Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-10-22


treasures Of earth; this city, snstched
from the ashes, to rise in splendor and
renown, passing the mind to precon-
celve9
Truly, out of trial comes the strength
OF man, out Of disaster comes the glory
Of the State!
THE OCCASION.
We are met this day to honor the memory
of Christopher Columbus, to celebrate the
four hundredth annual return OF the year OF
his transcendaut achievement and, with
fitting rites, TO dedicate TO America and the
universe concrete exposition Of the worlds
progress between 1899 and 1898. No twenty
centuries can be compared with those four
centuries, either in Importance or In inter-
est, as no previous ceremonial can be COM
pared with this in its wide significance and
reach; because, since the advent of the Son
OF God, no event has had so great an intiu-
ence upon human affairs as the discovery or
the western hemisphere. Each OF
the centuries thai have interviewed
marks many revolutions. The merest
catalogue would crowd thousand pages.
The story of the least OF the nations would
FL a volume In what / have TO say upon
self 10 our own; ana, in speaking OF the
United States of America, propose rather
10 dwell upon our character as a people,
and our reel procal obligations and duties
as an aggregation Of communities, held to.
gether bya fixed constitution, and charged
with the custody of union upon whose
preservation and perDetuation in its orig
iual spirit and purpose the future or free,
popular government depends, than to enter
into dissertation upon abstract principles,
or 70 undertake an historic essay. we are
a plain, practical people. We are a race
Of Inventors and workers. not OF poets and
artists. We have led the worlds move
ment, not its thought. Our deeds are 20 be
found not upon frescOed walls, or II ample
libraries but in the machine shop, where
the spindles sing and the looms thunder on
the open plain, where the steam ploW, the
reaper and the mower contend with one
another in friendly war against the obdu-
racies of nature; lnthe magic OF electricity
as it pentrates the darkest caVerns with It's
irresistible power and light. Let US con-
slider ourselves and our conditions, as Tar
as we are able, with candor untinged by
cynicism, and a confidence having no air Of
assurance.
TIE TRUE AMERICAN PoLITY.
A better opportunity could not be desired
for study Of our pecuharities than is fur
nished by the present moment.
We are in the midSy OF the quad rennial
period established for the selection of
Chief Magistrate Each citizen has his
right Of choice, each has his right TO vote
and to have his vote freely cast and fairly
counted. Whenever this right is assaulted
for any cause wrong is done and evil must
follow, first TO the whole country, which
has an interest in al its parts, but most to
the community Immediately involved,
which must actually drink of the cup that
has Eontained the poison, and cannot es-
capeits infection.
The abridgement of the right Of suffrage,
however is very nearly proportional TO
the ignorance or Indifference Of the parties
concerned by it, and, there Is good reason
10 hope that, with the expanding intelli-
gence of the masses and the growing en-
hghtenment Of the times, this particular
form of corruption in elections will be re-
duced below the danger line.
To that end. as TO all other good ends, the
moderation of public sentiment must ever
be our chief reliance; for when men are
forced by the general desire for truth, and
the light which our modern vehicles of in
formation throw upon truth, to discuss the
public questions for truths sake, when It
becomes the plain interest of public men. OS
Il is their plain duty, TO do this, and when,
above all, friends and neighbors cease to
love one another less because Of their in
dividual differences Of opinion about public
affairs, the struggle for unfair advantage
will be relegated TO those who have either
no character TO lose, or none 10 seek.
IL is admitted on all sides that the cur
rent Presidential campaign is freer from
excitement and tumult than was ever
4 ,aAf ,.,, 80
knowa 9eIoIe' anu ana We are r tTaSersing tbs
enoch of the commonplace. If this be so,
shank God for it! We have had full
enough of the dramatic and sensational,
and need a season of mediocrlty and re-
nose But may we not ascribe the rational
way in which the people are going ABOUT
tbefr business to larger knowledge and ex-
Derience. and u fairer spirit than have hith-
ERIC marked our party contentionst
Parties are IS essential to free govern
mept as oxygen to the atmosphere, or sun
shine TO vegetation. And party spirit IS
inseparable from party organism. To the
extent that it is tempered by good sense
and good feeling, by love OF country and IN
tezrity of purpose, it is supreme Vlrture;
aud there should be no gag short OF oecent
regard for the sensibilitieS OF others put
upon It's freedom and plainness OF utter
ance Otherwise, the lmpld pool OF Demo
HT0eE
a Repubic only in name. But we should
DeveI cease to oe admoniShed by the warn
inq words of the Father Of his Country
against the excess of party spirit re-en-
forced as they are by the experience OF
century OF party warfare; a warefare hap
pily eliminating in the complete triumph
Of American principles, but brought many
times dangerously near TO the humiliation
of all that was great and noble IN the ma
tional life.
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS.
Sursum Corda. We have in our own
time seen the Republic survive an ire
pressibie conflict, SOwn in the blood ana
marrow of the social order. We have seen
the Federal Union, not too strongly put
together in the first place, come out OF
great war Of sections, stronger than when
In went into il, its faith renewed, It's credit
rehabilitated, and its flag saiuted with
love and homage by sixty millions OF God
fearing men and women, thoroughly recon-
ciled and homogeneous. We have seen
tho Federal Constitution outlast the
strain, not merely OF a Reconstruc-
tory ordeal and Presidential i'm
peachment, but disputed count OF the
Electoral vote, Congressional dead
lock. and On extra constitutional tribunal,
vet standing firm against the assaults OF
its enemies, whilst yielding itself with ad-
mirable fiexibility 10 the needs of the
country and the time. And, finally, we
saw the gigantic fabric Of the Federal Gov
ernment transferred from hands that held
il a quarter of a century to other hands,
without protest, although so close was the
poll in the final count that a single blanket
might have covered both contestants for
the chief magisterial Office. With such a
record behind US, who shall be afraid Of
the future
The Young manhood Of the country may
take this lesson from those of US who lived
= 49, IA 1900 .-anr.,.