Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-07-10
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1 Constitutional Amendments set
forth in full in your last issue.
The subject is one in which the
people are all interested, and one
which the people should all thor
oughly understand before taking
ing action upon ii at the ballot
box. On close examination ofthe
amendments, we find that it does
not accomplish what I'VE aHtici-
| pated, viz: the abolition Of the en-
| tire County Court system. Bat it
abolishes only the magistrates
conrt. and in that, it establishes
another, differing but little from
the former, and that difference is
In favor of the court under the
present constitutions We fail to
see how the interests fthe people
are more safely guarded in the
hands of three commissioners than
ia the hands of fourteen commits
sioners. We cannot grant this
superstition, for the same rule
would admit, as fact, that our af-
fairs were safer in the hands Of one
man than in the hands of three,
and that theory savors too strong
ly of anarchy to be relished by !
men of democratic ideas. Permit |
US to say a word in favor OF the |
protection that we have, as exer-
cised under the present system.
Every district in the county has
its representatives in that body,
who are especially interested in
their own district, and who will,
if they fulfil the trust conferred up
on them, take, care OF the best in
terests of their constituents. The |
people of the district know their
magistrates personally, and confer
with them, so that the court may
be considered as the direct voice of |
the people, concentrated to focus
in that magisterial body If the
representatives abuse the trust,
they generally pay the penalty at
the next election, so there is that
obligation, together with their le-l
gal obligations, to keep their feet
within the path ofsre ctitude. Now /
we desire to correct, an evil that
arises from thissystem, by institu-
ting another, which has not the
protection about it that belongs to
the present, and the reason is this,
that but three districts can have
any representation In the new sys-
tem, and this may be from one end
of our county; in that event, the
other portions will be entire stran
gers to the board of commissioners;
they will know nothing of their
wants or desires, unless they are
presented by petition, and even
then they don't know anything
about their petitioners. These pc
titions must be gotten up by the
people-something they are not
accustomed to doing-men follow |
ing the vacations of life cannot af-
ford time to carry about petitions
among the citizens of their respec-
tive townships. But suppose they |
do their business by petition, who |
has the time to be present and |
work in the interests of such ? 1t |
will OF necessity fall into the hands |
of attorneys, who will charge the
petitioners a good, handsome fee |
for the transaction, and this will
be a tax that will not be consider
ed in the county levy. This board
of commissioners Is just as likely
to become corrupt, as the magis-
trate's court; thesame class of men
will Ali the one that fills the other.
If corruption is what we COM
plain of, let us doctor the evil and
not try to, butcher the SYSTEM.
The evil cannot belong to the.
system, but to the representatives
who administer according to the
system. The system is all that
can be desired, If carried out be-
ing the true representative gov
eminent. If it. Is abused IL is our
fault as voters and We should corr
rect the error at the fountain of
power, the ballot box 7l'J ~
''7t''T p MILL CREEK. !