The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-28
acknowledgement:
The Governors Message.

suCLl UuSLHSso
menlsble good sense, he confines himself,
ujp bis first message, to the topics legiti.
m,ls to such a communication; and
rbether we agree or not with dispositions
,e,pec,ing the several subjects discussed,
there is certainly little or nothing in tho
manner of tue message to find fault with.
The argument Of tho message Is devot'
al CHIEFLY to the Roads, the Schools and
DELINQUENT Lands. They arc each i'm.
oortsn, and difficult to deal with. The
man would bO public beueIactor who
could set on loot plan whereby West
Virginia could be made even tolerably
.cceaibC and traverssblG by means Of
goodroads; but we judge it will take
treatment more vigorous and radical than
anything yet done or proposed by either
Governor or Legislature before that mil.
lenial time can be looked for. The fault
bin tho inhabitants themselves, They do
10. appreciate the immense value Of good
highways, aud they are not willing
TO he taxed or to tax themselves
to make them. Until there is a change
10 this respect, no legislation will be
enacted equal to the occasion; nor in our
Judgment will any plan which contents
Itself with system Of petty district
superinlendency, with no pretence Of
AL enforcement Of good grades, ever
bring about the substitution Of good
highways for tho wretched mud tracks
That now disgrace the State and lead
every stranger who sets foot on the sacred
soil to curse at once the State and his
uGuCky stars that brought him into It.
The matter OF dealing with delinquent
lauLs is one We have not looked into anu
dOnOt profess to he familiar with. But
this much Is apparent, that il land
titles in tho southern halt OF this State
sTe ever 10 be settled and the unoCcupied
lands made TO pay a fair share of the
taxes, there must be limit to the privi.
legcs and exemptions Of delinquent land
owners. The periods within which lands
become fOrfeitable for non. payment of
taxes and that within which they may be
redeemed, should be the briefest that
simple justice will allow, and the devices
whereby delinquent owners take advan.
lage Of the laws intended to protect their
rights, should be rendered impossible.
The laws governing this important
interest are very likely TO be drawn by
orin the interest of land spectators, and
The very difficulty Of the subject lor those
who have not made it u special study,
gives these men all the better opportuni.
ties TO worm their designs into the stat.
utes. ..
The GOVERNORS proposition to intrust
the county courts with the duty Of levy.
Ing the local taxes for the public schools
lsOpcn TO very serious objections. The
county courts will as q rule be made up
Of the most pig.headed men to be found
10 each county. The preponderance will
0emen OF some property who are op.
posed TO being taxed Tor the education OF
their poor neighbor's children, and who
are conscious of embodying so much
learning in their own selves as to be un.
able to conceive what use there can be
'or schools while they are alive. The
County Court as it used to to be, uniting
With dense stupidity tho functions OF a
county legislature and the judiciary, and
made up of men who knew less OF legis.
ton than they ought and less Of law
lAan anybody else in the world, is
AZ anomaly under our Government
which iorbids both In National and
Slate constitutions that legislative and
judicial functions shall be united in the
same body. The existence Of the schools
sdependent on the local levies; and Il
'le making Of these is LETT to the county
courts, then inevitably the public schools
nsgrcat many counties will be embar
ssied, crippled and ultimately destroyed
anything like u State system will be dis
"Fsaaized; aud the idea OF popular educa'
cation at public expense will b.
0Foken down, If the present system il
100 complicated for the capacity of Demo
cratic officials, it mightbe slmplifcd; bu
"WorEed out excellent results under Re.
publican administration, and it Is much Il
Oe regretted that now, before it has beer
10 Democratic hands two years, it shoulc
oefound SO cumbersome that even th,
''S'e Superintendent cannot make re-
port
The Governor reports the resources O
ae treasury for the year at over $780, 1000
'aaN the end of the year the general
treasury was short just $O20.79. As the
Governor has only been furnished with u
't~ general aggregates by the Auditor
EaoSe report is not yet completed, vi
leIeFany comment on the financial exhibit
VII Iae appearance Of that report.
These and other matters in the message
@eFIt more careful and extended com
ueaI thsn space permits US to make thl!
morning. We learn from it that the pro
!%t'o change the location Of the Cum
Oe'IAnd road between Fulton and thi
e|sS failure, The subscriptions re
Va0ed could not be had, and that we sup
rSeends the matter for the present. Til
governor makes an earnest recommenda
Huu tOF