The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-07
'OhI Why Should the SPIRIT OF Nor.
tai be PToudH

CFrom tho WellsbuER HerAld.)
Some Of our Democratic exchanges
profess 10 be wonderfully well pleased at
the result OF the recent election, in that
by the skin Of their teeth, they managed
to ratiiy their new Constitution; but Just
how much they are really pleased, would
require q mathematical calculation of the
incest kind, to make apparent. The fact
Is they are not supposed, In their inmost
souls, TO be pleased at all. The Constitu.
tlon matter from the very start was, to
the long headed Of the party q political
annoyance that they did their very best
to get rid Of without success, and they
secretly but sincerely hoped that It would
not survive the final test and now since,
thanks to asinine and knavish influences
combined, It Is carried, they are at a loss
what there Is, In their cases to rejoice
over. The mere supes, the fellows that
do the dirty work and see no further than
the sartace, are possibly able to raise a
healthy grin, and this Is a sort that makes
the greatest parade Of roosters, but that
Is pretty well understood as only o sort of
boys play.
The real animus OF the matter has with.
out a doubt, turned out most disappoint-
iDgly. That had two branches: one was
to crafty the feeling Of spite that the de.
feated rebs and their sympathizers enter.
tained against the Union people for 80
signaIly whipping them during the war,
as they looked at 1t, by tearing up and
knocking down everything, when they
got the chance. the Union people had a
hand in making. This was the asin!ne
branch. The other was a hungry desire
to get all the offices big and little into
the hands Of clique, calling itself the
"West Virginia Democracy" which was
10 run the state, and especially the treas.
ury, for the qualification OF their own
ambition and the good Of their own pock.
cts. This was the knavish branch OF the
subject. Neither turned out satisiactori.
ly. The feeling of animosity died out
rapidly in peoples minds in other parts
Of the country and 1t became an migrate.
tul as well as difficult thing to hold
West Virginia up to anything diff.
terent. But the Radical constltu.
ton had to be victimised for appearance
sake. They got at 1t, and 10 their chag-
rim found the instrument SO precisely
what they really wanted themselves, SO
far US they knew, that they were at their
wits ends what changes they wanted.
However, by a sort Of mosaic process they
patched up something that they had not
confidence themselves in enough TO put
1t before the people nn its merits,
and so to make sure, as far as
they could, that the Offices should fall
into proper hands, they ordained that the
various officers under It should be elected
on the same day the Constitution was
voted on, and as this had to be before II
WAS ratified, they adopted a nice little de.
vice that would have been a credit to the
wooden nutmeg State-tIey dated back.
Then the siXty.tive members who were
elected as Democrats, voted for It TO a
man, the dozen Republicans, to q man,
against It; and all went home, the major
ity turning up their eyes and preaching it
up as a no'party measure.
And what came Of it? There's the rub
Jacob bolted, not so far as we know be.
cause he was much better than the rest,
and his bolt "busted" the ring; and from
the day he bOlted, the members wished,
and no doubt prayed, that 1t might be de.
feated. 1t carried in spite Of their pray.
ers, mainly by the votes Of those counties
that are hardest to hear from and that are
not accused OF knowing any more than
they ought. Worse yet, Jacob not only
was elected, but his example took worse
than the measles among such Of the breth.
rcn as failed Of being regularly nominated
and Independents spraDg up like weeds
all over the Democratic garden, and not a
few Of them got more votes than the regu.
lars, so that between Republicans and In.
dependents they cannot take the comfort
they expected. The Governor don't de-
light them, the Judges elect, three out Of
five, are worse, the Legislature is by no
means satisfactory, the Sheriff OF Ohio
county, the best paid officer in the State,
is Rad, they have thrown away better
Constitution than the one they have adop.
ted and by the time they spend six months
legislating over it and very large sum
In codifying, the people even OF the "back
counties will find this out and that is In
all probability, the bitterest reflection
OF al.