Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-08-20
John 7. Peeroe on Gov. Jacob.

John 7. Peerce, Esq, of Mineral county,
has issued stirring circular to the citizens of
the 10th Senatorial District, from which we
take the following extract
In the first place, submit to you, fellow
citizens Of West Virginia, whether Gov.
Jacob did not make great mistake in sub
hitting the question as to what position he
should occupy before the public, TO his private
and personal friends.
Conventions-whioh are but the organiza-
tions through the action of which the efforts
Of the members of the party are concentrated
in favor of certain political sentiments-are
called for. the purpose of determining not
only who shall become candidates, but also the
particular Offices for which they shall be nom
mated.
The candidates are to be sustained in the
election by their political friends, and they
alone should be responsible for their nomina>
| ton.
IF these conventions are to have no influ>
Der of the party, in whose interest they are
called, far better to abolish them entirely.
Entertaining these views, fail to see that
it could have been regarded by any one as
reflection upon the Administration of Gov.
Jacob, had he received instead of the nomi-
nation for Governor, the nomination for .
much higher and more responsible position,
to>wits A seat upon the Bench of the Court
of Appeals from the State At large, for which
he had privately erpressed a personal prefer.
cncs.
was delegate to the convention. and I
went there fully determined to support him
for either. My own personal preference had
been from the first that Gov. aoob should oc.
oupy seat upon the Bench of the Supreme
Court of the State.
After declining, however, to be put in NOM
ination for Governor, it was understood that
many of the delegates who were not among
his intimate personal friends, favored and pro-
posed his nomination for the Court of APP
peals. This proposition, in which his public
political friends were interested, and which
think should have been submitted to them
and acted on in the convention, was un,oise7y
as conceive, submitted to the decision of
seven of his intimate personal friends, ma
jority of whom declined the proposition, and
| portion of them now unite in his supper. as
an Independent candidate for Governor
If the object of these gentleman had been
to distract and divide the Democratic party,
thereby creating new party, with which the
Radical element in West Virginia could unite,
| calculated to bring about that result; and if
that is to be the effect of it, should be glad
to know what its principles are and what are
to be the issues between the two before I
unite myself with it.
The programme of the Radicals (who will
unto upon Gov. Jacob almost to mani is,
"down with the Constitution" and then not
withstanding the election of Gov. Jacob, will
be void and of no effect. They will hold an
election under the present Constitution this
fall. in which their SUCCESS will be certain
need scarcely ask the Intelligent citizens of
this District what would be the effect upon
the prosperity of West Virginia were this pro-
gramme to succeed.
When l suggested. in CAUCUS of the Dem.
ocratic members of the Convention, held in
the city of Charleston last winter, that 10 the
event that the election to fill the Offices, made
vacant and provided for under the New Con-
stitution, was held at the same time at which
the Constitution was submitted for ratification
or rejection, many of the distinguished aspi-
rants for nomination would either actively OPP
pose its ratification or become entirely luke
warm upon the subject, and that the benefits
of our labor would thereby be endangered, I
had no idea that the Chief Executive
the Governor himself-who has heretofore ex.
pressed so great desire that should succeed
in my efforts to secure provisions in the Com
stitution, by which the prosecuted thousands
IN West Virginia, were to obtain permanent
relief-would be the one to make my predic.
tions true. and thereby set ON example to be
followed by disappointed aspirants all over the
State. But two members of that caucus
seemed to regard my proposition at that time
as at all plausible; and yet, if Gov. Jacob is
to succeed, it is more than probable that my
fears will be realized 6
But, fellow citizens, I propose another view
of the situation. For the sake of argument
will suppose that the new Constitution is
ratified. Now, it is we'll known that although
the Convention and last Legislature were
largely Democratic, many of the members of
each came there by small majorities. Sup>
pose the Radicals in these counties require as
compromise, that in view of the fact that
they propose to vote for Gov Jacob, his
friends shall support man of their choice
for seat in the senate or House of Delegates;
may We not thereby get Radical Legislature
who can quite as conveniently pass laws in
violation of the new Constitution, rs thew did
whilst in power annually violate the old, and
thereby compel us to live over the past, with
full knowledge of the burdens we shall have
to bear, or die in the effort to resist an or
gsnized system of tyranny and oppression,
which it is siokening to contemplated If /
fail, now, to obtain relief for miself and MANY
friends, scattered all over the State, who have
been prosecuted as never men were, I shall feel
that those who HAYS persisted in expressing
the opinion that ,oould fail aud are now supe
porting that which must, in the very nature
OF things, degenerate into . mixed, mongrel
ticket. are responsible for the failure.
The Independent candidacy of Gov. Jacob
is the result of bad counsel, upon the part of
misguided friends, among whom I find some
of nv Warmest nersnnal friands and nnnnan.