Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-04-10
COMMUNICATES.
THE ELECTIONS NEXT FALL
No. 6.


is their display OF ignorance and nnht-
ness for the legislature. They ought to
keep quiet, look wise and maintain a
grave, dignifed department. Ashrewd
father once gave some excellent advice
10 his weak minded son-'rcmember,
nv bov, you are not Solomon and have
very little education,so keep your mouth
shut and it may be long time before
strangers discover that your head is as
empty as gourd. 49,,
In our second article we observed 'he
very remarkable circumstance, mat d.
though the legislature paid the soldiers
for protecting the railroad, We! .o''""s
was said or done about the lI9uhc''o"
which, since September 1876 mas PFC
vented the State from collecting tne
,a,es assessed upon the property OF TINS
cnrnora,jou. This simple example,used
Inv p, for the single purpose OF liiuslra-
,,nr the value OF competent LEADER,
has provoked both Justice and I'D.
20 rush into print, and, as was to be
expected, the ignorance Of the one, Is
only surpassed by the stupidity OF the
other.
For example, "Justice" asserted, the
soldiers were paid their wages "wtih
interest from The Hms they Uers due.
But Mr.. ID" contradicts this, and says,
the soldiers were paid about year
and half afterwards with0m interest.
The clause allowing interest passed the
House but was stricken out IA f1e o'h-
a,f." Here is a curious dilemma; either
both of these gentlemen arc unlniormec
Is 10 what transpired in the last ltgls-
ialure, (Which is highly probable or
else Que of them is grossly ignorant
about tact which must have occurred
within bis own observation, (Which is
still more probable.) 1t frequently hap
uens tha, a member Of the Legislature,
not understanding what is going on
around him, takes so little part IN the
actual business OF that body that he has
only vague and misty remembrance
;hal he voted aye or no upon par'icn-
lar proposition.
But If it be true, that these soldiers,
sitter being kept out of their wages
wear aud halt, were denied Interest;
ii it be true, the Senate refused to pay
interest on Just aud tair debt, winch
had been standing eighteen months,
then a great aud ineXcusable wrong WAS
perpetraled. Ii payment IS delayed,
interest should be paid, and every man
who voted TO rob these poor soldiers OF
She Interest due on their wages, ought
10 he exposed and denounced. We
now call on the Berkeley county Light
Infantry 10 find out and hold respotsl-
lie the men " no vo'el a2airs; paying
them this fair, just aud legal debt.
Again, this correspondent, Mr. ~
wants to know il zee have read Section
CT Of Chapter 10 of the Acts OF 1879
aud lac saws, ..Juuius" VIII" is lawyer
IN Charlcslowu, cannot plead ignorance.
lie doubtless overlooked tie section
named" aud Mr.. 30 plumes himself
urou the provision, contained IN TINS
Act toybiddiug the County Court TO
compromise the taxes OF railroad.
Ii is passing strange, men VIII talk
on subjects about which they are totally
ignoraut AL the maiertm parts OF tins
law have been on The statute book for
the last iwclce years and yet I'D. Is la
boring under the delusion, that the 'as'
legislature originated this legislation.
The point we made was tins: ne
railroad, having refused to pay certain
taxes .ubtaiued from l. ). Court an III
junclion which ties the hands Of the Au-
ul,or aud Sheriff, and We insisted,
competent legislator would devise some
means 10 COMPEL this cooperation 10 pay
these taxes. III answer to this PROPOSE
lion. Mir sd" asks The Press TO re-pnh-
hsh an old statute with which every
well informed man is familiar, but which
statute docs not deal with the particular
questions raised by the injunction, The
trouble with ID. is, that he has not the
fainiest conception OF the merlls OF the
controversy between the State and the
railroad. We presume he voted, last
winter, for law, prepared by some
one clse,) relating TO taxation, but II lie
supposed that it was a measure caIculd-
ted to remedy the injury occasloned by
this injunction, then his stupidity was
even greater than his ignorance.
Again, Mr.. I'D" modestly and with
charming simplicity, begs "Junius to
tell him, what are the defects III the
law. so they may be corrected by the
next legislature" But we presume the
people will select men for this office
competent to fad out these defects tor
themselves. We hope and trust we
will not be represented by men who
have to ask strangers what they must
do We cannot supply Mr., ID, with
brains and education, he must study
aud find these things out for himself.
We have now done with the gentle
men who undertake to break down the
Influence OF the plain truths we publish.
We have made two different caps; one
cap fits the men who will make LEADERS
IN the legislature; the other cap hts the
men who are not competent for this
Office aud is it not very foolish 10 quar-
rel with 'Junius" because you are con-
scious which cap fits you best!
1t is no reflection upon the intelli-
gence and general worth of man to
say that he is not able to perform the
duties of legislator. A doctor is not
insulted if you say ne is ignorant OF the
law. a merchant is not aggrleved, II
YOU tell him he cannot manage farm.
AL we claim is, that the average citizen
who has never trained his mind to i'll
vcstigate such questions as come before
the legislature, Is not qualified to origi
nate. frame aud digest laws. We ad-