The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-01
"A LAZY DREAKGR.O


An Outside View Of the Inside OF n Political
Move In West Virginia.
Ncp York Tribune, DtceWbcF %.
The Governor Of West Virginia, being
u Democrat Of thesort which tho Tribune
without hesitation calls disloyal, sets an
example that his political friends may
we'll hope their opponents will never see
fit to follow, According to dispatches,
he gives certificates OF election To two
Democratic members Of Congress.elect
whose seats are contested by Republi.
cans, but refuses to give certificates to
two Republican members OF Congress
elect whose seats are contested by DEM
ocrats. II the dispatches do not niSrep-
resent the matter, these four personE,
two OF each party, were elected on the
face OF the returns, and in accordance
with decisions OF the courts in the vari.
GUS cases, but the Governor constituted
himself returning board, and declined
to respect the ret(irns when they indi-
Gated the election Of his opponents. It
ia not intended TO do the Democratic
Governor any injustice, and every good
citizen will hope that facts or provisions
OF law not yet made known may afford
some color Of justification for his con-
duct, for II 1t DO correctly reported, II Is
simply q case OF naked and impudent
law.breaking.
The Governor who breaks the law sets
n dangerous example 10 his people and
10 Other Governors. There may be
found some process by WHICH even the
instrument Of West Virginia bandits can
be made to feel that civilized Nation
condemns him. Public opinion maynot
count for much, 1t Is true, to an official
who owes his official existence to such
violators Of law a. haYe been operating
In West Virginia, but he may perhaps
be reached nevertheless, II tho Federal
courts or Congress take cognizance oil
his behavior.
The question which will at once be
suggested TO every mind is whether our
form OF self.government could continue
to exist at all, II other Governors were
also law-Dreakers, as this person APP
pears to be. What would be our form
Of government, II, after the people had
voted in Ohio or any other State, the
Governor should calmly proceed to give
or withhold certain certificates as he
might please? How would II be II Re-
publican Governors in Illinois, Michi-
gan or California should act on the same
plan? Tho principle could be carried
only Shade further. II Hopld next be-
come q political necessity for State can:
vassers to refuse to give 9 certificate q
election to a Governor Of adverse poll
tics, on some pretext Of legal informal.
ity: a political necessity for Republi-
can Legislature To count in Republican
candidates every time, and to count out
Democrats; and so 1t would presently
come to pass that voting would DO a
miserable farce aud waste OF time,
= Only one thing saves this Nation from
atlarchy-the respect OF decent citizens
for law. II the Governor OF West Vir-
ginia has put aside law IN order to serve
His party, he IL astonishingly foolish In
this case, for there Is % Republican ma.
jority to organize the House without
either OF the members from West Wiz
ginia, but that does not make him a de-
cent man. ItdOes not make his conduct
less disgraceiul or less disloyal. In that
case this particular Democrat will Dol
considered, by every respectable citizen
Of any party, q person incomparaDly
moro guilty and more dangerous 70 CIV
ilized society than any Of tho thieves,
murderers, bandits and other criminals
who arc hunted by the law.