The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-05-07
rus eoyRxNORSHIP.

THB 6OWB
A curious inquiry ID suggested BY
Governor JACOB theory concerning the
Board Of Public Works, that deserves
solution, either by the Governor him
sell or BY those who have heretofore
furphhed his logic. tits: Was there
ever . lawful Governor Of West Yir-
sisia, prior 70 the 4th OF March, 1871
We know that Oh that day the prescott
illsstrious Chief Magistrate Was duly
inau gurated and that he has, by occa-i
sional spurts, shown that he feels quite
sure thst be 10 the Governor OF West
Virginia nos; but the question is, DID
We ever have Q Governor before? AR
rsuR. l. BoRExAx was peculiarly sup
poeed TO Be Governor at one time, and
there was general belief thai VIII.
LIAM E. STEVENSON was the Chief Ex-
ecutive officer OF tue State during Two
years, bat there 10 now room Tor grave
doubt a. to whether these gentlemen
ever legally held the office aud there is
some ground for the opinion that the
Gubernstorial office in West Virginia
has been continuously vacant from the
time when the morOiug stars sang to-
gether until the coming oil JOAN }.
JACOB on the 4:h day, OF March, in the
year Of grace, 1873, .t a.s
The trouble VAS this. The Consti'u-
ton adopted at the formation OF the
State and in force until the 22nd OF last
August, contained the following clause:
"Ths person acting as Governor shall
not be elected or appointed to any other
Office during bis term Of service" the
hrst Legislature OF the Dew State passed
Q law in 1868, which went into 'mme-
diste effect and has been continued in
force ever since. which provided that
the Governor, Auditor, aud Treasurer
should constitute q corporation under
the style Of "The Board Of Public
Works" Now, Governor JACOB has
discovered that membership In the
Board OF Public Works 10 an office which
no man can all and be Governor at
the same time; il be clesves unto the
one he must forsake the other aud vice
versa. Mr.. FOREMAN, although he help
ed to make both tie constitution and
the law, didn't know as much about
these matters as Governor JAG B does,
and, not perceivlrg the trap that was
set for him in the Board OF Public
Works, put bis foot iu it. Imned ate
ly upon his acceptance Of "he office y
Of membership 10 that Board, bis
euberpatorial head was logically cut
smack, smoove of" He wasn't
Governor any more; the office OF Gov.
ernor became vacant; BoRsAtN didn't
know It, and the people didat know 1t,
but Governor JACOB save it was 60
And then there was STEVENSON. The
same horrible pitIsIl was open before
his msapdering eubernstoriato ees, and
he too fell 10. In . momentof inpo-
cence be accepted The position Of mem
Der of the Board OF Public Works, and
from that moment his Govrrnorship
ceased to exist. II ia true that be car
ried around the galvanized corp'e Of
the Office and made it do duty as Gov
erno5 but the real, lawful, sure enough
Governor was entom bed in thai grave
ofofficial dignities-the Board OF Public
Works And then, following the ex-
ample OF his predecessors and, not
knowing - much about the Governor
business then as he thinks he knows
now. even JOHN J. JAo 3. the ne"
Daniel who has come to ju igrnent, loe'
his gubernstor'sl of3ce almost as coon
40 ito duties were assumed and, accord
ips to bis own theory, had no legal su'
thority to act as Governor at West Vrr-
ginia during the two years preceding
the Alb Of March 1873.
This may appear somewhat startling
but it 10 Governor JACOBS discovery
aud solemn opinion, aud have we not
often been told tina. be ia au honest
mani II membership 10 the Board oil
Public Works lie an rGes. the holding
OF which 10 incom pslible with The office
Of Governor, then the Governor
ship has been continuously vacant
since the organisation Of the State until
the 4th Of Last March. What may be
the consequences OF this 'atal discovery
We cannot begin to tell. The human
mind shrinks appalled, from the con-
temptation OF the misery that has teen
unconsciously suffered by the people OF
this State who ought to have been very
unhappy il they had only known the
dreadful Ak they were 10. And how
thankful the people ought now to be
that the existence Of IL. office Of mem
Der Of the Board Of Public Works
which ha, heretofore been concealed
from the wise and the prudent, Las ct
Last been revealed unto babes. ., ~.
~ c. a..
A yRIsNp rom over In West Virgin.