The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-11-29
WEST YIRGINIA'S SHARE OF THE
GLORY.

true and to the point, we must be
excused for committing theft: at
would be ungracious after national
political event so full of the prom-
Use ofgood things to tho entire coun-
try, to claim for West Virginia
more than her due share of credit
in bringing about that event, but
may we not be allowed to salute the
Democrats of this State for that
steadfastness of faith and that un-
faltering adherance to truth and
right which received so signal vim
dication on the 9Th day of this
month.
The Republicans have said that
West Virginia is a Democratic State
because it was once a slave State,
and, therefore, a southern or semi
southern State; that her people were
bourbons, who forget nothing and
learn nothing, that she was under
the control of the ex confederate
element; that the spirits of her peo-
pie were unprogressive and their.
habits and policies antiqnafed; that
-the5- were mossbacks; in short, it
was s'poor West Virginia" without
intelligence and modern spirit
enough to slip it's clogging corslet
of obsolete ideas and join the pro-
cession of Republican States march
ing on to wealth, power and glory.
Again and again the people of
that State have been appealed to to
cease being Democratic and become
Republican; the promises being that
good Republican victory, followed
by the Inauguration of a Republican
State administration would bring a
tide of immigration, double the val
ne of lands, open mines, build, rail
roads, build up the towns and cities,
bring into the State capital and cap
italists, and do all manner of delight
full and splendid things for them
and the State.
Is it not something to the honor
of the people of West Virginia, in
their situation and condition, that
they have remained unmoved by
these contemplate and miser-
able sneers, appeals, entreaties
and arguments until the whole
country came to see the truth as
they saw it, and ranged itself under
the banner which they had been SO
faithfully and patiently bearing
through years of national defeat and
encouragement The brave and
patient people of West Virginia
would not abandon Democracy and
become Republican, because they
knew it would be against their
States interest as we'll as against
the interest of that country they
loved SO well; being Democrats from
conviction they had an abiding faith
in the good, hard. common sense
and fairness of the masses of their
fellow citizens in other States, and
believed that sooner or later, they
surely would feel and believe as they
did on the great questions of the
day.
1t must be remembered that the
people of West Virginia were almost
ruined financially by the war; that
they had nothing but their lands left
them after the war; that much of
said land was covered by fine timber
and under laid with COAL. iron and
other minerals. The ablest and
best men in the Republican party
were successfully presented to them
to captivate them with their elo-
quence and convince them with
such arguments and appeals as we
have mentioned, but the true and
faithful Democrats rejeced them
one after another and persisted in
electing Democratic state officers,
members of congress and presi-
dental electors, not because West
Virginia is a Southern, or semi
Southern state; not because the
State is or was under the control of
the ex- Confederate influence, for
there are many more ex- Union
than Confederate soldiers in
West Virginia.
If it is asked, then, what is the
reason the people of West Virginia
refused to become Republican and
persisted in voting for Democracy,
let the full answer be found in the
result of the late Presidential elect
ion in which the people of the ma
ton with grand, imposing and con-
spieuous emphasis set their seal of
approval upon what the people of
West Virginian have been doing
for many years, through good and
owl ,.aDorf Tha trua and level