Year: 1870

We are sorry to see our friend OF the
Parkersburg Gazette wasting his ammn
milton in a uslese fight with his friends,
when il could he made so effective if
directed against the enemy. We take
it that the Charleston Convention set
tied the question raised by the majority
and minority reports on the Platform.
Weabide the decfiion ofthe Convention;
and in truth, there was nothing to decide,
for the difference in the two reports on
the Platform was little else than differ
ence in the phraseology-both aiming
at the same results. The one mentions
the name Of Mr. Flick, and the other
don't, and that is about the only percep-
tible difference in the two reports. As a
delegate in the Charleston Convention,
We supported the majority report, not
because we did not believe that the min
oritv report covered the whole ground
and would accomplish all that was
claimed for the minority, but because
we thought its adoption would end all
usless discussion of the matter. The
Convention decided against us, and we
submitted heartily and chcerfully, just
as we believe the friends of the minority
report would have done had the Con
vention decided against them.


TO charge that the Convention, in
adopting the minority reports, placed
the party in opposition TO the immediate
cntranchisement Of our dlstranchlsed
citizens. is to assert what cannot be
snbstantiated by the facts IN the case,
The Platform as adopted refutes the
charge in the clcarest and most en-
phatlc manner and if more is needed
NAV we not point to the lifetime record
of the Democratic party? llasits bugle
horn ever given an uncertain sound IN
opposition to taxation without repre-
sentation? Has not the party in this
State made the question OF entranchis-
ing the disti anchised, the leading issue
in every campaign? Democratic jour
mails and speakers have ever denounced,
in no measured terms, the Radical policy
of prescription and their. labors have
not been without effect. But for the
bold and determined stand taken by the
Democratic party against Radical test
oaths and Prescription, the prescribed
would be no nearer tree to-day than
they were four years ago. Every "let
up' on the part OF the proscriptires,
has been wrung from them by the pre-
sistent and determined efforts of the
Democrats. Not test-oath has been
abolished with the full and free consent
of the Radical party. They have not
inaugurated single measure looking to
the relief of our disfranchised citizens,
that they have not been forced TO inaus-
urate by Democratic pressure. You
cannot induce single intelligent dis
tranchised man in the State to believe
that the Democatic party is opposed to
his immediate enfranchisement Its
past course, its principles, its love OF
liberty its hatred of tyranny and op-
pression. the record of its many hard
fought campaigns in favor OF equal and
exact Justice to all men, are crushing
refutation of all such charges.


The Platform of party in this State
adopted at Charleston, declares for


THE prompt abolition of every test
oath upon the statute hooks OF the
State.


And finally, TO wipe out. .theinjustiee
and disgrace incident to the disiran,
chiSement in our midst OF twenty-five
! thousand men of our own race, while
/ negroes exercise the elective franchise
without hindrance or condition, We de.
mand free ballot for white men and
the immediate enactment of such meas
ures "a will secure it.


If this is not emphatic in favor of the
immediate enfranchisement of the dis
franchised, then we fail to comprehend
the meaning of the plainest English.