The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1874-08-06
STATE POLITICS.
Extract from Henry s. Walkers clarks-
burg Speech.
CHOICE BETWEEN PARTIES.

Radical demand for reform 10 the Dem
ocratic party and showing that it was
merely preteuse 10 order that Republicans
might be reinstated IN Office, Mr.. Walker
said:
lis, therefore, simply choice whether
you will have the Republican party on the
Democracy ruling over you More properly
speaking, tho question for you to decide
in the coming election, is whether, in
the Republican party deserves to be restOrt
cd to power in the State The main fea'
lures in view Of it record you cannot forget.
1t made constitution by the assent of sew
cnteon Thousand votes and forced it upon
scveuty.fye thousand, calling 10 the gentle
suosion of the bnyonet to redress and equal.
izc the adverse balance Of power. 1t per-
United uopolitical opposition during the war
it silenccl the press by casting editors 10
prison; it tried to prevent Democratic or
ganizaton after the war by threats and vio-
lence, it drove your speakers from the
stump dispersed your meetings and labor.
ed to bring into personal disreputc those
who participated therein.
II melted trespass suits to rob the alb.
sent and dcfenselcss; created ten thousand
Offices for its followers; assured them per.
manent places by allowing nobody else to
vote, and fastened their fangs upon the
helpless taxpayers until they. we're gIutted
and gorsed. 1t invented testoatb con-
triyances for driving everybody, but the
parties whom it petted, from the jury-bOx,
the school room and the court house.
1t esaliscd public robbers, released to
delinquent collectors one hnodrcd and fifty
thousand dollars cfState claims which they
had forced The people to pay, left as much
more uncollected from other dclinquents,
and closed its term by compromising SOL
vent claim Of eleven thousand dollars
againsta leading Radical for less than ten
per cent Of the debt,
Itcolected in the shape Of school taxes
four million two hundred thousand dol
lars, a sum sufficient to have established
aud endowed colleges and high schools
in every county in the State, and during
and during lagc portion Of its reign left
one.half of the people without school
houses or schools,
1t plundored the local school funds to
enrich its township officers, leaving hun.
drcds and thousands of dollars Of defalca.
tons to be unearhed by Democratic Leg
islatues: it impoverished the State school
fund to find means to disfranchsc the
men who had paid the taxes into the treas.
ury, and bequeathed to its Democratic sue
cessor the work not ouly of restoring to the
people their rights but Of making good to
the school fund the losses it had sustained
in supplying the money for public dislran-
chiscment.
1t used the power of impeachment to
control the Coarts in its interest; legisla-
ted to protect Tvs officers III their $iola-
tons Of private right, aud compelled the
Taxpayers to bear the expenses incurred in
defending men who had prosecuted and
outraged them.
: 1t established political inqusitions in
every county and township; made intel
ligcnce, culture and productive industry
the basis of prescription; gave power and
} privilege to Ignorance, vagrancy aud
scoundrelism; divided the people by per.
petuating seuseless prejudiccs; quartered
troops in peaceable communities; Brighten.
ed capital aud immigration from the State
by tho reign Of ruffianism, and finally, en-.
trusting to one nan the selection Of the
t voters Of the State, it submitted to the SUI
I fragcs Of its agents own choice, the issues
; of personal knavcry. Moral rottenncss,
! aud political worthlessuess, raised against
its leaders and its policies; by their vote
it was declared unfit for public service; un-
, worthy public confidence; its represeu.
tatives were branded with infamy, and
driven into obscurity and from that verdict
all outraged and sclf-rospecting people will
: permit no appeal.
The most wonderful displays of folly,
impotont malice and ctfrontery arc now to
be found in tho Radical papers of this