The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-04
nos. ALExANnEn'S GAsDipACY.

IIas he my Claims Upon tho Rcpubii.
ems for support "a Review Of the
rmst ann the Present.
cadl1 10y Republican Of September %. lr
As soon rs Ross Alexander was nomi-
mated for Congress in this District, and the
lac. was telegraphed 10 the several coun.
lies, the politicians in every county com.
menced quoting the sentiment, 40 he IN.
returning brarts, and may there d.a million Of
Mcmr' Everybody remembered Ross Alex
ander by tho expression Of that sentiment.
Whether just or unjus! 1t had been attribu.
ted 10 him in former years. and the mem.
DRY OF it had chung to him like tho memory
Of his name itself. d....l44f,. .,s.,.s3fI
It is but justice to Mr.. Alexander to say
that he now very emphaticaly denies that
he ever uttered the language above quoted.
IIe says that he never expressed such n
sentiment. We IRE glad that he feels free
10 deny ii, for he said enough harsh and
bitter things during the war, the Lord
knows, without going to the extreme depth
that is implied III the quotation that has
been 80 long attributed TO him.
There is no Democrat who took the OK.
remely bitter position occupied by Mr..
Ross j. Alexander during the war, but is
ashamed now OF his course and OF many
thugs that he said, and would gladly have
the people forget them. ltwould be more
manly in him, however, and he would
command the respect Of more Republicans
Il he would come out openly and ne
knowledge that he was on the wrong side
during the war, and that he said many
things that were foolish and unpatriotic, ii
not actually reasonable, but that the re.
suit OF the war and the continued success
OF the Republican party had taught him
some valuable less6ns-that he is heartily
ashamed Of his past record. and hopes that
III indulgent public will forgive and, forget.
But ii seems to be the policy OF Mr.. al
exander, and especially Of the Democratic
papers OF the District supporting him, 10
deny with vehcmcnce the one particular
expression about the ''nnreturning braves"
and 10 raisc terrible hcllabello against
everybody that dares quote 1t. They are
not able to see that they arc in a position
where modcsty would be mora becoming
than denunciation. They have attracted
30 much attention by the vehement man.
ner OF their denials that tho public has
been compelled to ask-"Why, what sort
OF man was this Ross Alexander, during
the war? Was he h good true Union man;
and was he in active and hearty sympathy
with the Union soldiers, and did he do oil
TINT man who aspires to DO Congress.
man should have done toward the suppress.
Sion Of the rebellion? What WAS his posi-.
ton during the dark hours OF the war;
On which side was he making speeches
then? Why do they quote such saying
aboat him il he was Nil right and in sym.
pathy with the Union soldiers? OF course
all these questions have to be answered,
and OF course it necessitates that all OF
Ross Alexander's dark and ugly record
shall be laid open before the people,
We should not have thought OF giving
the matter much attention il it had not
been for the terrible howl that has recently
been made on the subject by tho Demo.
ocratic press OF tho district. The Cadiz
.Sniincl, ior example, which is paper that
~ notorious for making the fouiest ind
drtiest attacks on Republican candidates,
Seems to regard it as u terrible matter for
any newspaper to publish the quotation
attributed TO Ross Alexander. AIler Ross
Alcxander's nomination the llarrsvilla
Obserrer copied the popular quotation"
In common will. tho other newspapers Of
the district. The Observer is a local, neu-
trail paper, but naturally quoted as a mat.
ter OF political news what everybody was
saying But the Sentinel takes the matter
up us n most terrible oilense, aud in half
column article makes a most woeful ut
tack on tho Observer.
We don't want to paint Mr.. Alexander
III blacker colors than he deserves. lie has
personally many good traits OF character,
but politically he is not tho kind Of a man
that Republicans can support, and Just
now it il Republican votes that he is ask.
ing Tor. He is asking to DO sent to Con-
srcss from II Republican District By Repub-
lican votes, and in order to get these the
Democratic press Of the district Is terribly,
filthy abusive, Of every Republican that
desires to bring up Ross Aexandcr's war
record, or to refer 10 the sentiment that
has been attributed to him ever since his
speeches during the war. But what was
,>ses AN'S'>"'ANNA o toaat'oh oahitis NV Nnll
Let lis state it briefly, and plainly, and
fairly: 4 e
Mr.. Alexander was a Vallandingham
Democrat, not only in the sense OF voting
Tor Vallandnghan, MS many an honest
Democrat did, but in the sense of holding
to Fallandingham's ideas OF opposition to
tho war, and OF going 10 tho bilterest ex.
trcmes Of opposition 10 all that was done
by the Republican party in support OF the
Union army, OF the abolition OF slavery,
md Of the restoration OF the Union itself
II Mr.. Ale1ander's political sentiments
had prevailed, the war would have been Il
failure, and the Union army would have
returned home in shame md SORROW. Ii
Mr.. Ale1ander's political theories had been
carried out there would be today Il divided
union, half free and hnli slave, eacl, side
maintaining an immense standing army to
maintain peace between the unseconeiled
sections This is the kind Of man that
is asking now to DO sent to Congress from
Republican District by Republican
votes ~ rE liz 81 5f2s.3s' 4
= Now. il Ross Alexander did not happen
10 get off the particular expression about
Tho "unrGturning braves" lie did in fact
express sentiments on every public occa.
sion wherever he made speeches, .or.wher-
ever no conversed on the subject OF the
war, that were calculated 10 discourage
p. Union soldiers and to give aid and comfort
to the enemy. 1t is mere bubble to deny
the uttcmnce Of one political sentiment,
when no expressed a thousand that practi-
cally meant the same thing i, .5.r
" Mr.. Alexander is going around over the
district howing and scrapinS to Rcpubli.
cans, untl asking them to vote for him,
while tho Democratic press is trying to
make out to the Republicans that Ross has
always been and is now a believer in all