Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-08

Hon. John Rightsr;
MY DEAR Sal have received your
letter Of the 18th inst, in which you in
form me that "at a meetingot the Green
hackers of Marion and Harrison coun
ties committee was appointed TO cor
respond with leading gentlemen in the
State with reference % the prOpriety Of
periecting an organization at an early
day" and you desire an expression OF
my views.
What have TO say upon this matter
shall be stated freely and frankly, for
know that whether my views accord
with yours, or not, You will give me
credit Tor sincerity.
Ifyou mean by organizing, to put a
ticket in the field at the next State cleo
ton. then most emphatically dissent,
as no practical good could result from it.
The following are my reasons for think
ing 80:
fact. II is true, il was done over my
protest and over yours. IL is likewise
true that in the process OF bringing Il
about the nation fell from an eminence
of wealth and unlimited resources to
pinched and shrunken poverty and cow
rring bankruptcy. However many
broken fortunes strew its pathway, the
end has been reached. The worst is
over. And inasmuch as Providence has
been kinder 10 Us than our tenn
poral rulers, in blessing Us with
abundant harvests and turning the
balance Of trade in our favor, and
starting vs. forward on the high road
to business prosperity, IL does seem to
me that il would be- criminal 10 turn
back the hands upon the dial OF re-
turning plenty. To undo what has
been done, however much we eNecrate
the means by which 10 was done, would
De- 10 unsettle all values. disturb all
business, create panicS, and IN short
r,-enact the scenes Of distress and IN
dustrial depression through which We
have recently passed. For these rea-
sons I would deprecate the agitation OF
ISSUES which have been settled.
But independent Of these considera-
tiuns. there j. an isSue % be determined
in the presidential contest OF next year
which oyershadOws all others. 10 Is
simply this. whether or not our system
of government Is % remain what Its
founders intended il should be-a ie,ier-
al rrpublir-or whether all the reserved
powers ni the States and the people
thereof are tu be- swallowed up IN cen
traliLatiOn of powers I'm the general gov
erumeut. Are We TO continue 20 have
a Democratic government with cOnstl-
tutional powers and limitations, or are
We tu pass into a despotiSm? IL Is
that ancient issue, 50 often baptized in
blooI between the absolute power OF
one man and the inalienable, indie
structible rights Of the masses. All
other issues, whether touching local re-
forms, problems Of finance or OF labor,
If not lost sight Of, should be held in
allowance until this one great question
is determined.
There has always been q political
element i'm this country opposed to
Democracy and favorable tO a
strong government in imitation OF Eu-
ropean monarchies. The agents OF Eu-
roIean powers have always been active
i'm keeping alive that sentiment ON tins
side Of the water. The peculiar COndl-
ton in which the close OF
the. late war found tins
country. gave a splendid opportunity
for building up those tapSriUm iH iD,pS-
roo masters Of AmeriCa-rIch corpora
tions. Their interests all conflict with
those of the masses, and consequently
their vast power and influence have
been directed toward changing our form
1f government, that Is, in taking the
mower from the hands OF the people,
whom they fear. and placing Il in cen
tralized head which they can control.
The indiscreet action of some OF the
Democratic leaders in Congress last
winter i'm attaching riders to the appro-
priatiOn bills, gave occasion to
the friends Of imperial govern
ment 10 raise the cry that Democracy
MAS dangerous. and the Republican
party Immediately took a stalwart posi-
lion, regarding state lines as useless and
state rights as a nuisance, and boldly
declared in favor of strengthening the
powers of the General Government.
With this issue brought 80 paipably
and directly before the people ot the
United States for determination m the
approaching national contest, lt occurs
to ne that no patriot can afford to tai
Ter nr be lei aside from the main issue
by prriudices, or by honest convictions
touching other great national questions.
In matters little 10 YOU or 20 me what
kind Of a currency we are tp have II our
Government il tO lose it~ democratic
caste and % be converted INTO mn
perialism. 10 matters little about
reforms in our state Government
II state lines are 10 Dee ohhterated. Let
as first settle this great issue at once
and forever, and then We can divide on
other issues il We choose afterwards.
The appearance OF third party in
this State at this particular emergency,
AZ have sSid, would be- OF no practical
good. but would work preludlcially.
The great issue of which have spoken
a. 10 h,. Fought between the two great
leading parties. The Republican party
has Voluntarily chosen tu champion the
cau-, decentralization. ui The Democratic
PARTY naturally aud IuStiuctlvc,y aS-
sBmrs am opposite attitude. The Grern-
OK Labor party, iU tins struggle, must
5e tu sympathy with tine Democracy.
They Whv divide when ~ much
~ n stake? To- use "a hOmrly
illustration, the Democrats and Green
hackers are selling cider out ot
the same barrel, only the Democrats
are selling II a little cheaper than the
a,rrenbackers do. But that = q matter
of small consequence I'm comparison
with the main issue. A division now Is
likely 10 result in giving the state 20 the
Republicans, and the live electoral votes
of West Virginia would be cast lor the
Stalwart candidate for President re-
sult that no true Greeubacker could de
sire. even though his anteCedents be
Republican.
Nr. D, la Martyr, upon his return
from Maine, stated that he dcSp1lrcd ul
the Republic. / am not one of those
who take such a gloomy view of the fu-
ture. have an abiding faith IN our IT.
Dublican institutions. i think that a
country gifted with such wonderful re-
.uueratiye powers as tOrecover from the
shock Of the late civil war and the pres
sure of John Sherman's financial policy
a. destined by Providence for some
sreat purpose, and il under his especial
protection. standing firm mn that faith
shall always be found in the ranks
al those who struggle for ITS
preservation in the exact form
the fathers framed it; anil IL the oppo-
sition De- TOO many and We are defeated,
and ii in this fair young Western world
a depotism will arise from the shattered
fragments of self government, ! viii
have the happy satisfaction Of knowing
that no act OF mine contributed 70 such
a result
You know that am not partizan.
That in matters OF public concern l aim
10 do right as my humble judgment
dictates. | know that il is said that
the illiberal and intOlerant conduct Of
WNaaan -. l. - n ~.