Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-13
SOME SUGGESTIONS
For the Consideration OF the Legislature
of West Virginia.


CAMERON. W. Va. December l2.-As the
Legislature Of our State will soon assemble
We deem it privilege to suggest some ideas
for their consideration. lG this we do not
wish to be considered presumpiious or die
tstoTial, bu. merely exercising the prerogs-
tives Of citizen of the commonwealth.
That the laws governing many things now
uUon our statute books are detective and
hard to understand is beyond all dispute.
There is no need for this. The States are
constantly progressing in the propagation
of laws beneficial to their best interests,
brought out By the intelligence and wisdom
of men throughout the Union who, by their
experience and cons;ancy with good and
who esome laws, trimmed Of all garbage,
vet simple and efficient in their details as to
the subject they bear upon. Our Legisla-
ture should find the wants Of the people and
supply those wants with saw that is suitable
tothe times and age in which we live. The
first and one of the most important things
TO be considered by the coming Legislature
is the codefcation of the laws Of the State.
They should be codefed so as to give US a
digest undeI which a magistrate works aud
one for the use of courts. The first should
be in form similar to Binn's digest OF the
State of Pennsylvania. This gives IN a
clear and concise form all laws under the
jurisdiction of justice Of the peace, togeth-
er with notes and references that bear upon
the law in discussions of the Supreme
Court Pardons digest Of the same State
would be q 1Cod work to model AFTER 1t
gives the laws of the Stale in such form as
to give the courts easy access to any law
| to which they may wish to refer; it as has
| reference to authorities and discussion
| of the Supreme Court. The cost
/ of codeJing the laws will be
| but little compared with the advantages to
| be derived from the work after it is done.
After the work is once accomplished it can
/ be revised every three to five years at bnt
little cost, and thus kept in good shape for
| all concerned. The next and most import
ant matter deserving attention and immed-
\ late action, is the election laws of the State.
! We look upon the purity OF the ballot as
| the one thing essential to the preservation
/ OF our Republican form Of government.
Honest and pure in its administration it is
the sure means Of breaking down those
rings led by INSCRIPTIONS politicians that
have nothing at stake but self sgrandise-
ment We need stingent registry law,
requiring every voter to be registered at
least so days before election. He should
have a bona fide residence in the township
or ward in which he votes 80 days before he
can vote, and should be required to show a
receipt for State and county tax paid
within two years and thirty days before
! election. As the law stands in the State
! a man is entitled to vote if he never paid a
/ cent of tax This is not right, he is really
not a qualified citizen until he becomes q
supporter BY taxation of the county and
/ State in which he lives. Our county and
State must be supported in their financial
matters, and these matters are regulated
| by officers elected for that purpose. When
| q man pays no tax he is not interested to
| the extent he is when made to pay and
should not be permitted to exercise any
privilege that binds his neighbor and not
himself There is no provision that can be
! instituted that is a greater check to fraudu-
lent votes. Again our election law re-
quires no township residence prior
J to voting. If he is resident of the
State he can go to any county
| in the State and vote after SIXTY days, and
all the proof required is his own oath. We
have no checks. This leaves the door wide
| open to fraud and illegal voting-men could
| be imported into a country sixty days before
the election and vote by swearing they are a
bonafde resident of the State and county;
also under the present law they could go
from the township and swear that they resided
in the county and had come into that dis
trict as q bona6de resident-there is no
check to prevent them from voting. Many
townships have two places Of voting without
division Of yoters-they are permitted to go
to either place as their fancy dictates. Every
man should have designated the place
where he shall 90 to cast his vote and not
| be permitted, under 70 circums .ance, to
vote any other place At that place he
should be registered. This precaution, to-
gether with this required tax receipt, will
intercept him if an illegal voter. AL prer
caution possible should be taken to give US
q ballot that expresses the viii of the peo-
pie. Remember that when the ballot is
contaminated we become corrupt, when We
become corrupt we sacrifice our honor, and
when we sacrifice that, we are on the down
| ward road to ruin. FENI.