The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-25
THE CONVENTION-ITs MEMBER
SHIP AND ANIMUS.
The Old Secession Element Takes the
Lead-UnIOn Democrats Have
to Stand Back.
y An Ohio County Youth on the
Rampage.
A Young Man Who Ought to be
Looked After.
Cautious COunsels to be Followed,


what have seen, and may sec, during q
few weeks sojourn in this city,
The Kanawha here Is beautiful
stream Of clear water, flowing through
fertile bottom lands, on each side, OF
about one.halfmilei In width, some seventy
miles to tsjunction with the Ohio.
Steamboatmen say that they have a
channel offour feet water at this time, al.
lowing boats Of good size to make regular
trips to Galllpolis. On each side Of the
river the hills, not quite so high as around
your city, have a sterile look, the red
soil and scattering pines and cedar indi.
eating lands that would but poorly repay
the husbandman.
But there ure boundless stores OF wealth
within and under these rugged hills, in
coal and ores; and nowhere in the world
can be found such forests as stretch away
all over our mountain State.
On last Tuesday the Constitutional
Convention met in this place and, what,
with the members to that body and to
the Legislature, the Supreme Court, law.
yers, sultors, lobby members and lockers
on, you may well imagine the hive is full.
However, the citizens Of the place, with
kind hospitality, have opened their pri.
vate houses to accommodate the unusual
number Of strangers, and none arc com.
PEELED to 60 away for want OF room.
The telegraph has already advised you
OF the organization of these different
bodies, and your readers need not be told
that as you warned them long ago, ere
bellion has been made respectable" and
the moderate Democrat, who was dis.
satisfied with what he thought was pro-
scription in the Republican party has
found that was liberal, when contrasted
with the exClusiveneSs oftheir allies.
Greenbrier county, from which swarm.
ed out host to destroy our Union,
modestly carries of three, out of nine, of
the best offices the Democracy had TO
portion out, while the remainder were
gobbled up south OF Mason and Dixon's
line, leaving the Union Democrats to look
on, wonder, and admire, how handsomely
these men who once cracked their whips
over helpless, servilc race, can hold the
lines and guide the ship Of State. Noble
menl Born TO rule! We hope the De.
mocracy will take it patiently, and foster
and preserve these noble samples Of "a
superior race, booted and spurred, TO ride
and rule the common herd, for soon the
line will be extinct" before the progress
Of the age, unless preserved in West Vir.
ginia.
On the third day the Convention was
fully organized, and if they are to have
for many days such an. avalanche of pa
pcrs and resolutions rs have been poured
upon them during the past two days,
your stationery dealers would do well to
send to tho Permanent Seat cargo OF
paper. For two hours upon each
day the struggle TO gain notoriety
by the introduction Of paper resolutions
was terrific, and us they fell thick and
fast, their mutterlngs spoke OF ante. bellum
days, when it was felony to speak against
slavery or read the Tribune.
While the shower lasted tho auditor
was apt to forget the outside world. and
imagine the good old times Of Dixie had
returned, and that Uncle Jonathan had
gone to sleep.
First d member moves "that no minister
of the Gospel, or priest, should be eligible
to either house OF the General Assembly"
That's Old Virginia for you)
Another, "that the constitution should
provide for restoring the system Of voting
piua UOce in this State"
Another, "that We shall substitute Mag.
isterial district for township; and the old
County Court, for the supervisor system"
Another, "that all wrts and commits.
slons shall run in the name of the Com.
mOnsOealM Of West Virginia" and all in.
dictments shall conclude against the
peace and dignity OF the Commonwealth Of
West Virginia"
But time and space would fail to give
more than a sample Of the Anticipated
ideas entertained by large number of
the Convention.
Perhaps their case should be commiser.
ated rather than censured or ridlculed.
Shut out by the Gordon of the armies
during the rebellion, they are unaware
that the name commonwealth became
during the war odious to loyal mon, that
voting viud roce has been numbered with
the relics Of the feudal ages, and that the
old aristocratic, sclIperpetuating, county
court system has no more claims upon
our reverence than have the advocates of
hereditary rights. eu r
But not alone from south Of the old
imaginary line that separated freedom
and slavery come these ultra PROPOSE.
lions. Even Ohio county contributes her
share at the hands Of her young Represen.
tative, Mr.. Davenport, who to-day moved
to blend the constitution making power
with the ordinary legislative and change
the names Of Lincoln and Grant counties
respectively to Davis and Lee"
Also, that all funds 10 "carry on our
common schools shall be raised by cap.
itation tax" Democratic, surely)
And then to most elIectually squelch the
twelve apostles Twelve Republicans, he
moved to amend the rules Of the Conven.
ton so as to require 10 votes to call the
ayes and noes. This proposition, howev.
er, 1t must be said to the liberality Of the
dominant party, was voted down-aye /
DavenportG noes Is.
Surely that was glory enough for one
day for the Democracy Of Ohio county,
and we shall let them rest, with their