Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-28
DEMOCRATIC AUGMENTATION In
WEST VIRRGNIA.

DEMOCRATIC ADMINISrnATIONS IN
WEST VIRaGNIA.
1.-THE Weston D>uaoerdt makes the point
that the Republicans, in charging extra
ysgapcs 90 the Democrats in the manage
rssnt OF the State government, have not
the honesty to tell the people that the
Democratic party reduced the taxes in 1873.
1t will be remembered that the Republican
party in 1868 or so, levied tax of cents
on the 800 for the construction of the
hospital, which was continued until taken
off by the Democrats in 1878. Since then
the hospital has been completed,
large additions have been made to
the university buildings at Morgantown,
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Romney,
and large amounts appropriated for the
capitol building at Charleston. Had this
tax been continued it would have yielded
over six hundred thousand dollars up to
this time, which would pay off the $127, 900
deficiency in the treasury and leave a sur
plus of $500, 900. This amount has been
saved to the taxpayers Of the State by the
economical management of the State gov
eminent by the Democrats, but no Repub-
lean shrieker has the honesty to tell you
so."-Lineola Clipper.
The facts contained in the above
statement have been a subject of fire.
quent reference by the REGISTER, and
of iteration and reiteration by the DEM
Oeratie press Of the State.
They are we'll understood by the in
telligent reading portion Of all parties.
That taxation, extravaganza, reassess-
ment and extra sessions continued to
be made subjects of invidious criticism
by the Republican press, is well under
stood to be political poppy-cock directed
to the ignorant and uniformed voter.
With all the eagerness and uncon-
scionableness Of the opposition to criti-
else adversely the Democratic admins
tration Of the State government not
one well founded fact has been adduced
of Encouragement or mal-admInistra-
ton.
When in the history of the Democratic
administration in West Virginia, has
there been job? When has there been
suspicion of corruption in office?
Where is there a single instance Of ex-
travagance in the appropriations? In
what State of the Union are the taxes
less? When were they lower than now?
We have no debt; we have no jobs;
we have no corruption in office; we have
no rings or eliques that feed upon the
public treasury; we have no complaint
Observation-Disclosures taxpayers;
our people are prosperous and contented;
our State is growing in population and
wealth; railroads are being built; our
mines are being opened; manufactures
are springing up; there is no State in
the Union where the political machine"
is less Obtrusive; where the ballot Is
freer; where the voter is so secure from
mOlestatiOn; where the boss is so
obscure; where peace is so profound,
and where every citizen enjoys such
undisturbed and unbroken security Of
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
as undera Democratic administration in
the State of West Virginia. 3
How would change of administra-
ton improve our condition? What sug-
gestion can or has been made in this di-
rection? The Republican candidate for
Governor went over the State in 1850
crying "Bour6onism! Bourbonism"
ald with great elaboration of argument
trying to convince the people that
change of administration was necessary
to the prosperity and development Of
the State.
But the people asked how? Would
you build railroads and system of in
ternal improvements at the expense of
the State? Would you increase taxa
ton so as to make annual apprOpria-
tiOns out of the treasury for these
things? How could the State govern
ment undertake works Of Internal i'm
provement except at the expense of the
State treasury, and how is the State
treasury to supply it except by an in
creased rate Of taxation?
When the people sifted this argu-
ment they found at the bottom OF 1t
nothing more or less than the old plea
of the "outs" for chance to get in, and
their response at the polls was an en-
phatic expression of their satisfaction
with the situation as they found it.
Recently Mr.. MASON has discovered
the same kind of "revOlt" among the
people against the policy of the domi-
nant party that Mr.. STURGIss prophe-
cied prior to the last general election.
Mr.. MASON found fued in the Demo
cratic party of his district which he is
disposed to cOnstrue into "revolt'
against the policy of the party in gener-
al. But it is strange, if that view is cor
rect, that Mr.. MASON did not succeed in
winning over some of the revolving
Democrats to his ticket. He needed
only uiue 'revolting" Democrats to elect
him. But they didu't revolt in that di-
rection. The "revolt" in the Second
district was Of no more profit to the
Republican candidate for Congress in
I 1882 than the "revolt" in the State was
/ to the candidate for Governor in 1880.
/ The same kind of revolt will, doubt
[ less, show up in 1894.
MEN GHnA RE.HOrED,, But DO NO I