The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-01-31
The Legislature.

The indication is that they will
accomplish a considerable amount of
legislation. The committees are in
dustrious and working hard The
general sessions are distinguished for
business rather than blowing, so far
as the reports indicate; although the
reports of the Wheeling papers give
very meager and unsatisfactory in
dication of what is being done, We
doubt if members of the Legislature
could understand them, much less a
reader in another part Of the State.
So far as the work has developed,
the subject Of taxation promises to
be leading issue of the session. The
tax commissioners appointed by Gov.
Jackson have made voluminous re-
ports. If the Legislature don't agree
any better than the commissioners
there will be nothing done toward
reforming our tax system. And the
chances are that they will be as wide
apart as the commissioners. There
is nothing the average legislator
wants to NEEDLE with so much as
the tax laws and nothing about which
he knows so little when it comes to
the test.
But there is one thing in this con-
nection upon which members seem
to be agreed, and that is that the
supplemental assessment" must go,
either by constitutional amendment
or some hook or crook Of legislation.
The probability is that the time for
making returns will be changed SO
that the farmers and others will not
be caught with so much personal
property on hand
The school laws come in for even
more than their usual share of atten-
ton. He is very stupid legislator
who can't make at least half dozen
propositions to amend the school
law. The man with the long title
j. S. w. Dean--who is right well
known hereabouts, seems to be the
champion of long winded, utopiar
schemes for remodelling the schoo
system. He takes in everything
from the University down to the
primary school. He would abolish
nearly all the existing departments
of the University-they are moi
, modelled after his notion. The Legis
lature ought to give him chance tt
construct little University of his
own.
The codification of the laws, is
also leading topic at present. This
ought to have been done severa
years ago, but parsimonious policy
has prevented it. In trying to save
the cost of codifcation more money
has been wasted than would have
paid the bill six times over.
This is the last session of the Leg
islature that will be held in Wheel
ing if the programme for removing
the Capital to Charleston is carried
out. According to the act, the
change must be made in Nav next
Preparing for Judgment Day,
tits ungracious to look gift horse
in the mouth. The Treasury Depart
ment is just now bestirring itself te
discover fraud and correct the gross
est of the abuses that have so LONG
fourished in the New York Custom
House. We presume we ought te
receive any instalment of reform
thankfully, however small it may be
and although it is conceded on the
death bed of the reformer and with
a holesome dread of the day of judg-
ment.
The investigation of the Special
Agents office grows out of charges
made against Capt. Bracket. We
do not take much stock in these
charges for the reason that no Special
Agent has unearthed greater mum
Der of frauds or brought more rogues
to justice than Capt. Bracket, and
such an officer is certain to find &C.
cusers.
But the inquiry has already brought
to light an old standing abuse which
seems to have astonished Secretary
McCulloch. This abuseis the fraud
roll of the Special Agents office. 1t
is correctly named. Under the pre-
tense Of secret agents to discover
fraudulent practices on the part OF
importers, the fraudulent practice
has prevailed on the part of the Gov
eminent to fasten an army of worth
less political dependents on the
Treasury pay-lists. Sixty-two trans
fers and dismissals have been made
at once, and the 'rolf' is still as much
of fraud" as ever.
The Republican Administration is