Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-04-08
DEMOCRATIC RULE.

j
with often an overwhelming ma
jority. and never without complete
control, in the Legislature-and the
State is to-day in an infinitely worse
plight than when that party assumed
charge. All the scandal that ever
attached to the State government
has been Democratic scandal, and all
the corruption in high places devel-
oped since the organization of the
State, has been to the discredit of
Democratic officials. Intoxicated by
their success with the Jacob ticket,
i'm 1871, the leaders exploded their
fire works, burned their tar-barrels,
and fired their cannon with a loud
hurra, by way of jolification, and then
went blindly, yet boastfully, to work,
/" retrenching and reforming.n Be it
remembered that, as party, the
Democracy rejected and condemned
the "Flick Amendment to the con-
stitution, under the provisions of
which much that was complained of
most bitterly was remedied; yet par
italy to accomplish what that amend
ment had already provided for, our
Democratic ret0rmers" resolved to
hold Constitutional Convention
which they did, with as little delay
as possible. That Convention was
almost unanimously Democratic,
having upon its rolls the names OF
but twelve Republicans. This fact
should be borne in mind, as an alto
gether sufficient guarantee of the
origin of the constitution, and that
It's proper authors may have full
credit and full censure for whatso-
ever Of good or evil contained and
entailed. The Convention was in
session about three months, we be-
lieve, at cost to the State fully
equal to the expense OF an ordinary
session of the Leglaisture, every dol
lar of which expense was wholly un-
necessary and without reasonable ex.
cuse. Rnt even this would be par
doned the Democracy, had tney
either then or since fulfilled the
pledges made when the call for the
Convention was being apologized for
before the people. They promised to
reduce the number of tue nfsices. ar,
retrench expenses in every depart.
inent, and guaranteed that the ex-
penses at.sacned to the holding of
the constitutional Convention should
be more than offset In a single year
by the savings effected by it. 1t will
be remembered that one item of ex-
pense under the old constitution, so
much heralded by Democratic expo
nents, was to be saved in the legisla-
tive department by the change
from annual to biennial sessions Of
the Legislature. And the constitution
does provide for the change, yet, I'M
der one pretext or other, there has
beena session of the Legislative eue,y
year since the constitution, with this
often commended provision, was
adopted. These are known to the
'rade" as adjourned sessions" or
The session of one year extended in
% the next, in order to perfect bust
hess which it was impossible to com
1lete within the time prescribed for
me term. The people should really
Begin to protest, lest the biennial
session may yet be converted into a
;emi-annual session. We have no
difficulty in understanding how it
nay become necessary to extend
erm of the Legislature, occasionally,
possibly every year--but it puzzles
IS to explain why the makers of the
SO persistently demand
I'd change which experience should
nave shown to be imppracticable. If
lot impracticable, then why is not
5he provision complied with Anoth-
ar puzzling feature Of the situation
is in the matter of retrenchment."
Where does it appear? Certainly
not from a reduction of the legisla-
tive expenses, nor from the diminish
ing of the offices. Then where
Perhaps the re-assessment not long
since OF the lands and other property
of the State accomplished saving,
a question which we respectfully sub
NIT for answer to the farmers of the
State. Re-assessments must certain
" be popular from some cause, since
the recent Legislature ordered anoth-
er, the second since the Democratic
party commenced doing business in
the State. The farmers, the mer-
chants, the manufacturers and the
mechanics shonld take notes, and
when their tax-bills under the new
are presented for pay
ment they will no doubt be able to
the "retrenchment'
problem. 1t is possible, but then
scarcely probable, that they will be
able to read "retrenchment" be-
tween the lineS-at least.
But we have no code. The State
was admitted into the Union in 1868,
midst the most turbulent Of times,
and within five years thereafter,
with the results of the war, and the
difficulties naturally incident to the
erection of new State government,
upon them, the Republicans perfect
ed and issued what is now known as
the "Code of 1868" That code and
the constitution under which it was
created, many have had imperfec-
tions, but we have yet to hear either
condemned except upon political
grounds, and we have the testimony
of good and true men competent to
judge to substantiate the assertion
that both were remarkably perfect
and clear. Giving the democracy
the benefit, however, of all that may
be justly said against them-and we
doubt if anything can be said-we
are at least sure that under that
code there was no speculation as to
the existing laws. The Democratic