The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-03
The Opposition in The Next Lssl.lature

1
The Republican members OF the next
Legislature will be as follows: seuators,
W. @. McGrew, Of Monongalia county, and
VIM. NJ, o. Dawson, Of Preston county.
Members Of the House, Lewis Wilson, Of
BM Mbour; George W. 'McCord, OF Brooke;
ON. Babb, Of Grant; John W. Hobbs, oil
Hancock; John Il. Riley, OF Jackson; W.
D. Wayt and Josiah Sinclair, OF Marshall;
Henry L. Cox and James s. Watson, Of
Menopgalia; John T. Silver, Of Morgan;
W. P. Hubbard, Of Ohio; ]. Day. OF Pen.
dleton; .. N. Orr and Page R. McCrum,
Of Preston; selmon Wells, Of Tyler; D. Q.
stsere, Of Peasants; and Floyd Lusk, Of
Wyoming. Total-ls.
In addition to these, there will be two
Greenbackers and two Independents, viz. !:
DR.. A. R. Bsrbee, Senator from the Fifth
district, and John X. Thompson, Delegate
from Putnam. The two Independents
will be L. Dawson, Senator from the
Twelfth district, and B. F. Fisher, Dele.
gate from Brsxton.
The total opposition to the Democracy
will, therefore, be twsnty.thrse. The
strength Of this opposition is almost equal,
man for man, TO that Of 1877. At that
time the Republicans counted FIVE sena-
tors and the Democrats nineteen,
and in the. House the Republicans
had II members and the Democrats 40.
Total opposition "a, or one more than In
the coming Legislature. Whether the
present opposition will hang as com.
pactly together in the election Of United
States Senator this time as they did in
1877 remains to be seen.
On the 10Th Of January, 1877, Just prior
to the meeting Of the Legislature, We re-
marked in regard to the division Of parties
as follows: "It will thus be seen that the
Republicans are not likely to exercise any
great amount OF control over the Democ.
racy on any party question like the elec.
ton OF Senators. They might, h:trepr, BY
some unforeen chance, hold The balance Of
poper, and thus be able 10 help dieatisfed
minority Of Me Democrats elect moderate
Democrat 10 Me United States Senate.
ave trust they will hold their fire until
they see chance to use 1t to the best
advantage"
Well, they did hold their FIRE short
time, aud did hold the balance Of power,
and did determine the selections. Atleast,
they brought about the election Of Davis
and Hereford on the particular day on
which they were chosen, and 1t is at least
an open question whether either Of them
could have been chosen but for the Re-
publican vote cast for them. We do not
say this as particularly glorifying over the
result. The feeling Of the Republicans
was that they did the best they could
under the circumstances, considering the
antecedents and well known proclivities
Of all the candidates. Messrs. Price and
Faulkner represented the Confederate
element as candidates. while Davis and
Hereford were supposed to represent q
mild type Of Union antecedents. This
was the reason, and about the only reason,
Of preference for them.
We do not know that We can do better
than to repeat the advice OF 1877 to the
opposition brethren this time, viz: tohold
their FIRE, and use their possible balance
OF power to the best advantage. II the
Bourbons are strong enough to elect one
OF their favorites at the start, why then
as q matter Of course. there will be nc
part for The opposition to play, but II they
shall be split up, rs they probably vii
be. there may be chance 10 make
choice OF evils. II broad.minded mar
OF liberal views can be found among th'
candidates presented by the Democracy
Il would be q good idea to make his ac
auaintance pretty early in the game anc
Five him q timely boost. a man who
Knows enough geography to properly ap.
preciate the territorial relations Of West
Virginia Is the man to seek out trst oi all
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