New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-27
WEST VIRGINIA'S DAY.
WHAT HONOR TO TWO OF HER CITIZENS
MEANS.
THE LONG CONFLICT OF LOYALTY AND DIsLof'
A1rY-JUDGE GoFF's DRAMATIC HIS;
roRY-rHE POSSIBILITIES OF THE
STATE REPRESENTED IN
THE LONG CONF

.rrv-upGE GoFF's DRAMATIC HIS:
roRY-rHE POSSIBILITIES OF THE
STATE REPRESENTED IN
SECRETARY ELKINs.
TO the Editor Of The Trib me-
Sir: The appointment OF two citizens vi " '" e.
Southern state TO the highest Offices In the GIT Oh INC
pros,aon, r,akes an event Of unusual Importance
Wbeihar his action Is considered an act OF recogn
ton ~ one OF the most loyal states OF the Nation OF Oh
announcement TO their continued and heroic enore !"
transfer IL to the Republican column, or as dec'ra'
ton OF his estimate Of the high character Oh te up
polntees, It is a prudent and praseworthy act INC
time IS past when the North can look compiacehtp
upon solid South. TO rely upon the soidty OF ihe
greater North immigration and local dslntegrauon
are reducing the strength OF the Republican STATES
President Harrison elected without southern Vo'e
but the twenty-one members sent to the Repuoi'can
side OF Congress alone made possible the success OF 7
Administration without them the Silver Dill woulo
have been passed. the Tariff bill defeated ana inc
nopuar verdict reversed 1t is yet possible to elect
President with the Northern vote alone, but IL may
never again be possible to control another Congress
or right another law.
In 1861 the hope Of a successful invasion OF the
South ley in the loyal districts OF East tennessee anu
West Virginia and thirty years later the opportunity
of the Republican party lies In the same directoh
Whatever criticism may lie against the management OF
some OF our Southern States condemnation cannot rest
upon West Virginia. Here is Republcanlsm OF the
most intelligent and defiant sort. IL Is not timeserV
Inc nor place-seeking 1t has developed In storms
that have made 1t sturdy as the twisted OAK IL
has passed through two distinct perods-the war peron
under the leadership of Arthur l. Boreman, and the
period of discussion under Nathan Goh The former
was Cromweian. BY force the State was created ana
nv force maintained Civil government rose from armed
camps Loyalty grew In peril and persecutloh' 'io
lence fronted violence The Richmond Government
proclaimed against the citizens Of the new State con-
Hscaton and death but when Castle Thunder opened
its doors for new state men" the Athenaeum at Wheel
ing opened wider for their neghbors Hostages were
held for every prisoner and cartel OF exchange was
forced by BOreman the abest war Governor OF this
Nation, before 1t was established by our Army.
When the minority commended for
control. Registration laws and disability enactments
were avaed Of The who had once appealed
from the ballot to the sword declared to have for
ever dIsfranchsed himself and the lawyer must
that he had never violated advised another TO VIC
late the Constitution, stand dsbarred The fercest
lnternecine of the century ragged In the mountain
spasses In 1879 the Democracy came into power.
Constitution and laws were swept aside. Every officer.
from the president Of the supreme Court to the con-
stable, whatever his remaining tenure removed;
the revengcs of restoration complete. In state
Of the South was'thcre such bitterness OF faction.
In 1861 the Western members Of the Constitutional
Convention Of Virginia, who reconvened after the
passage OF the ordinance of secession at Clarburg,
formed the first gathering OF feemen in the South for
eighty years They turned from the motto sic semper
tyrannis and wrote In letters Of fire and blood the pro-
phetic words for the new State and for the new
SOUTH "Montani semper liben." They abolished sav-
cry before the Emancipation They ppudiated States
rights before the Army crossed the border They
encouraged such adhesion to principle that it was
afterwaM said that West Virginia a State
IN which Republican ever known to cast
Democratic vote.
The effort to the State begun In 1876
and continued until 1883. During all this period
Golf was the acknowledged leader. lie proved him
self the bcsr debater that had ever taken up the
Republican argument in the South. lie ed
demand for Joint debates that was Irresistible He
led the final discussion with five OF his strongest
opponents pitted against him in the ablest discussion
since that Of Lincoln and Douglass He renoUnced
leadership when he referred his claim to the Govern
ship to preudiced court, and has now retired per-
manently from the political arena 1t Is n signii-
can't fact that at the bar and in the press Of the
district where he has practised for twenty years,
there is adverse criticism of his appointment by
his political opponents, and / believe this comes
from the general conviction OF his fairness and in
tegldty. He has been tried rs few men have been
tested. / may refer to two Instances When he hy
at Libby Prison under sentence OF DEATH when he was
sent into solitary confinement, when he was afterward
sent to work with convlcts 10 break his spirit and
who had been convicted as n spy, and for whom he
was held hostage; and when Mt last lie wrote 70
President Lincoln saying that II was hard for soldier
TO die vu;.:ct, he closed with one Of the most
remarkable sentences written by young man
under sentence of death
II Major Armsey is guilty he should lie executed,
regardless Of It's consequences ITO me. The life OF
single soldier, matter who he may be, should not
sand in the way OF adherence to great principle"
On March A. 1891, he appeared at Charleston 10
-ale the oath Of Office rs Governor. He had been
elected upon the face Of the returns certified by
a Democratic Secretary OF Stare, and Democratic
LEGISLATURE, unwilling to trust its own menters, had
forced an adjournment without declaring the result
The Capitol was flied with his determined followers.
They compelled him TO stand table, that they might
all see the oath administered, while Governor Wilson
| tremblcd for his life The sentiment OF n State
and Of q Nation was behind him. lie confident
that he could maintain himself in ofre. He astonshed
his followers by saying: al SHALL by consent. refer
this question to the Court Of Appeals" The quick
cry arose, "The court is pledged against YOU" And
set IL Is the court" he calmly replied. His life has
been full Of dramatic interest private soldier at
nineteen, brgadier general at twenty three member
OF the House OF Delegates twenty five, United Staess
District Attorney at twenty, seven Secretary of the
Navy at thirty eight member OF Congress at forty.
Court OF the United States at forty nine is the condensed
record.
the President did not honor political leadership alone
The way 10 West Virginia's deveraTce led through
her prosperity. Debate and development have gone
hand in hand. II Gof made tho argument Elhins was
one Of those who furnished the Illustration. When
| the Republican party created West Virginia II was
trackless wilderness The main line OF the Baltinore
and Ohio was the only railroad In her vast The
| first great invader G. p. huntington who has
given more personal capital and courage 10 the develop
ment Of the south than any other ten men now Living
The next great development led by 5. b. Elklns,
and the vast region that lay between the Potomac
| and the Elk rivers opened by his company.
| Mountaneers Isolated and poor were given profitable
employment values increased one thousand per cent.
| and the benefit Of a new civilization proved Mr..
Elkins Is also representative The struggle of
| Ills boyhood the success OF his mature life, and his
| helping hand have given him the sympathy and
| fdencc OF the common people. 1t Is reasonable TO
suppose that the encouragement given will insure
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