The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-02-22
CANDID FACTS.


in that honorable body who are en-
dowed with talent of very superior
order, and we believe body of men
possessed of more integrity and hon
esty never assembled to legislate for
any State or people. And yet we are
disposed to be frank and candid in
our opinion of their legislation. 1t
is our duty to our readers to be so,
and it is our candid opinion that
while some very excellent laws have
been enacted by this Legislature
there is much needed legislation that
was neglected and vast amount of
the valuable time of this session fritz
tered away in the discussion of meas
ures that should not have received so
much attention. The unlimited dis
cussion of the frivolous School Text
Book Law, patronized so extensively
BY one of our Monongalia delegates,
was an almost objectionable waste
of the time of the Legislature and the
peoples money. The fight raised by
the Legislature with the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad was ill-advised
and the legislation proposed does not
seem to be such as the case requires,
and if adopted would likely lead to
litigation, and result ultimately in
defeat and humiliation to the State.
The mania for changing the Constitu-
ton of the State has been mist I'M
fortunate. No constitutional amend
ments are needed or required by
the people Of the State. Our Con
stitution was framed by body of
wise statesmen selected especially
for that purpose and it is no reflection
upon that instrument to be called q
lawyers constitution" Its provis-
ions in reference to the Judiciary are
eminently wise and meet the wants
of the people exactly and what the
people of West Virginia now want is
good, wholesome legislation under
the constitution as IL is. Constitu-
tions should not be changed frequent
ly or for trifiing causef, and the grand
old Democratic party through the
days of excitement and turmoil, when
everybody lost their senses and IA
vored the upturning and overturning
Of the State and Federal constitu-
tons, held fast to the fundamental
lava of the land as they had been
framed by the patriots and statesmen
Of the early days of the Republic.
Changes in the constitution can only
lead to vexatious litigation by unset
thing the laws and thereby endanger-
ing the rights of the citizens and
their property.
The effort to instruct our Senators
and Representatives in Congress how
they should vote on the Kansas Pa
cific r. R. subsidy was a piece of
presumption akin to that which has
prompted the indiscriminate amend
ing of the constitution. 1t is natu-
raj to suppose that our Representa-
tives worl understand better how to
votp on the Texas Pacific Bill than
would the West Virginia Legislature,
aid a disposition to arrogate the
management of tie Offices of Others
is universally accompanied with a
lack of attention to the matters and
business which properly belong to
and demand the attention of those en-
trusted with duty.
The policy which attends to other
peoples business and neglects our
own is dictated by egotism and self
conceit, and is always reckless in
tearing down and uprooting the foun-
dations, but does nothing towards
building up, improving and adorn-
ing a superstrncture already com
menced no difference how solid, or
substantial, or elegant, or appropri-
ate it may be.
To be very candid with the gentle
men composing this Legislature we
are decidedly OF the opinion that if
they will drop their visionary
schemes for upsetting the frndament-
al laws Of the State and 90 home
without extending the length of this
present session it will give more sat
isfaction and solid comfort to their
constituents than anything else they
can possibly do at this late stage Of
the game.
II il oetfino tn ha an infereati n o