The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-03-15
bringing 10 your town 3 and county

w W. I 44e IEtSstt!tse44 ". ult4St
priatingl money, both inrthe Nation
al and State Legislature, require
assiduous attention and skilful
management. Host no time and
never ccasedto work, until the Hos
pital appropriations werelawS:
Another measure Of intcrest-the
increase OF the State School tax
from 10 cents TOGO cents on the
500 svalue of.taxable property, was
much discussed. and was only lost
by members from the interior, and
living off the line Of the railroad,
voting againstIit, without fully con.
sidering tfie advantages which
would result to the counties they
represent. ] took the position that
the free schools and the free school
system we're created BY the consti-
tution-th that they were public in
structors for all Al the children Of
tile State, rich and poor alike, and
should be supported and maintain,
ed BY the public and at the public
expense. In many Of the poor
counties Of the State, where they
nov have toimppse an oppressive
school tax to carry on the free
schools for four months in The
year: to enable them to receive any
part ofthe State school fund, this
20cents on the 500 would enable
them to carry onltheir four months
school at half the tax they now
pay. And, indeed, it was ascer--
tanned that q State school tax Of
80 cents on the 500 Of taxable
property would keep up the free
schools as now, and Do away alto
getherswith the local school tax.
And would not this have been a
great relief 70 the tax.pavdrs in the
counties where there are many
children and but little money:
Probpbly3all Of you noticed the
effort which was made TO trammel
and destroy the Baltimore & Ohio
Railraad, by imposing burdens
whichit could not bear and live.
It seemed to me that the Gods had
made certain members mad, for
our common destruction. With
out the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad,
what would this State beIto.day?
,Golalong its lines, from ParkSFs-
burg and Wheeling 10 Harper's
Ferry, and see for yourselves What
ithas done for the people. Tho.
cattlemen and droreFs, without it,
would be months driving their
stock to Baltimore, Philadelplja or
New The shrinkage and ex=
I9enditure.bY driving itl!er place,
on5foot, would carry way all@the
protitslThe= chant odS.
which now come nztlle railroad
quickly and cheal,ly, and which are
sold to you at reasonable rates,
would cost double as much to
bring them in the =old-fastioned
way, and in buying them, you
would have TO pay first that much
more on the goods you purchase. to
make the merchants profits reason
able and fair, or as much as now.
Ivotcd against all these restrictions,
and against every scheme which
was calculated to cripple or 10 de-
pFive us Of the advantage of that
great corporation,
One of the great evils which of.
feet good and wholesome lcgisla-
ton is what's known rs "lsJLging,"
or more properly speaking, 'pas.
sing laws for outsiders to steal the
peoples money" These lobbyists
infest the halls of legislation like
locusts and bedevil members day
and night. First We had the agents
Of the school books-"the very best
out, and the very best that ever
could get out;" not old Webzter's
spelling book, the old English read.
or, Pixies Arithmetic, Olney's &c.
ography and Kirkham's Grammar,
which old fellows like Judge Stu.
art and myself, studied when We
went to school, and which have in
these modern days ofnew times and
new things been thrown aside as
worthless; but new books, my
friends, which have been costing
The people millions of dollars,put
into the school law 10 be taught in
the free schools, simply to enrich
some large book concern at your
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