The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-02-06
The Next Congressman from The
EirAt District.
Fditors of The REGISTER.


1t is certainly premature, st th's
time, 10 discuss the probable csndidscy
OF any gentlemen for the next Congrt'
sionsl election, but as Colonel WilsoD
has already been presented it is we'll TO
consider Lis claim and availability az
a Democratic candidate. Ia an article
published in your issue OF Thursday
the 5th inst, signed Fair Pls! find
an affidavit subscribed and sworn to by
one D. II. Leonard in which he states,
that on being consulted by the DEMO-
cratic executive committee oil Writ
county. regarding the proposition Tor
. holding the Congressional election his
advice was that August was not the
time but the fourth Thursday in Octo-
Der was" and that the committee act
ing upon his advice omitted the name oi
the candidate for Congress upon their
printed tickets, a1d in consequence
thereof Col. Wilson was not voted for
in Writ county at saii election. Now
supposipc that Colonel Wilson's name
bad been printed on the Democratic
tickets OF Writ county, aud that he had
received the entire Democratic vote In
that county, he would have come ont
oil the contes, defeated candidate
by a small msiorily. Fair Play" will
not deny that in Harrison county, the
home OF Colonel Wilson, be ran far be-
hind his parly vote, whilst in all the
othe: counties composing the district
he los, 10 an almost corresponding ex'
tent. In Hancock, the Republican
majority was Increased ssainst him
in Brooke. with standing majority OF
one hundred and fifty in bis favor, he
was beaten, ia Oaio, With sn aCknow!-
edged Democratic majority Of three
hundred, be was defeated BY upwards Of
two hundred o. a msjority, III Mar
shall, his opponent ran beyond his
party majority in "C!ze', the Demo-
cratic stronghold, be came out two
hundred behind the vote he should have
received, and so ibroushon: The entire
distriCt.
August, although no. 'hc ProIc' time
for holding the election. was neverIhe-
lees q fair and impartial tc-t as TO toe
personal popularity and political avail
ability Of Colonel Wlson Us iEC Demo-
cratic candidate. Daring that cam
pa!gn we bad occasion 10 hear Colonel
Wilson upon the stump, and IN every
speech be exhorted.ihe PEOPLE sto.turn
out at the August election, at the came
time indicating his candidacy for Con-
gress and that he would be voted
for at that election. Now it will
not 10 tor Fair Play" TO ssy that, dur
ing the August contest Of lS72, there
was disafiection in the party which
extended 10 Col. Wilson's candidacy.
and hence the minority vote he receiv-
ed. A suggestion Of that kind will not
answer, for the reason, that Il there
was dissension in the party at that
time, it only extended 10 Slate officers.
Colonel Wilson was candidate for
Congress, q purely political position and
as such was relieved from ell the do
mestic discord in the party, and II he
had possessed all the necessary quail
ties OF popular candidate should have
been elected by at least fifteen hundred
majority. Personally we have the very
highest opinion OF Colonel Wilson, and
would like to see him our representa-
tive, but for reasons stated above. we
are forced TO the conclusion that his
friends should not urge his claims ss
Democratic candidate for Congress at
the next election. By common consent
we should center upon some candidate
who 10 available in all OF the counties
Of the district, and upon whom we can
concentrate the entire vote Of the party.
DRpcCElT