Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-01-28
EXPENSIVE LEGISLATION.

The time and labor OF the present SEES
sion of the Legislature has been occcu-
pied almost exclusively in undoing what
past Legislatures have done. This Leg
islature will not finish the job. II 1t
should sit through the year without in
PERMISSION, it would be impossible to
mend the mistakes that their predeces-
sors have put upon the statute books
This is no new experience. 1t is his
tory repeating itself, The Legislature
which follows the one now sitting
promises to have transmitted TO It some
Of the same kind of patch work.
Year after year the money OF the
people is thus absorbed in the unprotit-
able work Of tearing down and building
ND. The reason is obvious. The whole
muddle is the result of establishing in
competent agencies for the administra-
ton Of public affairs. 1t is the result OF
enac;ing such measures rs the one now
attempted to be iOisted upon the people
i'm connection with the school
text books. II is the desire to
try such silly experiments as that
Of placing the responsibility Of this
important matter in the hands Oiilliter-
ate, incompetent and imbecile bodies
Identified with the name Oi Boards of
Education" or otherwise in the hands
of some ignoramus who has hobnObcd
himself into an official position with the
schools, without being conscious that
he is the most conspicuous example OF
the necessity Of free schools that can be
found in his neighborhOod.
The very men who are urging such a
measure would be unwilling to trust
the tribunals they try to set up, with
/ tine selection of books for their children.
| We venture to say that not one OF the
| advocates ui the measure To give county
/ hnards or superintendent the authority
/ tp select text books, would he willing Ia
trust those officials in his own county
Ia dn il for his own children iiput IL
such Il t'st.
But il is democratic to thus put mat
tcrs i'm the hands of the people" 1t II
popular to appear to have confidence
in the people" 1t must he done even
at the expense of the schools, and ut the
expense of having it to undo again here
/ alter.
The people are not 50 impressihle,
/ however, Us to take this for compll-
mcnt. Men who are entirely ignorant
Of the requisites oi Il class OF text books
don't want such Il responsibility thrust
upon them. Aud il this Legislature in
sists upon it, the storm that will gather
1 i'm two wears time will not be cqualled,
even by that which has followed the cn
/ actmcnt ui a measure exactly similar IN
/ all its characteristics, nor will the re-
hukc Of the people be- less severe than
that Il lministcrcd to those who placed
| the judicial power oi the State in the
hands oil incompetentS.
Ii is time such legislation rs this had
ccas 1T. Ii is time that our legislation
were taking more permanent form,
and that We were done with these eN-
pcnsivr and silly experiments.
We hope the Democratic party will
not make such record rs it is sought
/ tu have it make on this text book ques
ton. The party cannot afford To carry
such a load through the next two years.
/ Nor can II aHuUi any better l." ,"'"o
/ back here in two years time and ac-
| knowledge So gross a mistake.