Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-07-31
COMMUNICATED.
THE LEGISLATURE.

cial and peculiar opportunities for an
efficient man TO render valuable service
to the people.
1st. We need statute that will COM
pei the B. & o. r. r. to obey the laws
with respect TO its taxes.
Inasmuch as all information on this
subject has been suppressed, we want
man who will investigate the facts
and publish them to the people. We
want to know how much tax has been
assessed against this corporation and
how much has been paid.
Although the law is too plain to be
misunderstood, ("rhe county court shall
not compromise or remit amy portion of
the taxes assessed against railroad, }
yet our court has released every year a
very large proportion of these taxes.
We venture to say, if we elect men who
will do their duty, this railroad can be
forced to disgorge between $4,000 and
100000. The trouble is, our officials
and press conceal the facts and every
man who calls public attention to this
delinquency is at once bounded TO a
political death.
2nd. We need legislation that will
break up free passes; they corrupt our
officials, from President of county
court to the Governor of the State. De
pend upon it, railroads are compensated
for these free passes.
3rd. The last Legislature was bull
dozed and forced to repeal the Quo
Warranto. The railroad claims that it
has the right 10 discriminate between
different points and to charge more for
short distance than for long dis
lance. We want this question tested
in the courts; we want the relative legal
rights of the corporation and OF the
/ people ascertained and settled.
4th. If the proposed amendment TO
the constitution is adopted, vast guam
tity of new Legislation will be required
to adjust our statutes to the change in
the constitution. 1t is of the first i'm.
portance to have this work well done.
This task may be performed by scen-
titic lawyer in thirty days of hard labor;
but unless man is thoroughly informed
as to what the law is and what it should
be, he cannot 90 this work at all We
would ike to see an ordinary farmer or
doctor writing out these statutes; a
pretty mess he would make Of it, and
every blunder will occasion dozen law
! suits.
9th. But if the amendment is defeat
! ed, then some means must be devised TO
get rid of that most wretched nuisance,
the County Court.
9th. Tie legislature is to elect L.
S. Senator and it is of incalculable i'm
portance to this State that we select a
statesman. The Senate is the very
highest place in the world; 1t affords the
largest field for usefulness and we ought
to elect man competent to perform The
! duties of this office. But it is an open
secret that our State is being ransacked
by the emissaries OF certain unfit candl
dates, who are even now manipulating
! he primaries so as TO nominate for the
legislature men who will vote for one
or tine other of these unfit candidates.
We want man to represent us who
has the nerve and independence to de
fly the Influence of subdized press and
machine politics; we want man VINO
will speak out and expose the machina-
tons of these candidates and their lob
by. The presence of such mau in the
mex: legislature will insure the election
TO the Senate of some gentleman who
will bring honor and credit to West
Virginia.
1t will be remembered, that our self
constituted managers are trying to kill
off aud to keep down, every man who
will speak out AID publish the truth in
regard to either the railroad or these
unfit candidates; their scheme is, to
manipulate our county convention so
that it will nominate either, timid, time
serving. polite men who will keep quiet
as a matter of personal expediency, or
else, they will try to nominate men, who
though honest and true, yet lack the
requisite training and information to
come to the front as LEADERS.
1t remains to be seen, whether these
schemes succeed; it remains to be seen
whether the people of Jefferson will be
penned up and driven to vote against
their best interests and against their
judgment. JUNluS.