The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-31


must effect q reliable change. The only
wonder to me is that We have $4,000 Re-
ppbllcan voters in West Virginia, repre-
sen,ipp 225,OOO OF our people, when
talk with these young Democrats and see
how warped and twisted are their views
Of Republication. Had 1t not been LOT
the people who followed John Wesley In
West Virginia on the subject of slavery, as
we'll as in other tenets Of his faith, we
should not to-day have half IS many iol'
lowers Of the Republican party. Our hope
IA that the continued national ascend
eucy Of Republican principles in the Exec
ut;ye Office at Washington will have It's
reflex effect on West Virginia, as upon all
portions Of the solid South, and thus wear
ont the instinct that still inspires these
people to hope for a triumph over the
results OF the war. They talk about
a day Of deliyerance asif foreign flag was
over them; as II an alien power was
plundering them, and as II there would De
a great let up in grievous taxation anu
all sorts OF odious restrictions, in case oil
the election OF Hancock. They have an
underlined notion, born Of their prejudices,
that something Is ailing them. They don't
know what It is exactly, and can really
formulate nothing that will stand the
test OF discussion for a moment. They
want constitutional government" This
| ia an expression that has been freely in
dulged in here. Ifyou ask what it means
they tell you "a government free from
military Interference, and free from the
presence OF United States marsha!s at the
polls" Many OF them actually believe
that there are troops stationed at various
points in the South, and that these
troops in some way exercise an
influence on behalf OF the Republican
party. II you reply that there are no
troops in the South save in the forts OF
that region, the same as at the North, and
that they do not go near the polls land
never did go near them save to quell riots
and prevent bloodshed), they do not be-
lieye you. II you tell them OF the great
frauds in New York, out OF which grew
the appointment Of inspectors, and that a
Democratic committee Of Congress spoke
in eulogistic terms Of the fairness OF the
Presidential election held In that city In
1915 under these inspectors, they do not
believe you. II you insist that the Re-
publicans OF the South, and not the Dem
ocrats, are the people who are wronged-
who are murdered and cheated in politi'
cal campaigns-they do not believe word
OF It. They believe that Hayes is fraud
and that he was counted in by Republican
machinery. They do not believe that the
Democrats at the South bulldoze anybody.
They regard them as themost harmless peo-
pie in the world. Thenegroessimplyd do not
vote, and, for that matter, they should not.
| It is all a farce, anyhow, to give them the
ballot. All the Southern States are right
fully Democratic States, and the Republic
can party has really no legitimate exis'
tence within their territory.
These points are samples OF the preju-
dice and ignorance that hold sway in the
West Virginia Democratic mind to-day
even the ,tolerably informed Democratic
mind Of the State. This sort of talk is the
common sort of talk OF many Democratic
orators. 1t was the talk that largely com
posed the speech Of their nominee for
Governor, Col. Jackson, when called to
the platform. He too hates the Republic
can party-just as he hated 1t in 1852
when he came here to Wheeling and hur-
rahed Tor JEFF Davis, and was locked up in
the Atheneum in consequence. he con-
sidered his arrest at that time as a viola
ton OF constitutional government" just
as he has considered every act OF the Re-
publican party since 1t has been in power
a violation OF constitutional govern
ment. And in this respect he is but the
type Of the great majority OF those who
will vote for him. II there was trouble to-
day between the Democratic party and
the Government, as there was in 1851, his
whole influence as On Executivewould be
against the Government, just as all his
sympathies were against 1t in the war.
West Virginia cannot afford to elect such
a man Governor, unless shewants to stand
as part Of the solid South, and be as dull
and dead as the solid South is to-day as
compared with the North. Q.