West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1881-12-02

49, $500
norlty were respected and held to be
sacred under the guarantees Of the
Constitution. But the dominant
party now in power Ass long since
discarded all such ideas of rsspect
Tor the rights Of the minority. The
Government was established by and
for the whole people OF the United
States, but now it has become no
phaticalIy a Government by and for
a mere political party.
Tie statesman who cares for tn,
whole country is discarded, and the
mere partisan has been substituted
True statssmanship, which rises
above party and carss for and guards
all the people in their equal rights,
privileges, and %imnunities, has been
displaced and supplanted by the
despotisn of narrow minded, cps-
sided partissnship.
'"' SiO9e VI inc war with the
Southern States, the leaders Of the
Republican Party, having the Gov
eminent then in their hands, with
the prestige Of the fallacious claim
OF having saved the Union, deter
mined TO PerpeLuate their PARTISAN
supremacy at all hazards. even
upon the utter destruction of the
fundamental principles of the Con.
stitutlon, aud the abrogation Of the
great landmarks of the Federal I'm
ION. Before tho Southern States
were allowed a representation in
Congress-, the Constitution was
amended and altered in many of its
most material provisions. And by
the reconstruction measures, and the
military rule and de.potism organ
ized for the control Of the Southern
States, free government and the
great principles of the Constitution
and the'Union were, for the time
being, utterly subverted and SUP
pressed AS this despotic sway
gradually wore away by the force of
enlightened public opinion, measures
were adopted by these leaders to
enable them.to corrupt and control
the elections o! the people. By a
system OF Supervisors Of Elections.
and Deputy Msrshals Of Elections.
unnamed and unknown TO the pub
lie, and without limit as to the mum
oer-all supported and paid out of
the National Tessury-and by the
use OF money without stint, and with
out the public having the means Of
knowing from whence or how it was
obtained, the voice of the people at
the ballot-box has been suppressed
ADD the elections utterly p~rostituted
and controlled by this party.9
With these means in the hands Of
interruptions political leaders, what
must be the workings and despotic
control OF party machinery VIII
a partisan President as the head of
hls party, surrounded by a Cabinet
of partisan ad visers, a partisan ma
Jority in both branches Of CONGRESS
and on the bench Of the Supreme
Court, what limit could be set TO the
sway Of such despotic machiner,2
The partisan fat Of the President
would be at nee affirmed in both
Houses of Congress, and IN the Su-
Prsme Court. Here is the desoot-
lem Of party enthroned, and capable
OF being more tyrannical and oppres.
'lV' than the rale OF any Emperor
or Monarch.
Senator SHERMAN, an acknowl-
edged leader, is high authority for
the ethics Of his party. Mr.. SHER-
MAN, in his place in the United
States Senate, deliberately and upon
consideration, declared (sss Con
gressional Record, vol. II, No. %.
P. TO- Of 7th April, 1881 that
anything that will beat down that
party (ths Demooratic) and build NJ
our " (tbe Republican, is justi6a-
bic in morals and in law"-that il,
anything, however immoral or Grim
lnal, that will beat down the Demo.
cratic Party and sustain The Repub-
lican Party, is justifable in morals
and in law. With this doctrine TO
guide the party in the elections, and
The management Of the whole ma
chinery Of the Government by party.
what does popular government
amount to-
To The most degenerate days Of
the Roman Republic, when CICERO
exclaimed 80 tempora, o moresI'
no degradation bad BEEN reached to
call forth the uDblusbing announce
ment Of such doctrine az that pro-