The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-13
|eOVHRNOR'S MESSAGE
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
,,-nryI-re January 10, 1871.

n Of Delegates;
q 7. ~: nv earnest desire 70 be able In
:. General message, TO speak Of re-
min, prosperity, and OF the hnsi se'ts=-
=, ut %, irritaril : questions that nave SO
-. the country Blu: the present
s-s,,,on O: stiairs will not justify me IN
e. 80, Financial depression still con-
Sc; labor seeSssempioyment without
sc4i,r i. and remune7ative investments
L. -. offer themselves TO capitalists.
a merciiui Prov!cer &C has been p'eased
T. c-,nt abundant crops, yet the aou"-
3Gs-ce las failed 20 produce Tue 'o'r'HY
4 :. ,,,.,,as. which has asre:oiore resuiled
,Es same csuse. No evidence oil de-
-, ,,onr,veusn: in f?anclsl measures
a,rs-ent. will not attempt 10
-, Al o: he Csu-es Of this Stale OF
-. =. ven. doubtless, ara fsmi!isr
vi me salient points OF the various
,,.o-.es presented 20 the plole' ohe III :
4 = ,,-.;s' cause can certainly De found IN
g.. -'-Ti,icsl -..ustion of the county
..,s,ion inst inspires doubt and IN
.-..r,,,y sb.ut rre future 10 such an eA'
4 -. ss 20 parslyze enterprise among the
-. l cauu";, therefore. ialthiuiiy
a .aarge my present cons-HuIioha' u"'s
N All referring 10 II.
II - canvass That p7ecedei the iasl
- .....n,iai election was uuusaa!y anil
30, ye,,he crest body OF the people,
.ri-.. Of obedience 10 the pronounc-
~. Of = ,asjority, looked forward to
lection o. conclusion OF political
-, ..rreD.. with the determination 10
70. the result, whatever 1t should be-
N ..1-.unateIy, however, douot mas
~ - thrown over this result snd the
=. ~ WITNESSES to-day al angry and
on III contest - 20 the person chosen 10
\. P-.sident Of the United States. Pa
g. .,.m, forbaarsnce and finn adherence
& w-..-:et,led principles, are necessary
4 il me solution OF this question; party
SUE. x 0: ll:,le weight when Tar great
e. interests are 81 stake. .
q Tn. uncertainty about the result OF
h.. election. and the anxiety OF the Peo-
n 20 naturally lowing the7efrom' nave
- from recent extraordinary pro-
.. .in.s il certain Southern States Inc
4 ,y--nmen: IN these states are tue legI'
im.:e gH.pr,rg Of the so-cai.ei recon
r-yc..on policy "a policy potent with
ey...aiv. separating and dividing voters
M Two classes. white and cO!oredi eH-
a.p.-.ting the one class By oppression
A. mis-uie. s1d srousing and stlmu!st-
in the fears Of the other 10 q morbid de-
O. If:he people Of those states had
= 4
+ IN left 10 themselves. and had been
na-mi.ted 10 manage their own affairs
.g,1.e,.ed. these evils would quickly
III ,ve disappeared through the silent but
p rwe-lll agercy OF the bsllot-box. The
Frde-a. government has, however, con-
SANITY and actively lntertered III their
sH,rrs' and Il, influence ard power have
; n rIa:.-i u sustain in office persons
" nsd NJ: been fairy elected. Under
..... c.-cumstances sll efforts of reform
-. been defeated by methods sDd prac.
:. .., unknown IN other states. Elections
-. held in these states under the sur
.sace of United States deputy mar
s...s and United States troops are sta
toned At the polls; the returns Of cleo
tons are counted under the protection Of
L nited States soldiers, and mea are in
t.cied mt otti,r I'D legislatures organ.
l-t under the shadow OF Federal bayO-
ra,.; u corporal Of The army examines
me Credentials O: members o! u legisis
tie and either admits or excludes them
s.rg-!:ny % the orders OF his superIOrs;
ter .pcern- court OF u state makes dis
t,.,.... order. and Judge ofthe CnIted
Sal, circuit court Is conveniently At
l4.I 70 anaul lt-evervwhere the power
c:t.. central government is felt: mill
la ...e IL the time of peace is the su-
p-smv lsw; Federal force leaves no room
T. ate authority, and the laws are
si~a:. 10 not stop 10 Comtsent on
the.. 2ncon,;i:g:;ona proceedings, fur
tt-- 4. - Sav that the government OF
s:,:-s 10 which these things are done
ms. OF necessity. De mere creatures of
RI geserai government; sill Of the vital
.i:v o. force with they possess are de-
rlyeI from 1t; with u lis sustaining aid,
TIL would. Is. {" pieces from Inherent
weaAIc,s; they eNls. only by the suffer-
aaCe of the centTa, government, and can
n. - the rAturc of things, have that
Independence ut action which of right
belongs 20 ali - - Of the Union. Elec-
tons held under grn auspices as these,
must be wau..us 10 tnat moral force
which at.aOH"- :, item elsewhere, espeC-
isllv if they r ult in accordance with
the wishes OF those no call 10 their a.
sistsnce these uacousttiutloasl methods.
In some of these states. however, the
popular vote Was cast contrary
t. the wishes of the party
IN power, and Returning Boards.
whose duty j. WAS TO count mp tie vote,
and ascertain the result Of the election,
resortei to the very dangerous pan of
excluding from the computation of
votes. q sufficient lumber 10 reverse the
popular verdict This seton OF these
Returning Boards has brought sbou; the
uncertainty rs 10 the result OF the Presi-
DENTAL election Of which | have spoken,
and has given national importance 10
their action. Such al attempt 10 change
the result OF al election Is so utterly sub
verslve 10 the whole theory OF popular
government, that | can conceive of no
Substantial argument tina; can be offered
in is defence.
I. is claimed that q certain class OF
voters were intimidated, and thst. if it
hai not been !or such Intimidation, the
tie result OF the election would have
been different. can we'll see how sn
election can be rendered void by gross
fraud or intimidation, bu; how Canvass
Ing officers can undertake t. say tina; a
different result would have been reaChei
eIcep; for such fraud or naturalization, or
10 tact, how they can reach Any COnc.u-
son, except from the returns showing the
number o: votes aCtGa,lv cast, | Csnno:
understand. Once graft this power u
CsDvaSsiug boards. and no means are left
70 the people 10 Change the officers OF
tier government; 4 such boards csu-
righttully say WIS, legal votes they will
count, and what they will exclude, there
seems TO be little use Of sny election; the
result will depend on the will o: the can
vasslng boards, snd not upon thst OF the
voter. ard elections become al Idle cere'
mony. To me, l: seems so sbsUrdity Il
ssy that board or officer can righ;fnlly
sr| 'arSlly -a;ar, ynfas " kirh hsya hAa-,