The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-12
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TIE WHISPERING GALLERY.

have intended to bring the contsibn.
tiona close to the good people who have
the disposition to keep up with them. 1t
has been my aim above all 10 give them
present interest. Therefore ! invite, you
back to the carly part Of the las. century,
that once more you may throw your eye
on that, spectator paper Of July 25t I'LL,
wherein Addison proposes his plan OF "a
neutral body" that SHOULD act with re.
grid to nothing but truth and equity"
You remember the solemn and severely
practical form Of al association" put In
jos. enough words and not too many words;
S"Wewhose names arc hereunto Bubscrib'
ed do solemnly declare, that we do IN our
consciences believe that two and two make
four, and that VIC shall adjudge any man
whatsoever to 10 our enemy who endeaYors
to persuade US 10 the contrary. We are
likewise ready to maintain with the hazard
OF all that Is near and dear to liz, that six Ia
less than seven In oil times and In all
places, and that ten will not be more three
years hence than 1t Is at present. We do
also firmly declare, that 1t Ia our resolution
as long as we live to call black black and
white white. And we shali upon atf occa.
sions oppose such persons that upon any
day OF the year shalt call black white, OF
while black, with tho utmost peril Of our
lives and fortunes" IN
You will tell mo TINT party spirit ran
very high in those early daya-.hat ST.
Roger do Coverley WIS SO straight.laced
and inlense q Tory that he would not &c
much as bait at a Wing inn-and thai
Addison was laboring to bring forth plan
that would soften the ucerbitles OF partisan
political strife. But must remind my
iriends that there Is partisauahip, blind,
bitter and intense, outside Of politics. In
supporting his party, in hurrahing Tor his
fayorlte candidate, we expect The
political partisan 10 call black white
and white black. But I appeaI
for "nentral body" Of cool mer
(and am willing to make room for eligi
BILE women) who shall band themselves to-
gethcr to make life miserable for those say
age partisans who wage lop.sided and furi'
Gus warfare on every public question, who
resolutely declare that whatsoever Is not Of
their way Of thinking is knave, not be.
ing charitable enough to 10 allow that he
might be fool-w'hose arguments are
philippics and whose only weapon OF fence
Is mud. And when ! speak OF public
questions ! mean matters OF impor
lance 10 tho immediate commu
nifty in which man livee
Let us suppose thasthere- were now be
fore the people Of Wheeling, or Parkers
burg, or Grafton, or Charleston, or any
other city or town, a matter touching
deeply their local interests. l venture t
say that there would be a great din anG
confusion, possibly not for the expres,
purpose OF obscuring real Issues, but Ger
tainly with that general effect. Upon in.
vestigasion it would be found that a few
men were vigorously beating bass drums
and everybody would remember tba. finest
same men had beaten the came basl
drums before. 1t does not follow
that they beat bass drums out Of an evil
disposition. prefer to think that they
can't help it. But the bass drum.beatinp
goes on. Tho "neutral body" set upon
fair play and justice would either drown
these base drummers or seek employment
for them in the foreign-the very foreign
service OF their country. Being mer
who call black white, and white black
they come fairly under the ban OF the
"neutral BODY" which body suppose Il
be made up Of those citizens who wish
their community well aud are not benz
upon exploiting themselves at whatever
cost. ~
Recently an Eastern lady, afflicted with
catarrh, came to Wheeling to spend few