The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-24

A Word in Season-POlitical Exasper.
asions-Parents, Keep YoGr Child
rem of the streets at Night.
The existence OF two great national
parties under our Republican form OF
government has become 10 be looked
upon a. . kind Of necessary evil, evl,
because e Is better'that people should Do
of one mind In Ahousehold, and Necessary
in order to preserve the purity ofour
national life Admitting all this, ~ y
not possible that our political contests
should be carried on without the degree
of asperity and bitterness which has char.
acterized them in years sgone, and with
which we are liable again to be
afflicted for the next three or
four months to Gomez Is it not time
that we should have learned something
yea, all OF us-from our past experiencef
Let US look at this matter for mo-
ment. Il there any reason why political
subjects should not be discussed in calm
and quiet way, by candid interchange
of views, or by sober appeals on the plat.
form and elsewhere, to the reflective
faculties and higher natures OF menf
Does any good result follow from the use
of offensive epithets2 Does 1t not often,
and most needlessly, prove source OF
evaporation and strife, of alienation and
arrangement between families and fell
low citizens and sometimes between
members of the same household, when
the highest interest and happiness Of all
demand that they should live together in
peace and ,quietude2 And now, that
the scars Of our late civil strife have
been slowly but gradually healing over;
should they be recklessly re-opened,
merely to crafty the selfish ambition OF
some half fledged orator, or the de-
PRAYED tastes of an ignorant rabble-
row2 For it should be understood, es-
pecially by the young, that true gentle
men and patriots neither practice nor
relish such outrages upon decency, and
the rights and feelings Of their fellow
citizens.
May we not, therefore, in this Centen-
NAL year, and in the interests of peace,
agree to let by-gones be by-gones. and
aspire to the dignity of higher and
nobler manhood, not only in our private
intercourse, but in the outpourings
of the platform and the public press7
May we not solemnly appeal to the more
cultivated classes, and especially to
stump orators and editors-many OF
whom, in some sense, claim to be Chris
tians-to frown upon, aud by all proper
means, endeavor to suppress and discour-
age the exasperations referred to, and
thereby to restore and preserve to society
that peace and concord which are so
necessary to the we'll being and happi-
ness Of all? May we not appeal to all
who profess and call themselves Chris
tisns, to stand firmly on their integrity,
by endeavoring to do away with FALL Bit
terness, or wrath, or clamor, and evil
speaking?" Or shall we be compelled to
admit before o scoffing world, that
the Christianity of our day is
utterly inconsistent with its char
ter-thst it is not q power
for good in the land, but
rather for evil--that it'exerts no restrain
ing influence upon the lives of its pro-
fessors-in word, that it is mere sham,
a hypocritical pretense?
We are all poor helpless creatures at
best, and can only use our earnest en-
deayors. But something can be done to
stay this food OF ungodliness which is
now most certainly coming in upon us,
if Christian men and women who see and
deplore the evils referred to, will lift up
their voice like trumpet, and endeavo or
by mild words and good example to as
suage the hearts and asperities OF politi-
cal strife. We would call upon editors
to endesyor to maintain a dignifed and
Christian journalism. We would call
upon the ministers of the Gospel to
discuss this subject freely in their
pulpits, and warn their people
against the dangers to which they are
now so peculiarly exposed. We would
call upon parents especially to take this
matter into serious consideration; for it
cannot bs doubted that the effect of the
approaching political night meetings
and torch light professions on the chill
dren and youth Of the land will be most
hurttul and demoralizing. Much of the
recklessness, lawlessness, disobedience to
parents, drunkenness, and wreck and
ruin OF the brightest hopes of our coun-
try, is doubtless traceable, directly or In
directly, to such causes as we have named.
May we not, therefore, appeal to parents
to keep a more strict watch over their
children, especially from now until after
the approaching presidential election, and
as a more effectual rule to safety to see
that they are within doors of nights.
But, after all, we are aware, that by
some-even Christian parents, o.cslled
our words will be looked upon as those
of croaking prophet. Like things
have happened before, and if such parents |
should some day die of an unmitigsted
heart ache, they will, we trust, have no |