Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1898-08-16

OOIAHSti1 u AdmRHAiS 40 SH"l4
man.
Barbour. D. Robinson.
Berkeley-P. R. Harrison.
Granite. C. Marshall.
Hampshire-A. B. C. Whitacre.
Hardy-B. Daily.
-Iefferson-William Campbell.
Marfon-J. E Mccoy.
Mineral-Tom f. Kenny.
Monongalia-P. P. Reay.
Morgan-A. r. Unger.
PendIeton-B. II. Hiner.
Preston-W. G.. Brown, Jr.
Randolph-Dr. j. c. Irons.
Taylor-Dr. T. B. Yates.
Tucker-J. w. johnson.
THE P1ATFoRM.
The Democrats of the Second Congressional
District of West Virginia, in convention as
semb!cd, adhering firmly to the time honored
principles of the Democratic party, and be-
iieying in the greatest good to the greatest
number of people, and in the largest liberty of
: thought and action with the well being of
society, with equal rights TO all men and
special privileges to none, and believing inthe
least possible government consistent with the
good order and security of society, and that
the function of government i not to distri-
hute benefits to the fayOrite few. but TO secure
the freedom of the person, the safety of prop
erty aud individual rights, declare,
First.-Wc reafirm and ~reiterate the prin-
ciplcs of the Democratic party as declared at
its national convention at Chicago in 1896.
Second.-We realiirm our adherauce to the
Monroe doctrine. aud declare that VIC are OPP
posed to cntangling alliances with foreign
nations.
Third.-We are in favor of the restoration
of our merchant marine to the proud place it
L nHna IuVl r,V,nv, Nfn 1,ftrIa a nnI to this and
we favor the construction and ownership by
the people of this country of the Njcarauguau
canal, as n necessary measure for the adj
-vanceIncnt OF our constantly increasing COM
MERGE. and for the protection of our coasts in
times of war; and to the same end we favor
the acquisition of such cOaling stations aud
hGrbors of refuge Us may be necessary in diff
ferent parts of the world, for the advancement
of our trade and the protection OF our COM
merSe.
Fourth.-And whereas our country is about
to emerge from a war with Spain, begun
aud waged, us was %sOlemnly declared by the
President uud Congress of the United States.
not for the purpose nf conquest or territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but for the purpose of eX-
tending to the oppressed people of CubR thu
blessings of a free, enlightened and stable
government, we point with pride to the course
of the Democratic minority in the Congress of
tie United States, III the patriotic course pur-
sued by them in rising above party politics
and extending to the administration their un-
ihaAAAAIA ChifblG IA - A5O1OGo RASsEGlLIOu VI
the war to Il spcedy and victorious conclusion.
and VIC rejoice, moreover. in the fact that n
prompt Response from all sections of the
country to the governments call to arms has
obliterdted forever the last vcstage of the sec
tionaI auimosities which we are engendercd by
the unfortunate war between the states. and
in the ike spirit OF patriotism we denounce as
unwarrautGd By the facts any attempt to con-
vert THIS war from its original purpose into u
war for the purpose of aiding any political
party or political candidate i'll the coming
election. We extend greetings to the brave
soldiers aud sailors of the United States, aud
particularly to those from our own state, who
responded to their country's callto arms. And
we rejoice in the hope that the day is not far
distant when the blessings of peace shall be
restored to our common country with honor
to ourselves aud deserved liberty to the strug-
Cling patriots in the island of Cuba
Fifth.-And iii view of the probable stipulO-
tons and terms of peace about TO be made
with Spain, we declare it to be the sense OF this
convention that sIch terms of peace ought to
he negotiated as viii open the gates of trade
to the expanding IN OF the United
States in every quarter of tho world; and We
also favor the permanent acquisition of snch
Spanish territory in the Western Hemisphere
as may lie consistent with the policy of gov
crnment laid down by Washington, Jefferson
and Monroe and known us the Mouroe doc
triue, but we are unalterably opposed to the
establishment of any iniptr rial policy in the
government of this republic which would tend
to involve us with ~entaugling alliances or the
complications likely to involve us in wars
with foreign nations, and which would ncccs-
state Z large standing army in time OF peace,
SiXth-We denounce the action of the pres
ent representative of this district in the Con-
gress of the United Suites i'll voting for the
funding bill, which in effect would have given
to the Pacific railroad the millions of dollars
for which they were justly indebted to the
government, aud for his uniform support of
every measure which has been against the in
terest OF the people of this country.
awrnvH A 4=-a, e IHf- GVaNa SEQ 49,.
demu the present state government as grossly
incompetent. and We drplOTG the humiliation
of our people resulting from the action of the
Governor in his wastcful expenditure of public
fundsi and of his undigniicd and unwholesone
conduct in the pardon of u man convicted of u
criminal ofensc, coupled by n statement from
him endorsing violence and tending to justify
homicide; aud for his s~rcrifice of public veal
to promote his political welfare and that of
his political heuchmeu; and for his fuvoritism,
for his disregard of common ia rncss in
the management of the Safe guard, aud for
injecting part san politics into the manage
ment of Our state militia.
An recognizing t; Q Importance to the conn
try of the success of tho foregoing principles,
we cordially invite the corporation of all cit
liens of this district. without regard to their
former political affiliations, and who may
have hitherto differed with us upon whatever
issues, believing, us we do, that u united and
harmonious organization will assure us u
great victory i'll the coming election.
THE NOMINEE.
John II. McGraw, nominee, is a native
West Virginian, race of the soil, about 40
years of age, and was born in Grafton,
where he resides. A graduate of Yale
College, a lawer in full practice and con-
nected with the railroad, coal andIumber
development of West Virginia. 1t issaid
he owns more land in West Virginia than
any other single individual in the State.
Under Cleveland's first administration he
was the Collector of Internal Revenue for
the District of West Virginia, comprising
the whole State, and during the same adj
ministration was the United States Dis
bursting Agent for the State OF West vir-
GINA, and as such distributed the public
moneys appropriated for the building and
repairing of the Government buildings in
the State.
He was a delegate at large for the
State of West Virginia to the Democratic
National Convention, which met at Chi
cago, and vigorously supported Bryan
for President, and had charge of the lat
ter's trip in Maryland and West Virginia.
Is the member of the Democratic National
Committee for the State of West Virginia.
He was the warm personal and political
friend of ex-Postmaster- G General Wilson,
ana had the honor of presenting that
Sentleman's name to the first convention