Evening star., 1896-08-08
THE REVOLUTION fW0 YEARS AGO
Multitude Of Candidates for All
Sorts of Places.
SOME POLITICAL HISTORY

very large extent, the western counties of
old Virginia were whiggish. tempered. how
ever. with a large infusion Of Jefferson
states rights and Hickory jackson democ-
racy. Thus 1t may be safely said that up to
and previous to 1850 the predominant strain
of politics was whiggery such. for instance.
as was understood and promulgated by
Henry Clay. From whiggery to republican,
ism was the natural transition in those
days, and in this transition the sympathy
between the sections was not largely dis
turbed.
But, while there was a strong bond of po-
litical affinity between the sections of the
state for thirty years or more before the
war, the sympathy that compacted the tide
water and middle portions Of the state with
the southern country at large, and the
mountainous and transmontane northwest
was more or less precariouS. The trouble
grew out Of slavery, for which the north
west was not suitable, by virtue of geog-
raphy or climate. In the state convention
OF $3.50 gradual emancipation was seriously
mooted, and the northwest was prominent
in the person of Alexander Campbell of
Brooke, then conspicuous as a religionist
and educator, and by others from this sec
ton. The movement seems to have been
premature. but, although 1t failed 1t in
dlcates to certain extent the feeling Of the
people of the northwest on that question
which, 1T may be truthfully said was the
politics of that day and for thirty years
after.
Against Slavery,
The causes that produced a desire for
gradual emancipation were not eradicated,
but remained to ranke and keep I'D the
dissa atisfaction. and when the era of seces-
sion Of 1851 came around 1t found about
one-third of the state by no means anx-
ious for the proposed confederacy. The au-
thorities at Richmond previous to and af-
ter secession tried by cajolery and force to
undermine the loyalty of West Virginiane.
but though in some instances they sue
ceeded. the resolute majority Of the west
ern people stood true to their faith in the
Union. They took little stock in states
rights or pro-slavery democracy.
Then came an irregular period. After Sc
cession there was a more or less anoma-
lous time until when. by the authority of
the people interested and by sanction OF
the United States government the provis-
iona1 government under Perpont was ex-
changed for state organization, corrected
of all Irregularities, and the state of West
Virginia formally Joined the sisterhood.
This was iE June. 1863, in the very midst
and dead waste Of the war, but the pre-
dominant characteristic of steadfast 10y
atty to established Institutions and law re-
mained. The state. SO far as votes show.
became republican-as the other side per-
sistently systematically republican.
1t is an evidence OF the conservatism of
West Virginia politics that there were then
within the limits of the territory affected
not few who were not overZealous for
the new state and opposed it. 1t was not
because they had any love for the peculiar
institution or were wanting In loyalty to
the federal Union. On the contrary they
were of the type Of the most jealous
Unionists. but along with lingering par
tiality for the name and fame Of the old
dominion they entertained the idea that 1t
would be better to preserve the integrity
OF the state and depend upon the power Of
the United States and their own exertions
IN har m l,A
without division abide the results Wheth-
er their idea was the best may even yet be
a subject for debate. The temptation for
a separate state autonomy, with the gilt
tering prizes OF United States senatorships.
state governorships and a state capital at
Wheeling. was paramount. Then followed
two more years Of war, then peace in
April 1866 and then the process of recon-
struction. rot as between citizens of an ex-
rebellious state and the United States gov
ernment, but as among ourselves, for we
had never seeded
RecOnstructfOn Lines.
Under Governors Pierpont, Boreman and
Stevenson. the earlier governors, the hand
of authority had come down with some
severity. laws were enacted that bore rath-
er heavily upon the feelings and estates of
some, and not a few others smarted under
the sting of military coercion-all this was
exaggerated and made the most Of and 1t
came to pass that in the year 1870 there
was a political revolution. followed shortly
afterward by a new regime.
In that year the republican majorities
that had prevailed in most of the counties
partly owing to disfranchisement of the
retel sympathizers, partly to the refusal Of
sympathizers to vote, partly to the absence
Of many in the rebel armies, were reversed
The salutary tests ard war restraints were
maenif1ed into acts of tyranny. and long
after most Of them were repealed such men
as Senator Faulkner continued to harp
about test oaths and force bills" All this
though hardly reasonably. had its effect
much bad material to the surface, and, al
together. matters gradually worked them
selves into fair shape for revolution
About 1870 it came, and 1t lasted until about
1894.
Meanwhile the state progressed in ma
terial wealth. The opening up of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad from the
Ohio to tide water and the Improvements
rivers led to the development of vast
mining industry and to great increase of
population in some of the hitherto almost
wilderness counties, and along the new
railroads interesting the Baltimore and
Ohia railroad In the older sections.
Northern Immigrants.
Much Of this increase by which the popu-
lation Of 442O14 in 1870 grew to 49,. 794 In
1890 was, Of course, of northern origin, and
the northerners brought, with their north
ern thrift and enterprise and industry, their
northern ideas about politics. The native
mossbacks deprecated and berated the new
corners politically ard socially at the same
time that they welcomed them financially.
They denounced them as carpet baggers.
and tried the shotgun policy on the soiored
miners imported from Virginia and Ken
lucky when the colored miners acquired
citizenship and the right to vote by due
residence and compliance with the suffrage
laws. But 1t would not work. Another
revolution was at hand as irrepressible as
the revolution Of S81-65, or 1904. At the
presidential election Of 1892 there was q
democratic majority in the state for Cleve-
land Of Alta. in every congressional dis
trict in the state the democracy elected
their nominees. and the legislature was
largely democratic, making the only un-
certain thing about the election Of q United
States Senator their own Inability to agree
among themselves as to whom they want
ed. This was in 1892 In 1904, in a short
two years. mark the change. There was no
presidential election. OF course but the re-
rublicans elected every one of the four
Congressman by an aggregate plurality Of
13 800 and about two-thirds Of the legis-
lature. insuring the election Of the first
United States Senator In twenty-five years
5. B. Elkins.
Going Republican.
This brings uS to the point-vhat ia the