The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-07-17
Congressional matters in this District


Congressional Matters in this District
The ClSrksburg Telegraph doubts the
propriety Of calling q convention in this
District for the purpose Of making dis
tinctiye Republican nomination for Con-
greSs. Taking the vote of 1870 As is
guide, It expresses the apprehension that
unless there Is cooperation between the
Independent Democrats and Republicans
there Is danger Of o Bourbon triumph,
The vote in 1870 stood II $50 for DAVIS,
the regular Democratic nominee, against
lO,569 for GoFF, tho regular Republican
nominee. In other words, the .Repub.
llcans were In minority Of over one
thousand in that canvass. The data
Of the Telegraph Is correct as far
as the election Of 1870 Is concern.
ed, but in 1868 the Republicans polled
q thousand more votes than they did in
1870, General DUvAL having received IL.
500 votes as against 10,720 for HENRY s.
WALKER. This shows that election re-
turns are not very reliable data upon
which to hazard an opinion without you
know the peculiar circumstances likely to
operate In the canvass. In 1872, the Re.
publicans and independent Democrats in
this District polled Il, 4,475 votes for Gov.
JACOB, against 1884 for CAMDEN. The
increase in the aggregate vote was very
large on both sides; so large indeed that
1t difficult to conjecture how:a canvass
would result at this time in a straight
contest between Republicans and Demo
crats.
We have not favored q straight contest
in the coming election, and simply be.
cause we have seen no necessity for such
contest. There Is no reason why the
men who co.operated together for the
good Of the State in 1879 should not now
cooperate together for the good Of the
whole country. We should be gratiled
to see them uniting not only upon can.
didate for Congress but upon candidates
for the Legislature this fall. In the can.
vass Of 1872 the Republicans gave Mr..
DAVIS the support that elected him. In
spirit Of reciprocity we pre-
sumo that the independent Democrats
Of the District would be willing in their
turn to support candidate OF Republican
antecedents in this canvass, especially as
no one has been named from their own
ranks as probable candidate. We
think it quite likely that the nominee of
Republican Convention would be sustain.
cd by a large number Of Democrats, pro-
vlded he is man ofrecoguized character
and ability. he must, however, be a man
well and favorably known to the public
in order to awaken much interest in the
result The people arc very loosely allied
to political organizations these days, and
are ready to support good men rather than
partisan nominees who have no special
qualities to recommend them.
Speaking of Congressional matters, re.
minds us of Communication in our col.
umns this morning giving the results of
Bourbon caucus held at Wilsonburg
lew days ago, at which the Hon. HENRY
G. DAVIS was present. and at which the
nomination OF Col. BEN WILSON as the
Bourbon candidate Tor Congress was
agreed upon. We are assured that tho
statements made In this communication
are reliable, and that the programme for
the Democratic Convention that has been
called to meet at Ellenboro on the 18th
has been fixed as indicated. This news
will be interesting reading 10 the aspi.
rants hereabouts and elsewhere In the
District who have been in training in the
hands Of their friends. The advantage
that Col. BEN WILSON enjoys over them
Is in having the smiling Senator as his
hacker. When he Is nominated at Ellen.
boro in pursuance of the programme laid
down, we will probably see large acces-
sions to the ranks of the Independent
Democracy all over the District.