Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-02-08
LETTER FROM vvnEEI.ING.
WHEELING, w. Va,
February 4, 1879.

l0urned over until mouuay IuoTnlDR, III
order that the members might on Sat.
urday visit Moundsville, and make
tour of inspection of the penitentiary.
At half-past nine o'clock A. ~, . spe-
cial train left the b. s. o. r. X. depot,
filed with Senators, members, and an
invited party of ladies and gentlemen,
among whom were U. s. Senators Da-
Wis and Hereford, Hon. G. ]. Faulkner,
Sheriff Tingle, Col. w. w. Miller,
Judge Melvin and Adj Gen. L. s.
Wood. On arriving at Moundsville the
! party were received by Superintendent
Bridges. The visitors made tour
through the different work shops--the
broom factory, wagon shop, cigsr shop,
paint shop, and whip factory, (the latter
beats "Boss Loyns" skinner factory all
hollow. Major Bridges, through Speak
er Moffett, invited the visitors to sump-
tuous dinner prepared for them, which
invitation was accepted, and the dinner
enjoyed by everybody. At half-past
three o'clock the party returned 70
Wheeling, very much pleased with their
visit, and under many obligations TO
Major Bridges and his polite and &C.
| commoda,ing assistants for the atten-
ton shown them.
The subject of "ccnvict labor" Is now
scitating the public mind. all over the
couutry, and here in Wheeling 1sst
week large mass meeting was held In
the Court House, and addressed by sew
eral members of The Legislature, and .
committee appointed to get up . petit
ton to the Legislature to abolish the
system. The conyicts here, am in.
formed, are hired out to Northern con-
tractors for twenty-five cents q day and
the State boards them. II this system
of convict labor is kept up, would It not
be better for the State TO manufacture
the articles On its own accountf II tho
contractors can make anything out Of il
I don't see why the State could not
make it pay. The low price paid for
the labor OF these convicts, honest me-
ohanics cannot compete with them, aud
hence so many honest mechanics out Of
employment all over the country. There
is now bill introduced in the Lcgisla-
ture TO hire out the convicts TO internal
Improvement companies but whether
Gf it should pass) it will be any i'm
provemcnt on the present system, or
not, is hard to tell. This is knotty
question, and one hard to solve, asl heard
a great many members express them
selves on Saturday, that after looking
through the penitentiary they were more
at loss TO know what ~ do than be-
fore.
am sorry have not the comnuni.
cation of All" before me that appeared
in your paper of last week. lie Is bark
ing mp the wrong tree when he gets af-
ter onr able Senator Faulkner. lie 10
always ready and able to defend any
vote that he casts, and it is pity while
al" no doubt is very clever fellow,
aud well informed upon many subjects,
yet his knowledge Of parliamentary law
would seem to be rather limited. Ger
tainly Senator Faulkner voted to lay On
the table the Senate Joint RESOLUTION
No. 4, in regard to instructing and re-
curing our Senators and Represents
lives in Congress TO vote for the "Inter.
State Commerce Bill" So did large
number of the friends Of the bill. They
wanted to examine il and know Whist
they were abont, and not vote blindly
and ignorantly. After that WAS doue,
if III. had wanted information ~ ~
the course Of Senator Faulkner, IL he
had looked at Senate Journal Of the
23rd of January, he would have seen
that Senator Faulkner, with some siE-
teen others, voted for the aforesaid
Joint Resolution. al" was oil right
as far as he went, but unfortunately no
did not 60 quiet far enough.
Now rs regards the Free Pass Blk
Senator Faulkner occupies no doubtful
position upon this question; the only diff
ference between him and some others
upon this subject IL that he thinks the
true plan is TO prohibit railroad coppa-
MES from Issuing free passes 10 any Cit
izen Of the State except an officer or
employee OF the company, and make tho
company responsible for violation Of
the law, not con6ne IL to particular
classes who may receive tickets and
punish them for IL. In other words,
Senator Faulkners viewsa as 10 the proper
course are incorporated in . resolution
introduced by him, now 10 the Senate
Journal, and precisely that same posi-
tiou which the Pennsylvania conyeptisn
Of 1874, incorporated into the Constitu-
ton of that State.
BY Faulkner: That the Committee
on the Judiciary inquire into the eIps-
diency and constitulionality Of enscting
a law prohibiting railroad companies
operating and doing business in this
State from granting free passes, or pass
es at discount, to any officer or citizen
Of the State, except officers or employees
Of the company, and making il mis-
demeanor on the part Of the company.
issuing said passes 10 violate the Provis-
ion Of such law and requiring the Judge
of any county court and Of the PTosecu-
ting Attorrey of every coarty court 10
give the act 30 passed in charge to The
Grand Jury At every term OF the coet
and every Grand Jury term Of The
County Court. Adopted.
We hardly think Our Changer isiseds
or any one else can find any fsakvnh
such views as expressed in the aforesaid
resolution. Won't this suit I'll
The people Of Jefferson, Or 1t lesst .