Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-08
One Baldwin Piano $l75
One Wesman Piano $lS5
One Ludwig Piano $500.
One ]. +. Hale Piano $lOO
One Chickering Piano $l25
For the next ten days we will
sell Bruno, Gordon, Bay State
and Washburn Mandolins at
40 per cent. below list price.
MlNigan, Wlkin ( Co.

AlOic dIu ulUlo COlUCiuSQL Win the
national verdict is the ever-increasing
number Of voters that go from State to
State between campaigns in search Of
employment Men Of this kind carry
with them their predictions on ma
tional issues and do not have time to
grow very much interested in party
State questions. The day when either
party could carry West Virginia indie
pendent of national issues has proba-
bly, gone by, and henceforth they will
DE the chief factor in the result. On
the issues Of 1896 the Democracy
would undoubtedly have won if the
election had been restricted to West
Virginia, but the sympathetic influ-
ences from the great money centers
were too strong for it, and the control
or the State was lost on this account
alone, and not that there was any spe-
oial dissatisfaction with the admins
tration Of State affairs. In fact, when
You look at the election returns of the
last dozen years you will readily con-
clude that West Virginia in 1900 will
go as the country goes"
Independent of the unsatisfactory bus
mess conditions that prevail throughout
the country, there is certainly no reason
why the West Virginia Democrats should
not elect a. majority of the legislature
this year. Their past administrations
have been such that they may well be
proud of them. In March, 1887 notwith-
standing the business troubles of the pre-
ceding years, the State government was
turned over to the Republicans free from
cebt and with a large surplus in the treas
ury. And this without having curtailed
the necessary expenses of any of the
state institutions, all of which were in
first-class conGition. What have the Re-
publicans since done to justify their call
to power. The one single thing they have
done was to fill the offices with Republi-
cans. Beyond this they have done moth
Ing. You know that few years prior to
1884 tremendous outcry was made
against the Ubiquitous fee system. The
people were told that the abolition Of this
system was worth the entire change in
the State government, and they were SOL
EMMY promised that the election of the
Republicans would be the destruction of
this outrageous system. In 1894 and again
in 1896 they had both branches of the
Legislature. Did this inlquity disappear?
Not a bit of It, It was
NOT EVEN TOUCHED
and still remains reproach to the State
and conspicuous monument to the hy-
pocrisy of the ante-election pretenses.
IF the sins of commission of the pres
ent regime have rot been very large as
yet, it must not be forgotten that it's OPP
portunities have been limited In such
small matters as the appointment of in
ehgibles on the State Boards and the
holding Of incompatible offices by men,
bors of the Legislature, however, it has
shown what it might do in a larger field
These are small matters in themselves,
but they show lack Of reverence for the
constitution and laws that is very much
to be regretted. If those whose special
duty it is to make ard execute the laws
will not be scrupulous in matters such as
these, how can they expect the average
citizen TO look upon violations of law with
that stern disapprobation that is so neces-
sary to a high state of morals in any
community?
''On the other hand, it must be admit
ted that our accomplished governor and
his handsome staff have received a large
amount of free advertising for the State.
That it will result in much material ben
eft TO the commonwealth is an open ques-
ton, but certainly the administration
should be given the benefit Of the doubt
and accredited with its good intentions.
This year there will be no general con-
vention in the State and therefore no OPP
portunity 70
FORMULATE A POLICY
upon the several new questions likely to
come UP as legacies of the present war.
and perhaps it is as yet too soon TO say
what will be the attitude of either party
on these questions. The coming campaign
will have to be fought in detachments
in the several counties. and the results
will depend largely upon the personal
merits OF the different candidates. We
ought to have no difficulty in this re-
spect, since there are few Inducements
ON our side to bring the mere politician 70
the front this year The way to bring
about the result is to entirely refrain
from the usual setting-up process and to
make every member of the party feel
that he has really helped TO make the
candidate and is responsible for his cleo
ton. This Is the only method of offset
ting the lack of money for campaign pur-
poses, which will be very noticeable this
time
THE fact that a United States Senator
is to be chosen this winter should rather
help than hurt us. There is already BIT
ter fight fer this prize among the Republi-
cans, and when the predictions of their
different legislative candidates on this
question become known, it is not human
nature to suppose they will receive a cor
dial support from all the different Sena-
torial cliques. We have no difficulty of
this sort TO contend with. Our only object
will be to choose Democrats who, are best
fitted for legislative work, and there is
no reason why every Democratic canh-
date should not receive every Democratic
vote.
st does not require great many gains
to
CHANGE THE POLITICAL COM
PLEXION
of the present Legislature. In two or
three OF the largest Republican counties
there is already such universal disgust
with local rings that we have only to put