The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-28
GErtGntellilqlf5nllrIel.rl ~.
WILEY ON A CON-
VENTION. q q IL !
An Able and Lucid Statement of the
Case.

DEAR SHIN further response 70 your
request propose avery cgtrsOry review
olsome of the more pr0mineht reasons as
signed in behalf OF the call Of the pro-
posed Constitutional Convention.
lhave observed that the advocates Of
the Convention, in general, content them
selves with vague and Indefinite com
plants against the present constitution
Not many Of them venture TO specify any
particular matter Of grievance. And so
far us have noticed, whenever any spe-
Cihc amendment has been suggested, 1t
has been of such provisions in the consti-
tuition as, in my opinion, are most valua-
BILE, and ought not to be disturbed. For
Instance
|. Complaints ARE made in regard to
taxation. What is the provision Of our
constitution in regard to taXationy It is
as follows; Taxation shall be equal and
uniform throughout the State, and all
property, both real and personal, shall be
taxed in proportion to It's value, % N as
certdinedds directed By lal0" Is not this
the only Just rule Of taXAtiony Is there
aman In the State who would alter 1t :
The mode of levying the taxes, and the
subjects Of taxation, are regulated by law,
as they ought to be; controlled, measured
and applied by the people themselves
through their delegates in the Legislature
elected every year. The whole subject OF
taxation under the wise and equitable rule
above recited, is question Of ordinary
legislation. If there has been extraVagant
or vicious taxation, II has been the fault
Of the Legislature, not Of the constitution.
=. It Is alleged that the number Of ofll-
GERS required under the constitution, and
especially, under our system Of county or
ganization, Is burdCnsOme and expensive
The matter Of expense must always be
considered in connection with the CquiYA.
lent received in turn for IT, A cheap
worthless article, is often the dearest arti.
Gle. The value Of our system, OF both
State and county government must be
measured by the benefits and advantages
II confers. But deny that our present
system Of State and county government Is
expensive. | aver that we have less
expensive government than ninetentlis
of the States In the Union Its true, that
we have established free schools under
the requirement of the constitution. This
involved the necessity Of some new appli-
ances. And yet, can now only recall
two OF them who receive salaries, viz the
state and County Superintendent; and
their joint salaries would hardly amount
tDa sum equal to the per centum paid the
county superintendent under the miser-
able, poor school system Of the old State.
We have also township officers; but be.
lieye only one OF them, for whom there
was not corresponding office under the
constitution of Virginia, township
Clerk-reCeives any salary; and the com
pensatiOn paid to the township clerk Is q
mere pittance. have been at a loss to
comprehend the cutlery made by the ad.
vOCates of u Convention against the bur
densOmencss and expense Of our system
Of county organization, Who are the
county and township officers created by
our existing constitutions
a. Board Of Supervisors This takes
the place of the old county court in mat
ters of county justice, etc.
~ Township Clerk. This Is n new
officer
(B) Surveyor of Roads. Have we not
always had Surveyors of ltondsy
al Constables, Justices of the Peace
Had these before.
o. Ovcrseers of the Poor Had these
before.
tGl Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney,
Surveyor of Lands, Recorder Onslead OF
old county court clerk. Had all these
before the constitution of West Virginia
was made.
What is the resultY Just one new OIL.
Ger, the township Clerk, who receives u
small salary. II there are any other oil.
GERS they arc the creatures Of legislation
far which the constitution Is not RESPONSE.
hle. But how OF this question Of eX.
pense, as compared with the cost of gov.
eminent under tho old State = For In
= stance, how Of the Governor In ole
peace times, prior to the war, when The
value of ono dollar was practically worth
nearly two dollars now, the annual salary
Of the Governor of Virginia was 81, 1000
that of West Virginia Is $4,000 Mem
hers of the Legislature Of Virginia reCeiv'
ed "A 90 per day--Of West Virginia, ~ 90
The Judges ofthe Supreme Court Of Vir.
rinia had an annual salary Of 81, OOO-Ouri
Get $4,000. Circuit Judges Of Virginia
S9O0O-ours 81 800; and so on to the enc
nl The chapter. There might, ! think, bt
iounu 1885," ~ iho salaries nj thns,
officers IN our stasei put 'hss WGE,u u, ~
an argument IN Iayor VI ~! LnolG y, ug. Wv
cost OF our state goVeIn me-. ~, ~ w 10Y \,
be nm ACKNOWLEDGEMENT !liat lnsI ,I,. OF II! u
being 100 expensive II IN 'oo c"c"l' "n'
paTsimonlous, ~, ,o.,,,,. o,n,o,,Dr,,or,
u nave haa seLlous ~ HP ,In ,,sn,,o",'
That one oil inc puTpoScs o. Wy P'"I,'s 81,
Convention was Ihe aDIoga nas " ,o wv
Tree Schools. ihese ~, nav nyen " SOU.
extent relieved ny the 9APllcI. E.sav '.,.'
Of the leading men anu journnS ~ H's s,n
the call oil convention III my huCn puT