The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-05-03
The Character Of the Warfare on the
nH. GoveruOT. rr..," !. 90.

Inc CnnHCbeI Ol Tue "uIlhIo Ou Guo
na GoveruOT9 hln., . Z. g'
A writer In the last Kanawha C1roniele
discussing the HDapgets that threaten
the Democratic Party" in this State, em.
ploys the following just aud we'll cOnsid.
cred remarks: ~ sa'7 --'' ' lea
lido not intend 10 examine the several
parts Of their plan in detail butwill mere.
" refer to the policy and purpose which
runs through It and Gll Its parts. Whe1
the lactionists determined to,Opsn war on
Gov. Jacob, they sought to humiliGte
him, and degrade his office. And In Or
der to excuse their conduct, and throw
The Odium Of the iirSt attack on him, they
made themselves busy in circulating the
charge thSt he had appointed only radi-
Gals tobfaGe, This charge Ia well known
" be untrue; for when the factioniSts be-
gan their war on the Governor, he had
made but four appointments 10 office,
namely, John Blair Hoge, w. X. Pendle.
ton, B. H. Smith sud Sam. A., Miller,
EsGrs all Of whom were democrats, and
two ol the number had supported Mr.
Camden In the late gubernst0rlal contest.
Had they assigned asa reason for their
war on Governor Jacob, that he did not
belong TO. their faction, ardIw0uld not
submit himself to their control, it Wonld
have been more manly, and more In Ac-
cordance with tho truth than the reason
they did give. No one can doubt that
Governor Jscob's'gfeat fault ip the eyes
Of hS accusegS was his want Of sympaIhy
with them, and their designs. He had
said 10 his inaugural address that "no OF.
hce can rightluily be exercised fnr mere
personal, local, or partisan ends, 2 md
This declaration which commends itselfto
all honorable minds, was indirect conflict
with the creed Of the ring
Influenced by these motives the lao
tonists sought every occasion TO enter
into conflict with the Governor /; and as
he could not yield 10 them; without be.
trayal Of the trust which the people had
cOnhded to him, he met their attack with
a firm resistance, They eudeaYored To.
curb his power, and determined TO strip
his Office Of most oi -the prCrogalives
which belong 10 It under the Constitution.
lu general, where an officer Is not elect
i've, the Constitution gives the appoint
ment TO the Governor; and at this point
they struck their most vigorous blows.
Regardless OF the Constitution, and Of
The obligations which they were under,
IS well as the Governor, to obey 1t, they
took almost every appointment from
him, and gave them TO an illegal body,
which had been created by the Legs.
lAIure. Several laws were passed BY
the Legislature, atilts present session,
taking from the Governor appointments
which were rightfully his by cOnsti-
tuliOnal authority, and confeTing the
power oil appointment upon the Board
Of Public Works. These laws have been
promptly and properly vetoed by the Gov,
ernor; but with the m1jority at their com.
mAnd the Legislature has passed them
over the VetoeS; and they stand as stu
pendous monuments Of reckless folly,
and impotent rage Of thu sEing,"-NOW well
read lawyer, on rejecting man can doubt
lOr u moment that the acts TO which re.
let, arc unconstitutional; and that their
passage was on illegal usufpation oipoWer
BY the legislature II should be borne
IN mind that this question b not to be do.
lermined by the fact whether Il be wise
orunwise TO confer the power upon the
Governor. insist that the constitution
vested In him that which the Legislature
cannot lawfully take irom him, 1t is
i part Of the supreme law Of the land, /,
equally binding on the Governor and the
Legislature, dhe cannot relinquish the
power, nor they uSurp II without
violation Of the obligation they have re-
Ipectiyely assumed 70 support the cOnsIl.
tuition. There has been . great deal Oi
cIamor raised against the exercise Of the
appointing power by Governor Jacob; that
would DO dangerous to confer 20 great
power on any man, and much hAA- becp
sala about the zone man power, y To all
Ms We have two answers to make, the
unIlS, that ifthere be any danger Of Il, you
must bold the constitution responsible foF
and you can only get rid oi the danger
oy change or amendment of.thO consti-
.Suon; and my second answer Is, that Y
E1e ring had succeeded 10 elecling TIE
governor oi their choice, the dSngnE
would not have beeu 50 perceptlble and
we should have heard nothing about the
one nan power" from that quarter. The
San and hypocrisy Of the CIV about the
Gne man power" becomes transparent
"uen 1t Is remembered that the bcgiSlA.
NRPV