Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-12-04

Commissioners.
Correspondence of the Register.
There are some subject OF legislation
which are often treated lightly, and re-
garded as of but little importance, yet
are of more real interest to the farmers
of the State than questions OF greater
magnitude. Among these may be men
toned Dog Law, Roa Law and the
Usury Law.
West Virginia is particularly adapted
to sheep raising. The general character
OF its surface, billy and mountainous,
the natural growth of nutritious grasses,
and the midness of its climate make the
State one OF the finest, if not the best,
in the Union for the purposes OF sheep
raising. This is admitted on all sides,
yet the great drawback to this great in
dustry is that the sheep are liable
to be killed by dogs. 1t is pitia-
BILE commentary on our system OF laws
that nature has done such wonders for
us in this respect and yet our citizens
are restrained from embarking in this
industry simply because horde OF
yelping ours whip them out. Shame on
such a civilization, where dogs are
mightier than men, and where the ma
terial prosperity of Commonwealth is
retarded because the legislatures are
afraid to lay violent hands on the dogs
of State.
The trouble on this subject in our
legislatures has been this: In every
community are set of men who are
fond of sports, and for this purpose
keep pack of dogs. These gentlemen
of leisure usually find time, as their in
clinations lead them, to take an active
part in politics. They make it rule
to make dead set" against the can
didate who advocates any measure that
will interfere with their pleasures.
Consequently they are opposed to any
legislation that will discriminate against
their dogs. The average legislator fears
this class, and the result is that we new
er have a dog law.
Let the members of the Legislature
for once arise above their fears and per-
sonal aspirations, and look to the inter-
est of the State. They will find strong
public sentiment supporting them, ana
they will also find that the influence of
the sportsmen will not amount to so
much as they imagine. The saloon
keepers of city generally keep the To-
cal politicians of all parties in hot water
by their threats of using their influence
thus and so, but when the whole matter
is sifted down their influence amounts
to a number of votes corresponding
with the numbers of saloon-keepers.
Just that and nothing more.
Now we come to the road law. 1t
must be admitted that good roads are
the life OF any community. 1t is not
going too far to say that good roads are
just as essential to the material
prosperity of county as free school
system. The only question is as to how
the roads are to be made and kept in
repair There are two opposing princi-
pies, one is that the roads should be
kept up DE laDOr, Tie Otiier Is DE TAX.
There are sound arguments in favor of
both propositions. So far as the present
law is concerned it is an attempt at
compromise between the two. Like all
compromises it amounts to nothing. The
State could better afford to do without
a road law than such an inefficient one
as now cumbers the statute books.
Under its provision the labor amounts
to nothing and it is next to impossible
to get the counties to levy tax suffi-
cient to answer the purposes. Labor
relies on property and property on labor
in keeping up the roads, and the result
is neither one does it. So by all means
let the present law be repealed. How
would something OF this kind do?
Introduce a system something sim
liar to the Moffett Register in
Virginia and apply the revenue arising
from this source to State road fund.
Let the Legislature appoint road COM
mission to disburse the fund Such a
scheme would doubtless meet with
strong opposition from the cities and
towns upon the ground that they
would have to contribute the large part