The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-24
THE CONVENTION.
WESTON, july 20, 1871 ]

According TO the timG-honOred
usuges of tho Democracy. in aHte.Jel-
lml times, tho ycOmanry of our cOun-
try will be called upoL- to assert their
manhood and decide upon question
ofyiial importanceto the whole popula-
ton, aud the interests Of the country
generally 81 mean call for Con-
ventien. For nearly ten years past We
have been laboring under the iron yoke
of Radicalism, in the stric:est sense of
the term; for hatred in its most ma.
lignant form, proscriptivCness in its
maddencd fury, usurpatiOn in its broad
est sweep, and tyranny, with death
like grip, which bid defiance and set at
naught every right Of the citizcu, have
characterized the party which has lith-
erto welded the destinics of our State;
and which has been SO recently hurled
from power by that gallant little band
Of patriots, in whose bosems still burns
the sacred spark Of Liberty. They
have been battling for so T! these
many years." with the hydra-hcaded
monster, dcspOtism, prescription and
nsurpation, until at length victory
pcrchsi upon their burners, The
thunder tones Of their ballots spoke
volumes, and caused the tyrants who
have been triiling with their Liberties,
and turning deaf ear to every ap.
peal for Justice, to quake with fear.
1t demonstrated that the people were
no longer willing to march to the music
Of Tyranny or keep step to the howlings
Of desl olism.
AT the ensuing election, for the frs,
time since the deadly conflict Of arms
ceased, will large portion OF our fell
low-citizcus be permitted to enjoy that
most sacred righ:, and richest boon Of
an American citizen-the right ofsuff.
rago. Whether the victory we so late
ly achieved is 10 be the precursor Of
those blessings which We so fondly
hoped would be the case, will depend,
in great measure, on how you cast
your ballots on the 4th Thursday in
next month. Do not ALLOW yourselves
to be deceived By the wilCs Of the emo.
my, Come up nobly to the work show
bold front, aud let your voices be
heard ringing upon the breeze, nn-
nouucing that you intend now, as ever,
to be found battling upon the side Of
Liberty and Reform; aud TO hand
down, unimpnirci, to postcrity, those
incs,inable blessings which werctrans.
mi,tcl to you by your foreFathcrs as a
priceless hcri,agc-thc right Of local
self.goycrnmcnt--thc right Of repre-
scn,atiOn-of liberty of thought aud
worship, aud to alter or change any
form Of government which does not
protect the people in the enjoyment Of
these privileges.
What has been the course Of our pet.
~ tyronts during the past ten years?
Under their system Of proscriptiyc laws
and class legislation, they have pros.
traicl the material interests Of our
State and people! They have driven
from our midst men of enterprise, and
prevented capital from coming among
us to dcvelope our latent resources!
They have Irapcd upon us munstrous
burdens Of taxation, not for the i'm
proycmcnt Of our condition, or the de-
vclopmcnt Of our Stat; but Tor the
base ends ofpar,y-to pcrpctuntc them.
selves 10 power and maintain in Office
a set of miscrcants, who have futtcned
gu the hard earnings of the people, 10
the positions which they secured BY
fraud and chicauc:y. And yet there
are those who howl SO meloliously and
with such concerted agony over the
immense expense which a Convention
will ucccssiiatc. 1t is he oil cry Of
"stop thief" reviTcd for, after hay.
ing squanlcred or stolen the public
funds during long term Of years, and
futtoned on the substance Of a long
suffering people, they now make the
question Of expense a bus.benr to
Brighten the people from such a course
as will result in bringing them to JUS
,icc and exposing their rascality.
They and their co.adjutors fear, yea,
they know, that the calling of n Con-
yention would sound the dcath.knell to
their political career; and it is this ig.
noble fear, and no warm interest in
your welfare or for tue prosperity Of
the State, which inspires their opposi-
ton to this great measure Of reform,
which the Democratic party has inaug-
urated.
Now as to tho question Of EXPENSE:
It has been clearly demonstrated that
si.r cents per capita will be amply suf
iicicnt to dcfray all the expenses at
tending tue holding Of Convention.
Indeed, Ex-Governor Stevenson, the
champion calculator of the age, csti-
mated, under his official oath in 1861 ),
that a Convention lasting sirty.fre
days, would cost but $i6,500, or
about three cents and three quarters per
capita. Are you not willing to pay
that amount 10 be relieved from the
load of imbCcility, ignorance and pref
udico which characterize most Of the
officials at whose hands you arc COM
PEELED to ask for Justice I?
FCllow-citizcns, you have already
been relieved Of one useless load Of
taxation, the expense of which for one
year is sufficient to defruy all expenses