The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-09
OUR HANCOCK LETTER.
Bennett and Burdett Considered
Several Things Discussed.


Editors VI the Register.
There has never anything, to the best
of your correspondents knowledge anu
! observation, been thrown upon the track
of LEGISLATION in West Virginia to oD-
struct progress, at more worrying, vast
! ful and inopportune time than has oeeh
this inpeachment business. The PeoPle
of the State have come to understand the
whole of it, inside and out, ana 'hey arc
thoroughly dlsgusted with further ualiy-
ing and wrangle over the oDStreclion'
Al tbey want, and what they demand, Is
,bat the obstruction be got om Of the h1dy
Ru, in what way come the people to
understand "A matter Us yet unsolved and
seemingly insoluble in that ample embo-
diment of wisdom-the Legislature? The
answer is: not so much by their superior
sagacty as by the absence from the rep
resented, of that evil and perverse spirit
of demagogism which so often pervades
the representative body. And what Is
the understanding that the people have?
The answer again is thus:
|. That Bennett and Burdctt, through
the opportunity of Office held by them
made private gain for themselves, lor
which the laws ought to have made them
account to the State, just as the laws
do make one in the office OF trustee NC
count for such gains; but the Legislature
cannot make amends for its past negl-
gence by enactng present outrage.
=. having itself failed in its duty ofright-
ly prescribing the duty of Bennett and
Burdett, it cannot punish them for acts
which it ought to have prohibited, but
did not. And understanding thus that
these accused parties cannot be rlghtiul-
~ convicted, the people further under
stand,
z. That this bugaboo of wastctul and
demoralizing obstruetlon-thls impeach-
mcnt-is held and kept in the way to
and for the sole Lise behooi and bencht
of Radical dcmago cues. and not To the
use. behouf, or benefit of any other per-
son or persons within the State of West
Virginia,
The people of this State, be it remem-
bered. are well willing and desirous that
dishonesty in office be punished; but they
are not satisfied that their legislative
servants should seek to gIoss over legls
lative incompetency by judicaI nay, by
Observation-Disclosures.
Mason, of Jefferson, has been twItted
for inconsistency, yet no member ot the
iegislalureIhas. been more truly the repre-
sentative Of popular sentiment, touching
impeachment than he. \ leader in the
movement. he WAS ready TO impesch and
punish corrupt officials, even though
they were of MS own political party, until
it became plain TO him that no conviction
for the alleged offences could rightfully
be had, and until it became palmer still
that impeachment was to be used orly
as II hobby for Radical politicians to ride
Then he rcyoted-and he had the cour-
age to vote mo" to what, under misap-
prehension, he had before responded
AYE"
Dr. Tanners agricultural college land
donation investigation is "happy
thought that will produce n merry sEak-
ing of dry bones, the rattling whereof
will reverbcrate even among the hills
and wales of uttermost Hancock.
Cunningham and Caldwell are on the
record as against the taxing Of dogs.
They represent unquestionsb!e Hancock
sentiment Such tax existed here until
few months ago when the County Court
upon the nearly unanimous petition OF
the farmers and residents of the county,
abolished it. And this one of the-or |
believe the, largest sheep owning
counties in the State. ! would say to
members from other counties, who are not
rcry certain that their calling and election
i. sure-bewsre how you vote on the dog
law!
Let the Back Counties hurry up all
their nlce-ftting, warranted-to glye-sat-
isfaction. and-not-to-rip tickets; the front
counties will have something to say when
all the best samples are I'M nor should IT
surprise US if 'Ion," who is neither back
nor front. but in the middle, so to speak,
and giving utterance from the heart
both of the State and OF jolly good
mani should have line and precept or
two relevant to the business.
And thus | have loitered so recklcssly
of time and space that | have no room
for local; but then as | have no local Tor
room, it is all of "no consequence"
CAMILLUs.