The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-09-23
STATE AFFAIRS.
Synopsis ofRemarks Made by Judge
Camden at Glsnville, september
I3th-Contrasting the Rule OF the
Radical Party Of West Virginia
with that of the Democracy.

the Democratic party, to speak OF It's
history rs compared with that OF the op-
position, whose representatives are mere
before you, asking that you turn your
backs upon Democracy, and take up with
the false gods they worship.
Fellow-citizens, my earliest aSsocia-
ton. were with the people OF what Is
now the county of Gilmer. By them l
have been repeatedly honored, and to
them my most sincere gratitude Is due:
And in my experience with this people l
have found them to be men of honor and
lntelligence; men who were not accuS-
toned TO
"Bend the supple hinges OF the knee,
That thrift might follow fawnlng.
And in what shall say to you to-day,
I propose to discuss the issues before the
people truthfully and plainly. The
Democratic party of the State and ma
ton have no concealments to made, but
We court the investigation Of the public
only asking from friend or foe fair and
impartial examination Of our record.
What was the condition of affairs
in this State prior to the coming
into power of the Democratic party?
Well do all the citizens of Gilmer county
recollec. A few short years have not blot
ted from your memory the fact that hosts
of YOUR best Citiz ems and largest tax pay
ers were disfranchised and the negro en-
franchsed; scores within the sound Of
nv voice, although they Were compelled
to contribute largely to the support Of
the government, were denied any partl-
cipation therein. Near me | see many
eminent members of the bar, and among
them the distinguished Judge Of this
circuit, who were denied the right to
practice their profession. Looking around
me see school teachers, men noted Tor
their talent rs educators, who are prohI-
bited from teaching your children by
reason of their lack of "iOyalty;' and
worse than this, if worse can BE-, see
many before me who could not sue for Il
Just claim, because they were first rcqulr-
ed to subscribe to test oath which the
Radical party knew they could not take.
Every community in your county was
divided against itself; the diSSenSlonS
engcndercd by the war were famed into
bitter hatred by the proScriptive legiSIa-
tiOn forced upon the country. And |
desire to call your attention to the fact
that all these OutrageS upon liberty and
propricty were declared valid and con-
stitutional by the highest courts of the
State. The Constitution of 1868, framed
amid the clash and din of war, when its
opponents were prevented by force OF
arms from voting against the intamy
proposed to be forced upon them. per
mitted all these things Out of $4,000
voters, but $1,000 voted on the question.
And this instrument, imperfect and odi
Gus AS it proved itself to be; an inStru-
ment under whose provisions our State
was being depopulatcd, and our people
Impoverished, was the organic law which
the Radical party asked Us to retain
when we came into power, and were re-
sponSiblc for the government ofthc State,
instead of a Constitution adopted by the
sovereign voice of the trhoic people,
adopted at an election when every man
was free to vote aS best suited him, and
when the largest vote was east ever
pollcd in this State. | do not claim that
this new Constitution was perfect per
fection is not attained in this world; but
compare it with its predecessor. Is any
man DISTINGUISHED by this Constitution?
Can you point me to any instance where
in any citizen is, or can be, deprived OF
any right enjoyed by another citizen?
Nav! not one! The Democratic party,
my friends,
"Sounded the loud timbrcl,
O'cr Egypt'S dark sea;
At last right has triumphcd,
The people are free.
And when this Democratic party came
into power, what did they do? Did
thev, sctuatcd by Il spirit of revenge, en-
act retaliatOry mcacurcs? Not so, but
granting freely to all others the same
rights they asked for themselves, they
spread DER the land the broad banner Of
pence; and this peace WAS no mOckcrv
but a peace which has won for the Dem
ocoatic party the confidence and esteem
of the people of the State, and which has
Guaranteed to every man the protection
of the law, in the inaienablc rights of
life. liberty, and the pursuit Of happi-
ness
What was the condition of the State
when the Democratic party secured the
ascendency? Not only was the Stat"
Treasury bankrupted by reason ofth"
cxtravagance of our predecessors, hut
State debt of sl2O,OO0 hung like mill
stone upon the neck of our Legislature
and noonle This liability had bech IL
Cured bv the improper use OF the school
fund. and bv appropriations, for the pay
mont Of which no funds had been provld-
ed. The new Constitution having been
adopted. changing materially the rule,
and principles of government as 1t "Xl>''d
under the previous Constitution and
d,;nr away with special lcgisla-
,ion. which was henceforth to be super
coded bv general laws, required very
.a7ye amount of legislation, thereby pro
,-octing greatly the length Of the session.
These Laws could not be maturcd and
passed during the time allotted for ord!-
na-v sessions of the Legislature, and 1t Is
gratifying to every lover of the State 10
know that since the Democratic party
ha, assumed the reins Of government IN
this State, thev have not only paid off the
legacy referred to, bequeathed to them by
the Republican party in their ,. ,,, s5tT.ya-
giant and prohigate efforts at disfrahchisr-
mont. without abating one Jot or t'''Ie
Of all the liberal approprlatlonS to carry
IN the educational and charitable inStItu-
tjons Of the State, and to build up the
/ pvni,cntiary to suppress crime; and IN
stead Of increasing taxation they have
reduced the State tax from 20 to ~ cents
on the 800, and at this day have a
treasury fully replenished with all the
funds necessary to meet all the necessary
expenses ofthe government. Instead "'
destroying the free school system, as was
falsely charged against US by the hsol'"',' ~ ;,
we have placed free education on a nuch
more firm and enduring basis thSn ever
before. Instead ofsquauderlng the schH"l