The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-29

ike ueAtn luells Dut w hAS S
what II may, l think that more Is SAID
about hard times at the West than East
ward.
This state Of things Is the secret very
largely Of the favor with which such
financial quackery as the silver remon.
citation Il received. II sgenerally con.
coded that a large majority Of the peo-
ME are In favor Of such legislation.
There is a minority Of thought
full persons who see the folly OF IT,
Il Is altogether probable that II
legislation Is not contaminated before the
next general elections they will make
Themselves felt in an effectual manner.
Light will change the We've Of m%ultitudeS
who favor the proposed legislation BY
Congress. But now the silver men" are
conceded to be in a large majority: This
does not arise from dishonesty OF inten'
ton. OF course there are many who
would be glad TO get aloat again or TO
keep Themselves from sinking. But the
mass Of the people have been pressed BY
the tightness Of the times, They have
been told that this arises from adyan-
tages which have been wrongly given 10
capitalists; and that II silver is remone'
tiled these advantages will be taken away
from the few and distributed among the
many. The idea that there would be any
breach Of faith in this is made lighto or
explained away. And the remote conse.
ouences which ustiollow from any such
attempt to galyanize the business Of the
%conn,rv ara mot considered. Only the
immediate effects are contemplated. Thus
tens Of thousands who intend nothing
else than honesty arc beguiled into the
support Of these measures, in the behet
that they are not wrong and that they
vii, bring relief.
POLITICS.
Politics are at a low ebb. There are
only two public questions which interest
the masses Of either party. One is the
silver question. The attempt is making
10 induce the Republicans to stand firmly
by the pledged faith Of the government,
but it is uncertain whether it will sue
coed. Among the Democrats there are
also those who s~ympatbize with this gen
eral feeling; but the majority seem to be
hopelessly on the other side.. The other
public question which interests the masses
il the conflict between the policy Of the
President and that oil some OF the old
leaders OF his party. / have yet to meet
the man Of any political persuasion who
pympathizes with the party leaders as
against the President. II the question
could be submitted TO a vote the major
ity in this region would be overwhelm-
iugly in his favor. But beyond these
matters the people are not interested
politically at present. There are indeed
no lines which clearly divide parties.
And il looks as il the time might soon
come when the folly Of the popular o
ton that, in order 10 the purity OF the
government, there must be two great
factions contending against each other
would be seen. In a great country like
this there will be apt always 10 be two
such factions, consisting Of those who
are in power, and Of the opposition. But
that there is a necessity for such a state
Of things is u political superstition which
ought long ago to have been dispelled.
RELIGION.
Out Weat we have not been excited over
the question Of infant salvation as the
people in your region seem to have been
not long ago. In Massachusetts the same
subject has recently been debated, which
may account for some Of the secondhand
quotations which appeared in the columns
OF the IETELIIGENCER ostensibly from
authors whose names were not even cor
reclly given by the persons who furnished
them. The Conge9ntiOnalia devoted al
most a whole side OF a recent number to
a letter from Rev. Washington Gladden
and a reply by one Of the editors in which
the subject was fully considered. How
o We shall catch the epidemic out here
nobody knows. But have not in the mean.
time Col. Robert Ingersoll. He can
cover as much ground on the subject Of
religion, make as many assertions in IA
vor Of infdelity and bring forward as few
arguments as any many living. But he
can get a good house in many a Western
town. And the pulpits and the press are
now busily engaged with the question Of
the future punishment Of men who die in
wickedness. Has not David Swing an
bosomed himself? And in every city and
village replies to him and Canon Farar
and Henry Ward Beecher have been
preached. l am content to believe that
after the waters OF this food have sub
sided we will find the foundations to be
about where believers in the Bible COM
monty have stood. But until this occurs
some fair ships will be wrecked. And
little boats had better keep near the
shore.
In these discussions, westward The
public press does not hesitate 10 take a
part. And they do not always try 10 be
neutral. Everybody knows the animus
Of one or two Of the great Chicago dailies
to be anything else than friendly to or
thodox Christianity. Sometimes one oil
them INDUCES in shameless sneers and
venom. And in smaller places they have
their imitators. But, on the other hand,
one OF the great Cincinnati dailies every
Saturday issues a supplement containing
a lecture by Joseph Cook, and thus
spreads the influence OF his teaching very
widely among the people. And it seems
10 ne that for this it is entitled to the
support otthose who sympathize with Its
VIEWS Joseph Cook may not be all that
enthusiastic audiences have claimed for
him. His latest productions are hardly
up TO the standard Of the earlier. Sue
cess has not improved him. Still, he Is
doing n grand work, and it is . hcpefuI
sign that secular newspapers find itexpe.
dent 10 give his productions to their
readers al regularly as they are put forth
by him. WESTWARD.