The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-24

munity as being one that does not afford
Independence 10 the voter, does not enable
every man without fear of consequence
to vote according to the dictates OF his
own judgment and as lie believes will pro,
mote the best interests of the lAbOFing
classes Of the community, independent Of
the capitalists | do not wonder at all
Mr.. Faulkner and the large farmers In
Berkeley and Jefferson should want viva
voce voting; but why the mill hands Of
the city Of Wheeling, the men who are
dependent for bread on the capitalists Of
the city should want il, il u thing that
passes my comprehension
Talk about going back 10 the old county
court SYSTEM Why. the truth is that this
is simply one stage in the struggle which
is going on between the elements OF civil
iZation and barbarism that have been con.
tending for ascendency in this country
ever since the continent was populated.
This patriarchal system of which negro
slavery was part, looks TO the rich and
70 the well born as the only proper and lie.
gitimate source OF power. They so man
age the government as to enable them TO
WELD and exercise such influence and con.
troll as will govern the country for their
benefit; and when you escape from that
and go into any State or any country
where the whole population stands on q
footing of equality socially and politically
where tho laboring man Is on an equal.
ty with the capitalist-there you find the
ballot system, so every man can vote in.
dependently OF those he Is dependent on
! do not know what may bO the views
Of any considerable portion Of the people
ofthis city. know there are some very
intelligent Democrats in this city that
don't intendtO vote for this Constitutional
Convention; but whether those who con.
troll the party, the party organs and party
leaders, will DO able 10 induce the rank
and file to vote for Convention for the
sake of putting Mr., Brown out of the office
of sheriff and Mr.. MCCOllOch out Of the
clerkship, is a matter in the future. do
not know, but | have higher opinion of
the intelligence and patriotism Of that
party than to believe they can be induced
TO do any such thing, It's pretty strong
test Of the intelligence and patriotism and
Independence OF o man, to SEQ him break
loose from the shackles OF party. l know
1t Is proiGssed that this Convention Is not
to bea party affair. That is the idlesl
thing in the world. II Is the most purely
partisan thing, so far us the advocates Of
1t arc concerned, you can well imagine,
because there Is no other purpose TO be
accomplished except partisan purposes
nothing practically except the change OF
old officers to be swept out and new ones
put I'M and | defy any man to point me to u
single constitutional amendment which Is
desired or necessary that cannot 10 o.
tanned through the instrumentality Of the
Legislature and u vote OF the people under
the Constitution. They say II takes TOO
long. Itwont take n year longer than II
will 10 have u new Constitution adopted
by the people framed by q Convention. |
do not think It will take any longer The
difficulty Is - and that Is what tho drill.
sergeants of the party antiCipate-they
want TO get the sanction Of the people to
the provisions OF new Constitution,
which they can never get II they submit
these propositions separately and singly
to the people. They want higher salaries,
They want the constitutional provision In
regard to salaries broken up, but dare not
submit the question TO the people alone,
because they know the people would vote
IL down. But II they can crowd 1t into
Constitution with various other Clap.trap
provisions, they hope the other provisions
will carry these obnoxious ones through,
That is the whole philosophy OF the
movement. applause