Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-24
THE COUNTY COURT BILL.
A Taxpayer Pays His Respects
to the New Martinsyille Circu-
lar, and Gives the Reasons
Why He Will Not Vote to Put
q New Head on the Old Body OF
tI,o rnuntx, Hnupf
the County Court.
Correspondence Of the Register.

have recently read circular issued
by some parties down at New Martins
vile in favor of the County Court bill,
which, in my opinion, is an insult to
the intelligence OF the voters OF this
county. The author of that circular
brands every man who sees fit to oppose
that bill, ademagOgue, and charges that
he wiliully lies to the people to get them
to oppose the bill, and when we read
his article and see that in the 4th sec
ton of his reported bill, he wilfully
changes the time of holding the court
in Wetzel county from the second Tues
day in March, as stated in the bill that
passed the Legislature, to the second
Tuesday in February, to suit his own
purposes and deceive the people, we are
reminded of that old saying OF Satan
reproving SIM" &c.
The bill upon which the people will
have TO vote fixes the time for holding
the courts in this county and Marion
county on the same day, the second
Tuesday in March, but that is changed
by "Voter" in his circular to deceive
the people, as have before stated,
You see he starts out with mis-
representation. The great argument
he urges in favor OF the adoption OF
the bill is its cheapness, and he does
,,o.,,,, ,ro,Iarf,,l ft,,1ripU M rrpvn hi =
proposition, and even in his figures he
is not fair. Now let us examine his
arithmetic and compare it with the facts
and see how "Mr. Voter" stands. He
saws that the county court cost this
county for the year ending June 1879,
the sum of $3.50, which is enough every
body knows, and TO make the new plan
appear cheaper he puts its costs as fol
lows: The Judge 800, the commits
sioners Sl44, making in all the sum oil
S544, or $l36 less than the old plan,
and yet he claims a clear saving OF $500.
BY examining into the actual cost OF the
proposed plan any one will see again
how unfair "Voter" is. The salary OF
the Judge is 800. The pay OF the COM
missioners, by giving fair construction
to the fifth and seventh sections OF the
act, will be SIS each for their services
i'm court and so each for attending
upon meeting OF the board.
which will make the total cost OF the
commissioner S294 instead OF Sl44, and
then he entirely fOrgets the salary ofthe
clerk of the Board, which will be about
the same as the salary that was former
w paid to the clerk OF the Board OF Su
pervisors, which was from 500 to SIOO,
/ disremember which, but to be ialr,
put the salary OF the clerk at 5000. The
Judges salary is S400, the commission
er's S294 and the clerk 5000, will make
the sum of 1891, which the proposed
place will cost this county every year,
which is $2l4 more than the County
Court cost this county in the year end
inc June, 1878. All this great noise
about the saving in the jury fees is only
the idle declarations OF voter, and Is
not sustained by facts. He does not
give an itemized statement to show the
actual expense OF the juries, but sums
all the costs in the round sum OF $500,
which, like his other statements, is
far from being true. know Jurles are
expensive, they are 50 i'll all courts.
Voter forgot to tell that the jury fees in
the two terms of the Circuit Court,
which is presided over by one OF the
best Judges in the State, costs about as
much rs the fees of the four terms of
the County Court. We ask him to eX
anime the record and see ii that is not
the case.
Hence we see that "Voter," who pre-
tends to be capable OF enlightening the
people, starts off his article with a mis-
representation about the Courts in this
and Marion counties. And then he mis-
states the costs OF the proposed plan. Is
II any wonder, therefore, that he charges
every man with falsehOod that differs
with him? And now, Mr.. "Noter," we
would like to 90 with You fellows down
about the county seat, but we cannot,
this time, for the following reasons:
First. we think We have clearly demon
strated that there is nothing in your
boosted cry of cheapness-if anything,
the old plan is the cheaper; second, if We
vote to CRAFTY you and adopt your pro-
posed bill, we would have no levy laid
i'm this county until in July, 1850, the
first time the Board OF Commissioners
are allowed TO meet. You cantsqueeze
out from under that, Mr.. "Noter."
Your bill plainly says it, and you have
got to stand TO it. Then what would be-
come Of our poor, and the internal al
fairs of our county, We would then
have two years taxes to pay at once,
which is more than we are able 10 do.
Third, your proposed bill does not afford
us the relief We want. 1t only puts
new head on the old body OF the County
Court, without cleansing it OF any of its
impurities that has made it so hideOus
to the people. We would still have the
Court filled with all the petty
cases that now take up so much
OF the time of the Court; and
which, Mr.. Voter, causes such large jury
bills, we would still be compelled TO ride
forty miles and drag our witnesses with
us at great expense to settle a little case
that ought TO be tried in our own neigh
borhood by justice and jury. And
| tell you, Mr.. Voter, we are tired OF
such things; we want all such cases as
the celebrated COW case 10 be decided in
the county, ana your new pan uOn 90
that. 1t simply gives us the old County
Court with new, and perhaps a better
looking head. And then again, the
people don't want to have this OBJ
Struction thrown in their way. II we
adopt your bill we will still have your
new tangled County Court. If we
should ratify the Constitutional amend
ment, and my impression is that in 0c-
tober, 1850, the people will raise in their
might and wipe out the entire County
Court system, then you would have
your Judge of the County Court draw
ing salary of $500 and nothing to do,
which would be very nice, but just a
little expensive. For these and other
reasons the County Court bill will be
opposed by a TAXPAYER.
Anecdote of Ingerson.
\ street preacher who labors at the
polira Courts opI uharpvpr no can find