The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-12

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slave oligarchy Of the past. They come
into Congress bring Il casting vote for
the legislation OF the future and to force
from tho two great parties a C~Onsidera-
ton that tho south has not received.
Not by the ordinary standards may
we DO Judged. Peculiar conditions OF
life and habits OF thought: political in.
stitutions and forms OF discussion differ
ent from those in other states, and the
imprint and impulse OF another civil
zation must MI be considered IN mGGs-
tring the rising tide that to-day threat
ems the Southern democracy.
A coSTnAsT.
In tho north there is neither castcnor
distinction OF men, nor is it dishonora-
BILE to disagrea. Tic Democratic and
tho Republican papers fall ut tho same
door, aud may be seen upon the came
table without requiring an explanation
or an apology. Families OF different
political beliefs intermarry and brother
votes against brother without giving
offense. Here it Is different. In the
great city OF Richmond not a Republt-
a paper is printed, and not twenty
daily Republican papers are subscribed
for. There are families OF wealth,
where are grown children who have
never yet read u Republican paper;
and the Virginia case OF Claiborne vs..
Claiborne, in which Judge Anderson
declared that a husband who has dis
graced his family by voting u Republic
a ticket has committed "Gn infamous
ofense" and given cause for divorce,
created no surprise. There independ-
ence is the rule, here the exception.
There labor is honorable and rewarded,
here 1t is without honor.
when the war came on the great mid.
die class, who, one cynically said, had
Everything at stake and nothing to
lose" marshalled under the banner OF
the ~aristocracy, aud formed the bravest
and best disciplined unpaid army OF
the world. From habit they waited the
word Of command and without ques-
zion or protest went down to death
together"
Sympathy ran through the world for
100000 of black slaves, but who con-
eidered the condition OF 100000 OF
white men without a free school?
How were these kept under? Thou
sands who went forth prospered. From
the northwest came back senator's and
congressman governors, judges, million
aires rose from the sons of these pro-
scribed classes. Abraham Lincoln,
Allen G. Thurman and Cyprus II. Nc
Cormick are only the leaders Of an
army who became distinguished. The
fault was not in the character Of our
people but in their conditions. The
law that establishes caste requires that
labor shall be degrading, and that there
shall be some public peril. Slavery
gave these conditions; and once estab-
lished, no Tyranny more easily perpetu-
ates itself.
A REVELATION.
Grant had captured the south, not
when he took Lees sword, but when he
returned it, and the invading army,
which they had boon told would be
turned loose to burn and ravish and
hang, filed us with amaZement as il
silently withdrew. The erich mans
war and the poor name fight" was over,
but the cause OF the non-slave-holding
white man was not the cause that was
lost. In the invasion OF Pennsylvania
and from returned prisoners they had
heard OF a civilization that was higher
than theirs, OF a country where labor
was honored and where the child Of the
poo was given an even start with the
child OF the rich, and generally out-ran
him; and where the man who came as
n candidate for Office or esteem was not
asked about his father but about him
self. .
A new vision lifted their eyes. II
the national administration had been
wisesit might have divided the south
by a word, bat it did not understand
us. Reconstruction came driving its
ploughshare deeper than that OF war.
II the condition Of the laboring white
man was raised, the freedmen we're
lifted to his level and in numbers out
ranked him. Ho must elect between
alliance with the hated %aristocracy or
tho despised slave. The spectre OF
negro domination stalked the cotton
states and threw its shadow into the
mountains. The story Of San Domingo
was revived. Tales Of revenge, OF poi
soning, rape and arson were spread
wide. Again they were appealed to,
like the men OF Ulster, to Stand to-
gether," and the Solid South was Gre
ated.
Not everywhere was the spirit OF In
dependence crushed. In Western Vir.
GINA it swept !orty.fve counties and
created a state. In Eastern Tennessee
It held two congressional districts. In
parts Of Kentucky, Missouri and Mary
land Il made effective stand. In Vir-
Cinia 1t later rose upon . local issue and
swept the aristoCracy from every pace
Of power; and year alter year free
schools and new industries made il
more difficult for the privileged few to
usurp all power.
Parties are born, not made. There
must be q great sense Of injustice and
bold leadership to insure any great
political departure. In half q century
only one party has been born, and that
came forth through the stress OF o
national conviction and the throes Of
nm i~nternecine war. No new party may
ho Granted by this movement, but II