The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-27

IA, given in the United States census) was
one soldier to every thirteen and q half
nsrsous. The State Of Ohio furnished one
soldier to about every nine and Q half
pssous, or 24O,5l4 three years troops out
apopulstion Of 2,S39,5ll. Pennsylvania
furnished one soldier to about every nine
teen and half persons in the State, or
oS55l7 three years troops out Of popula.
ton Of :, ,9O6,2l5.
Iudse BrAnnon's Record as y Candidate
for senator.
FlrESrbarE.JOurnal
Wa notice several Of our Republican
c,,emporaries are urging upon the atten.
lion oi Republican members Of the Legis-
i.nrs the name OF Judge Brannon for the
nosilion OF U. S. Senator. Judge Bran
mons high personal character will give
him strong claims to the support OF good
men Of all parties; and to this extent we
rlu give our cordial endorsement to his
eaudidacy. But the Judges political rec.
ord ia not as spotless as Caesars wife; and
Il will not bear the strong light Of rigid In
vestigation.
Our cotemporaries surely have not for
gotten the strong, fierce and ultra seuti.
neuts Judge Brannon once expressed In
a judicial opinion he delivered in case
where Colored boy was excluded from
The free schools in Randolph county about
1873 or "a. The Judge travelled clear out
side the domain OF the case TO get vigor.
Gus slap at all the war legislation Congress
aver enacted. The decision was extern
lively published at the time, but we did
moi publish il and write OF 1t entirely from
recollection.
But we read it at the time and have a
clear recollection of the impression 1t made
on our mind. It was severe, bitter
opinion, unrelentingly hostile to the
thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments, and opposed to the recon-
sruction measures OF Congress and all the
legislation growing out OF the war. II
was 90 extreme that the press denounced 1t
generally. We remember that the Gin.
cnnati Enquirer. much straighter.laced
DtmoCatic organ then than now, de-
uouuCed II in vigorous terms. We think
the Wheeling 1STHLLIGENCER published 1t
at the time. aud would suggest to our
ueighbor that its republication would be
Profitable and valuable contribution 70
history just now.
We recollect the case to which the Jour.
nal refers, and We presume that its state
ment does not do the opinion delivered at
tbe time by the Judge material injustice.
He was rebel during the war, and no
doubt resister after the war OF almost
everything done by the Republican party.
This much we take for granted without
s,i1g over the record. But the trouble is
TO tiud a prominent Democrat in West
Virginia who is not tarred with the same
stick. Nearly every one Of them was either
in the rebellion or known sympathizer
with it, and they were all howlers and
kickers against every amendment and
eysry act Of reconstruction. Mathews,
Tor instance, wanted to get his part oi
wes: Virginia reunited with Old Viz
giuia after the war, and as late as 1872, as
Amsmbsr Of the Constitutional Convention
ol;hts State, and Notwithstanding the ex'
press language Of the 18th Amendment 70
the Constitution OF the United States, and
ia contempt OF said amendment, he voted
% ezelude colored men from the right oi
rsarsss in West Virginia, and in the same
convention he also voted to deny the use oI
,Ss ballot at all elections to the white men
oi,heStats, and to compel them to vote viys
voee alter the old Virginia fashion-the
hshion that was defined to mean "the
aealthful Influence OF landlords over ten
anita" He also voted that the war settled
nothing as respects the right Of secession,
In other words, he voted against resolu'
tionin the Convention affirming that "thit
State has no right or authority to with
draw from the Government OF the United
States"
Hthis Is not about as dense Bourbon
record as West Virginia Democrat could
we'll make for himself, we are at q loss to
tell what would constitute such record.
Judge Brannon's record is radicalism
compared with 1t. Certainly no Republi-
can would gag at Brannon's record and
swallow that OF Mathews.
We're it not for the relations..thst Mr..
Camden occupies to one OF the greatest
nouopoliss in the land we should say tina.
his record WAS freer from objection than
almost any OF the prominent Democratic
Candidates, although, in strict truth, we
DO not really know that he had any politi
cal record during the war. He was nc
doubsa Confederate sympathizer, but 50
busy perhaps most OF the time in the oil
business as to have made little or nc
sign in politics. As for Mr.. Here
ford, We find no traces Of any Unior
record in the sketch prepared for the Con
sressiousl annals by his own hand, al
though it Is said that he did take side
With the Union cause in California wher
the war broke out. Perhaps out Of con
'ids'ation Tor thelieelings of the West vir
sniA Democracy, and with view to in
c'easinG his political chances, he prudent
y omitted any reference to 1t in the an
aAls. Atall events. he isvery narrow anS
very bitter, Notwithstanding he owes hil
election in 1877 to the Republicans.
twill thus be seen that there is no re
@A'kAble scope for Republican choic'
AMONG the prominent Democratic candi
dates. In point Of brains and characte
Judge Brannon undoubtedly stands at th
aeAd OF the list. There Is always hope 10
4 man Of brains and candor, aud this
Why on general principles we have beel
inclined to prefer Brannon as dernier re
sort.