and lamentable fact that many Of the
ministers Of the gospel are but poorly
reouited in filthy lucre for their eel.
sacrificing and spiritual services. Es'
pecially is this true Of the class who
take a deep interest and an active part
in political affairs. Few. if any, of the
ministers who have heretofore figured
in the Legislature Of West Virginia
have been entirely free from the allure
ments Of mileage and per diem, or even
of the more questionable perqaisi''
embraced in appropriations for stationer,y
and stamps. To men of this class
what a powerful incentive for the cres'
ton OF an established church would be
found in the fact that the ministers
would then be paid from the pubic
treasury, and could afford to desr'e
the pew-rents and turn their backsuro'i
the "quarterageP. Wbytils even, The
"land-sharks' and railroad rings have
not so many inducements for the co; :
summation OF the horrible designs
which the Radicals allege they will
certainly perpetrate upon the unhappy
people of this Commonwealth. as the
preachers have for the Constitutional
amendment of which we speak. Let
the Convention men beware!
But, in addition to this, suppose thai
the Convention should ordain that "the
State OF West Virginia shall be and re-
main one OF the United States OF Ger
MANI" what a fearful time Kaiser
WILLIAM and President GRANT would
have over it! Or suppose the prohib'
ition Of State aid to internal improve
ments should be taken away and q
company should be formed to buy the
Mammoth Cave from Kentucky and
bring it to this State and sci it down
somewhere on JONATHAN BENNETT 5
land, somewhere in Gilmer or Braxton,
or wherever his farm is, and that the
State should be compelled to pay for it
as an internal improvement, what a
time we would have in raising the
money! And then who knows but that
ALLEN T. CAPERToN might want to buy
the Niagara Falls and put them down
somewhere in Greenbrier or Monroe
Just think what a PANDoRAs box this
Convention might prove, if its members
were all the idiots and the people of
the State were all the natural born
tools" the Radical papers assume them
to be!
This may seem to be very absurd,
and we grant that it is so, but it il, pre-
cisely the kind OF stuff that the Radical
newspapers OF the State are dinni' g
into the ears of the people to induce
them to vote against the call Of con.
vention. There is scarcely any more
probability ofthe accomplishment of
any of the disastrous schemes that
they are so fond Of predicting as the
result of the convention, than there is
of the enactment Of such craziness as
we have alluded to above. Whatever
the Convention may do, the people Of
the State will have chance to revise
The new Constitution must receive the
sanction Of popular approval before
any Of its provisions can be enforced,
This is a safeguard against any such
abuse as the Radicals predict, and will
make the constitution, whatever it
may be, reflect that popular will which
is the true foundation of all just govern
ment. =