Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-01-27

tbsa they can afford, no one will deny.
But the question now to be solved is
this, viz, that of carrying passengers
and freight as quickly, as cheaply, ard
as safely, at rates less in proportion to
the costs of Constructing he two gauges?
Should We find that nothing is gained
by the wide over the narrOW-gauge,
then we shall claim that the modern
gauge is the gauge for the people 10
adopt. More railroads will be built,
but no more money should be eXpend-
ed than is absolutely necessary.
Transportation, equipment, and cost
of. will be the subject for my net com
municatiGn. NJ.
'-TUrn Back the Hands,
Have Wa then been counting time too
fast, ana must we turn back the hands
upon the dial-plate? 1t was pleasant
TO think, while grass was growing on
the torn battle-tields and grain was
spriDging up in the ragged furrows of
the war, and kindly nature was at her
healing work wherever armies had
marched and cannon scoFched the plain
and graves been dug, and that time
WAS setting US each day further from
the bitter griefs and burning passions
of that fearful time, quenching the
hate it engendered and mellowing in
to tenderness the memories it left us.
We did not suppose, We could not hope,
that in every breast either North or
South, the fire that had ragged SO fierce
ly had gone out; that there was no
spark of passion or hatred or revenge
full feeling left. We could not in our
hopes or expectations draw so largely
upon mans frailty for thedivIner quail
ity in his nature. We asked of them
no sacrifice of feeling ur of opinion, no
recantation or cOnfesSiUn; nothing but
that they should recognize the logic of
events, admit that the cause for which
they fought was lost, the occasion for
secession removed, and express will
ingDesS to return TO their allegiance.
Nothing dishonOrable or unreasonable
was demanded of them. If the victOrs
were magnauimous, the Sanquished
were for the most part manly and
frank. There was no parade of repen-
tance, no affectatiOn of regret; it was
enough that while they maintained
their pride they banished resentment.
There We're exceptions. There were
forgiveness could touch; no amnesty
soften. They were not great men or
brave men; they were the small, mean,
and spiteful. We expected nothing of
them, but were willing they should
nurse their venom and miserably live
out their generation. We did not
dream, however, that these men or any
of them would be put forward as rep.
resentatives nt the Southern people, or
thai they themselves would have the
assurance to ask Office at the hands of
any political party. Above all, we
could not suppose that any party wo'd
take the responsibility of making them
representative by giving thelu official
positions.
1t seems we were too fast. The
Democratic party chooses for the Gov
ernment places in its gift men whose
venom is proof against kindness, who
cannot forget to hate, and who in cold
blood and with forethought and delib-
Grafton glory in The work of murder
and give posthumOuS honor to an as
SaSsin. Here was one man in all the
South let us hope in the name of hu-
manity there was but one such-who.
three years ago, in 1872 or 3, the war
having been seven years closed, the
men who for5ook the Government and
took up arms against it having been
pardoned and restored to the privileges
they had forfeited, and an era of recon-
ciliation been Opened-whO at such
time and under such circumstances
gave TO his own helpless child name
for that child to bear through all its fu-
I'm II aud baa rinu il fr 81 nxr tn q II
the world its fathers undying hatred
for government that had pardoned
him his Kissing malignity TO the men,
org of a great and teuder-hearted man,
who had never harmed him, and his
reverence for an assassin whose name
only survives by its infamy. Think of
it for IA moment! WHAT kind of man
must he be who dowers his just born
child with the name of John Wilkes
Booth? Does it in the cCldest of cold
blood, with deliberatiOn and not upon
impulse. Seven years after the COM
mission of the murder which sent
thrill of horror through all the South
as well as through the North; a MUIR
der SO horrible that in the very white
heat of the war, when the passions of
men we're at their angriest pitch, no
decent man anywhere did other than
than denOunce it rs most infamous
crime-this man calmly fastens on his
own poor helpless infant the murder
er's name. This was not idiOcy; tho
it seems incredible that it should be
done by IA person of ordinary intellect
and intelligence. 1t was just dull bru
tality. The man who could approve
of the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln
would be Just such monster as to
curse his own flesh and blood with a
christening ana make his child the in
strument of carrying over to the next
generation the badge of his shame.
Poor chIId, to be thus fathered and
thus handica pped for life.
And now, there being such man,
such patriot, such citizen, and such
IA father, where do we find him? Ask
Mr.. Morrison, Chairman of Ways and
Means, leader of the Democratic party
i'm Congress. He found him and ap-
pointed him clerk of his Committee,
where he draws pay from the Govern
ment he so loyalty supports. Ask Mr..
Michael G.. Kerr, the Democratic Speak
er of the House, who made Mr.. Morri-
son the leader of the House and gave
MIN tne opportunity tO appoint TINS
man. Ask the Democratic party,
which elected Mr.. Kerr and Mr.. Nor
.rison, and which is responsible for their
acts and for the appointment of this
representative Democrat. Who is this
man, who within three years has re-
corded at the baptismal font over the
head of his infant son his reverent re-
gard for President Lincoln's assassin?
Is he of the sort that the Democratic
party chooses out for its honors and
emoluments? Is this what we are vo-
ting to bring in when we aid in secu-
ring a Democratic victory? Ifso, let us