Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-22
pRoeRxss OF THE CAMPAIGN.


Not quite seven weeks remain for the
opposing parties in the political field to
sum up their Arguments aud refer than 10
THAI high court, beyond which there is no
appeal the ballot box. There has been a
steady rise Of the tide setting in the Dem
ocratic direction, and the prospects are
highly encouraging for 3 grand Democratic
victory on the sixth of November. The
plan Of campaign adopted by the Rspubli-
cans consists almost wholly of lies, for
gsriss and misrepresentation, and they
have made q serious m~iscalenlstion as to
toe intelligence and common sense of their
hearers aud readers. Such 3 plan might
have some show Of dseeiving the peo-
pie were il started immedi.
Ately before the election, but there
has bsen ample time TO show its unscrup-
ulous character. On the Democratic side
it is q campaign entirely Of intelligent dis,
cussion and inquiry. No question in a
political canvass has received such thought.
full consideration as that Of tariff reform,
and the masses of the people are being
made thoroughly sequsiuted with it in all
its bearings. The senseless, parrot-liks
cry Of free trade has lost all its power Of
alarming American industries, for the
people understand that their interests are
sedulously protected under the Democratic
measures of tariff reform, and that the
trusts alone are clsmoring because their
power Of doing evil is curtailed.
The results of the Maine election show
that the Republicans are losing ground in
their most bossted strongholds, and the
progress of the spirit of tariff reform
throughout the country, especially in the
west, is 30 marked that Chairman QUAY,
Of the Republican National COMMITTEES,
can not help showing, by his acts, that be
is in despair. He is s~trsining every nerve
to secure a sufficient supply Of fat" on
the virtues of which alone he depends.
Chairman BRICE, Of the Democratic
Committee, has Just returned to New York
after an extended western trip, and bring
home the most cheering ews His co.,
f~srepces with the managers of the Demo
cratic campaign in Illinois, Michigan, Wis
consin, Iowa and Minnesota, have revealed
q most encouraging state of things in those
States. There will be astonishing changes
in the western vote, this year, and the
Democratic gains are likely to upset all
calculations.
T In West Virginia sll the Democrats have
to fear is over-conidence. Democrats
must ge. out and work, no matter how
confident they may be. 1t is q sort OF
political hand to hand conflict. The Re
publicans are not ~contenting themselves
with the ordinary campaign methods, but
have put scores of skilled liars in the held
to work upon voters secretly. For, be it
known, that Republican defeat this time
means the end of the Republican party
hence the desperation of our political oppo.
nents and their determination to stop at
nothing. But the Democrats bavs the
vantage ground, especially IN this State,
where progress and prosperity have beer
the coneomitants of Democratic govern
ment. The truth and the arguments also
are on their side; and With GROVER
CLEVELAND IS the national stsndardbsarer
and the popular and able Judge FLEMING
as the State leader, with proper Organiza-
ton we may put West Virginia down for
3 handsomely increased majority. The
people have had such an intimate expert
ence of the benefits of honest, economical
government, that no amount of misrepre-
s~entstiou, on the part of the monopoly and
trust party, can deceive them.
The return of the Republican party to
power at this stage and with its same old
leaders would be . signal for the revival OF
corruption aud misgoyernnent in its
worst forms. The enforced absence Of the
public plunderers from the control OF the
government has only whetted their appe-
tite. and the present prosperity OF the
country would soon become q thing Of the
past were they to get back into power
again. The people well understand this
and do not propose to give them the oppor-
tunity. At the same time, we repeat, it
behooves the friends Of good government
not to relax their vigilance and activity
until the fight is over. The enemy is des-
perste and entirely Inscriptions,
knowing that defeat this year
means total destruction. 1t has
been already sufficiently demonstrated
that no means are considered too despica-
bic, no weapon too eowsrdly, by the Re-
publican leaders to enable them to get
back into power. False business reports,
intimidation, forgeries and lies have al
ready been tried by them and will be put
in requisition as long as the campaign
lasts.
As To THE PERCENTAGE OF RE-