Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-01-19
the BLAIR Blu,
j. W. t. Tells why He Thinks II ought to
BE Passed.

j. W. II. Tells Why He thinks IL ougoIt W
BE Passed.
10 Ae Ea1Or q tAs Rogiiz:
PIEnMoSr, w. Va, January lin
your issue of the 18th inst, you manifest
very great surprise that there should be any
Democrat m West Virginia who IS favorable
TO the blair Educational Bill. 1t Is pos
sible. Mr.. Editor, that you are surprised
We do not dispute your statement, yet such
is the case. There are Democrats IN West
Virginia who do favor this bill. Why
should there not be2 Why should the peo
pie Of West Virginia refuse, if the Govern
ment wants to make them q present OF sew
ersl hundred thousand dollarsf Who will De
ipiured3 Whose taxes will be increasedf
Whose liberties will be abridged2 Whose
property will be depreciated2 We
answer, no ones Then We ask
whose pride will be wounded or whose
hopes blasted. No ones exceptit might De,
some would be politicians, some one who
wants to keep the children OF our State, be-
hind those Of our more wealthy sister States,
so that they may profit by imposing on the
ignorance Of their constituency. This class
of politicians who are everywhere struggling
to keep themselves in power and place, are
everywhere, singing it into the ears oil
of their fellow citizens, that 1t Is not Demo
cratic to receive any assistance from the
Government. Who is the Government
Are not the people of West Virginia part
Of it? Does not part of the surplus IN
the National Treasury belong to the people
of this State? Did they not pay part OF
the money into the United States Treasury?
They most certainly did. Then they have
a ri9ht 10 what is Justly their own. You
lust step out into the State and ask the peo-
pie, the taxpayers, If they are wiling any
of this money should be returned to the
State, and listen carefully to what they
say. Who is it in West Virginia that IS so
earnestly opposing this distribution? 1t IS
the very same politicians who helped to
keep free schools out Of West Virginia as
long as it was possible, and when they DID
come, still continued to throw impediments
in their way, and are now trying to make
the people believe it is not democratic to
allow the general government to assist to
raise the standard of our system to q
higher plain by giving back to us part OF
what we have paid into the National Treas
ury. Now if the Government proposed to
Law an additional tax on the people for the
purpose Of creating a fund TO be divided
among the States, that would be another
question, but the money has already been
raised, it is now in the treasury, and the
citizens of West Virginia have paid Their
cart of il. The Government has no use
for it. II belongs to the people, and where
is the wrong if it is given back to
them? You, Mr. Editor say take
the tex off of sugar then we will
be enabled to pay more school taxes. Take
the tax of, that will still leave enough reve-
nue. to run the Government, and still we
have this surplus in the Treasury. What
are you going to do about it2 Leave it
there as bone OF contention to hight over
or fritter it away in improving some little
mountain stream TO enable some person to
hoat few saw logs to a ssw-mill he owns
somewhere on the stream? This no doubt
would please few persons, but the great
mass of the people of the State would never
hear of it. Why is it more harmful for the
Government to give to each State certain
amount of money to help carry on its school
system than for the State to pay the money
back 10 the counties which it collects from
the citizens of the county and call it our
State FUND.- Where is the difference? We
think il is distinction without difference.
We hope Mr.. Editor. you will not judge
what the opinion of every Democrat in this
State is, from the opinion Of a few chronic
office seekers, who hope to perpetuate them
selves in place by representing every thing
not Demi6tfatie unless they formulate it.
am Democrat, always support the Dem.
ocratic ticket, supported our last State and
National ticket enthusiastically, but al.
getting tired of listening to those learned
statesmen who say to US common people;
Go sit in the corner Do not question what
we say, if you do, your course will not be
[ Democratic. }. W. L.