WEST VIRGINIA. 



WISCONSIN. 



765 



tional Convention and approving the course of 

 Governor Boreman. The nominations made 

 were as follows: For Governor, William E. 

 Stevenson ; for Secretary of State, James M. 

 Pepes; for Treasurer, James A. Macauley; 

 Auditor, Thomas Boggess; Attorney-General, 

 Thayer Melvin ; Judge of Court of Appeals, 

 R. L. Berkshire. The Democratic convention 

 met at Wheeling on the 16th of July, and 

 nominated Johnson N. Camden for Governor. 

 The platform adopted was as follows : 



ed. That we approve the platform of the 

 National Democratic Convention, lately assembled 

 in New York, as the true exponent of our political 

 principles, and pledge our hearty and united sup- 

 port to the nominees of that convention, for the of- 

 nces of President and Vice-President of the United 

 States. 



Resolved, That we demand of the Legislature of 

 this State a reduction of the useless swarm of officers 

 with which we are infested, and such other measures 

 of economy, retrenchment, and reform, as will reduce 

 the burden of State and local taxation, which is ex- 

 hausting the substance of our people. 



Resolved, That we demand the reform of the pres- 

 ent system of registration, as unjust, oppressive upon 

 the people, and at variance with the fundamental 

 principles of free government. 



Resolved, That we denounce the radical party of 

 this State, because, with a view of perpetuating their 

 own power, they have refused to permit the people 

 to elect their own registrars, and have vested the 

 power of appointment and removal in the Governor, 

 so that the unscrupulous purposes of the party may 

 be better accomplished ; and l>ecause, with the same 

 view, they have by recent legislation relieved their 

 registrars, thus unfairly and improperly elected, from 

 either civil or criminal responsibility, for even wilful 

 and corrupt violation of duty. 



Resolved, That while we are willing to accord to 

 the negro the full measure of legal rights, with ample 

 protection of person and property, we are unalterably 

 opposed to negro suffrage, negro equality, and radi- 

 cal legislation looking to that end. 



Resolved, That we denounce the radical party for 

 having, through its representatives in Congress, by 

 the passage of .certain military reconstruction bills, 

 declared null and void the government of Virginia, 

 which formed the State of West Virginia, thereby 

 denying the legal existence of our new State. 



The State election was held on the 22d of 

 October, and resulted in favor of the Repub- 

 lican ticket. The whole vote cast for Governor 

 was 49,153, of which Stevenson received 26,- 

 935, and Camden 22,218, giving the former a 

 majority of 4,717". Three members of Con- 

 gress were chosen, all of whom were Repub- 

 licans. At the presidential election, in No- 

 vember, 49,397 votes were cast, 29,115 of which 

 were for Grant, and 20,282 for Seymour; 

 Grant's majority, 8,833. The Legislature for 

 1869 consists of 19 Republicans and 3 Demo- 

 crats in the Senate, and 41 Republicans and 

 15 Democrats in the House. 



Some slight demonstrations in opposition to 

 the laws were made during the year, but, in 

 general, comparative quiet and good order 

 have prevailed. It was found necessary on 

 two occasions to send a military force to 

 strengthen the arm of civil authority. The 

 last occasion was when the registration of 

 voters was going on, in October. The Board 



of Registrars in Marion County were intimi- 

 dated, by an armed mob, from performing their 

 duties, and were unable to proceed until a 

 company of troops was obtained from Wash- 

 ington. This was retained at Fairmont, the 

 place of the disturbance, until after the presi- 

 dential election, and no further trouble oc- 

 curred. With regard to these disorders, the 

 Governor of the State says : " All these local 

 demonstrations in opposition to the rightful 

 authority, and tending to the disturbance of 

 the peace of the community, are manifesta- 

 tions of the spirit of the rebellion still linger- 

 ing in our midst. From present indications, 

 however, it is to be hoped that we will be 

 troubled less with them in the future." 



WILLIAMS, JOHN MASOIST, an eminent ju- 

 rist of Massachusetts, late Chief Justice of the 

 Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas, born 

 in New Bedford, in June, 1780; died there, 

 December 28, 1868. He was educated at 

 Brown University, Providence, R. I., and 

 graduated in 1801, entering immediately upon 

 the study of the law, and being admitted to 

 the bar in 1803. He rose rapidly in his pro- 

 fession, his extensive legal learning, his assidu- 

 ous attention to the interests of his clients, and 

 to all the duties of his profession, and his ster- 

 ling integrity, giving him the confidence of the 

 entire community. After a long and extensive 

 practice at the bar, .he was appointed one of 

 the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas, 

 and ere long promoted to be Chief Justice of 

 it. In 1859, the Legislature abolished the 

 Court, retiring Chief-Justice Williams and 

 Judges Cummins, Warren, Allen, and Mer- 

 rick. 



WILMOT, DAVID, a Pennsylvania statesman 

 and jurist, born at Bethany, Wayne County, 

 Pa., January 20, 1814 ; died at Towanda, Pa., 

 March 16, 1868. Educated at Bethany Acad- 

 emy and at Aurora, N. Y., he subsequently 

 studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 

 1834. In 1844 he was elected member of Con- 

 gress from the Bradford district, Pennsylvania, 

 and served three consecutive terms. His great- 

 est celebrity was derived from his introduction, 

 in 1848, of the proviso excluding slavery from 

 the territory acquired from Mexico, ever since 

 famous as the " Wilmot Proviso." In 1860, 

 after Mr. Cameron had agreed to accept the 

 position of .Secretary of War under Mr. Lin- 

 coln, Mr. Wilmot was elected to the United 

 States Senate, to fill the unexpired two years 

 of Mr. Cameron's term in that body. While 

 in the Senate he served on the Commit- 

 tees on Pensions, Claims, and Foreign Affairs. 

 In 1863 he was appointed by Mr. Lincoln 

 one of the Justices of the Court of Claims, 

 which position he held at the time of his 

 death. 



WISCONSIN. The Legislature of this State 

 assembled at Madison, on the 8th of January, 

 and continued in session until about the first 

 of March. The session was more than a month 

 shorter than that of the preceding year, which 



