The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-03-07
GOVERNOR GOFFS CLAIMS.
An Eastern Papers Comments on the Situa.
ton ut Charleston,


ton Mt Charleston.
BALTIMORE, NID,, March 6.-The Amer-
ican says; The political situation in
West Virginia is a strange one. We
know OF no precedent, and It should be
so adjusted as not to encourage similar
conditions in future. There is no
analogy between 1t and the Dorr con.
troversy in Rhode Island. The essen
tial weakness Of DORIS position was that
he was not supported either by the letter
or tho spirit OF the law, and the action
OF himself and his followers was
sheer rebellion. In West Virginia
there can be no doubt Of the
substantial justice Of GofF's claim to the
Governorship. Had itnot been evident
that he was elected by majority OF the
suhrages Of the people, q partisan Legis.
lature would not have refused to per.
form Its constitutional obligation and
declare the vote. The object OF not doing
so was to deprive Gof Of his Constitu.
tional right to the Office and retain
Democrat. But d Democrat ia clearly
precluded by the Constitution from
holding over, and Carr, the President Of
the Senate, by the same instrument as.
serts right 10 succeed to the vacant OF.
fee.
As far as we are able to unrayel the
tangle, Wilson has no right to the office
whatever, Carr's claims depend upon a
contingency not contemplated and not
provided for by the Constitution; and,
upon the principle that no party can
take advantage Of It's own wrong, and
that what the Constitution expressly
declares shall be done, must be presumed
to have been done by the Legislature,
Mr.. Gof is in fact Governor OF West Vir-
ginia. To decide otherwise would be TO
admit the right Of the Legislature to
constitute itself q body entirely indie.
pendent OF and above the will OF the peo-
pie and the Constitution that creates 1t,
responsible to none for It's action except
It's own partisan and dishonest whims,
and able at any time to precipitate a
state OF anarchy and confusion that, II
persisted in, must sound the death knell
Of Republican institutions and popular
government.
Such IN Interpretation Is clearly inad-
missible upon prudential grounds. The
whole country Is interested in the de-
Cision OF the matter, because vicious
political precedents too often prove at
traCtive to parties In the heat OF excite.
ment, and nothing could be 80 damaging
To honest and stable government all
over the Union as 10 allow the recent
action OF the West Virginia Legislature
10 60 unrebuked and even rewarded by
substantial political advantages.
II Is eminently proper that the re.
sources OF the state tribunals should be
exhausted before any appeal Is made To
those OF the United States, but 1t must
be borne in mind that the national gov.
ernmcnt Is especially directed by the
constitution to see that each State Is pro.
Yided with q republican form OF govern.
ment. Nothing but the sternest sense Of
duty would probably induce the federal
authorities TO enforce this constitutional
provision, but should parties seek to
take advantage OF the anomalous Condi.
ton in which q recreant Legislature has
left the State, and disorder and turbu.
lenCe thereby ensue, as In the case OF the
Dorr insurrection, there would be no
other course open for the national gov.
ernment. There are good grounds, how.
ever, for believing that the conservative
public sentiment oil West Virginia will
force peaceful and Just settlement Of
the trouble, and one that will put an end
TO the legislative usurpation in the tti-
tnre,