The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-31
doctrine, as principle q Law, Is vainiD,

doctrine, as o principle Of law, Is gaining
ground, asrcspects even the earlier corpora.
lions, that the eminent domain Of thepubllc
can meyer be aliena,ed by any act Of lesisla.
ton. The motto Of one Of the great west.
ern sta,esis "Salu, popuh suprma ea lsr''
1.-The welfare Of the people /, the supreme
law. In tho nature Of things, In popular
form Of government, this must be 60.
Our correspondent forecasts the occur.
renee oil the scenes OF the French reyolu.
ton In this country. This would only
show that our form OF government had no.
protected us from tho despotlc exactions,
expressions and determinations tia,
brought on those scenes. Who will affirm
that there Is any parallel in our history to
TINT Of France prior to her bloody revolu.
ton? That revolution had MI adequate
cause. 1t could not occur now under pop.
ular will In France. The ballot Is the per.
pe,ual saiety.yalve Of republic. The
steam will escape ut high pressure by The
election Of lawmakers who will represent
the popular will, us to the spirit OF the
Ia SIS, whatever that will may be. "
Our correspondent ignores tho daily ad.
vance Of popular education rs IN element
Of safety. lie opposes IN appropriation by
Congress 10 lift II. In this generation out Of
Il dangerous condition Of illitcracy. We
admit that such m appropriation is mat.
ter to be wisely considered, just rs Is the
fact that one voter out OF every five in our
land cannot write. We are In dilemma
as regards the impoverished States Of the
South ind their vast negro population who
are ignorant voters. To-day those States
are not equal to the burden Gust upon
them. Their illiteracy is menace 10 the
public safety. The preamble to the Con.
stitution Of the United States says that OIL
form Of Government was established to
promote tho general welfare and secur.
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity." This was its great object. Sec.
Sth Of the first article slys that congress
shall have power to provide for the "gen.
eral welfare Of the United States" Under
this power we recently appropriated large
sums Of money for the relief Of the over.
flowed people Of the South. They have
been relieved from the overflow Of water,
but are still ovelflowei- with illiteracy.
Toe aid contemplated for education does
not supersede but only supplements State
and local aid. 1t does not go TO school
houses, butte lengtheniug the school terms,
and to starting up schools, under suitable
restrictions, where the population is sparse
and the people utterly poor.
There are other points in the letter Of
our Grafton correspondent to which We
might refer, but space does not permit I
tins writing. We may say, however, in an.
swcr to his forcb0dinga on the labor Ques.
ton, in the matter Of the present collisions
between capital and labor, that We look for
ward othe day OF arbitration as Il day
t'i"t 10 surely eouiits, uiu luat ilhe aIDl'
tratlOn between nations is 10 supersede
war and strikes. Arbitration is in accord.
ance with the spirit Of the agc, because it is
bath practical and humanitarian in its
operations; BECAUSE it Saves the waste
Of accumulated savings and curluils the
spread and gravity Of vices and miseries
that grow out Of II long period OF enforced
idleness.