Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-02-14

PROCEEDINGS or THELEGIsLATURE

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE
10 the Senate last Thursday, 9th.
Mr. Scott called up his bill to provide
for representation OF the minority
party IL the Board of Regents and
other appointments in the Insane
Asylum. There was a hot debate
in which all sorts of political matters
were raked up. Senator Smith could
not see why, if the management of
the Insane Asylum is creditable and
commendable, the Democracy OBJ
.jected to having the Republicans on
the Board of Regents. Was it be-
cause there are so many hungry
Democrats and so little pap to go
around 7 Gov. Stevenson, when he
occupied the executive chair, always
aimed to give the Democracy repre-
sentation upon the Boards, and
once, no doubt by accident, there
was a majority OF Democrats on the
Insane Asylum Board. If a more
liberal management is not given to
these institutions, they will lose
their usefulness. There is a day OF
reckoning coming.
In the House, Friday, the bill es-
tablishing a County Court and Board
Of Commissioners for Jefferson coun-
ty was passed.
The House rejected the bill to
make Nav LIST the date of the annual
assessment.
House Bill No. 2, Mr.. Roblnson's
bill, to prohibit the employment Of
convict labor at the Moundsrille
penitentiary in the manufacture OF
tobacco, cigars, wagons or other
wheeled vehicles, or parts Of such
vehicles, was taken up, the pending
question being the adoption of an
amendment which destroyed the bill
leaving the law as it now stands.
This amendment Mr.. Robertson
opposed. He said:
The National and State conven-
tions of all parties, in the recent pc
Etical contests, We'd with each other
in filling their platforms with profuse
promises to protect and advance the
interests Of labor, and those Of the
parties in this State where no excep-
tion to the general rule. Now, for
the first time a bill is introduced that
will materially benefit the mechanics
of the several branches of industry
required III the manufacture OF
wagons and other wheeled vehicles,
and it remains to be seen whether
the promises held out by the differ
ent parties were mere bombast, or
were made in good faith. l have in
my possession a letter from the larg-
est wagon manufacturing firm in
this State, which shows that they are
deeply interested in the abolition OF
this curse upon free labor and free
institutions. The following extracts
will show the tenor of the letter:
awe have been obliged to reduce
the number of our employees and lease
a large portion of our factory to
other branches of business. We
have made some special improve
ments, and do not know that we
have made any money in the manu-
facture of wagons in the past ten
years. There is no
price at which we can sell wagon
made by honest labor that cannot
be discounted by the contractors al
the West Virginia State prison
The reason is obvious: We pay oul
men an average of two dollars pei
day, while the State lets the convicts
at about sixty cents.u
ssAnd If we are not mistaken, the
contractors are free from State and
municipal taxation. - The
State has graveyard in which
are buried the shops of Moffat &
McNabb, Busbey & Little and others
OF Wheeling, together with all the
small shops heretofore found at coun
try crossroads throughout the State
While the injury to the manufac
turers is great, and should have con
siderable influence in deciding this
question, in my opinion the gravest
wrong is perpetrated against those
mechanics who are deprived of work
By the perpetuation of this vile com
petition. Men who have spent the
best part OF their lives in acquiring
the skill necessary in the manufac
ture of wagons, find themselves re
duced to the position of common
laborers.. The only possible hope
OF securing steady work at theil
trade would he to commit penlten
tiary offence and thus obtain a sit
uation on the Webster wagon force
The farmers of the State-the sturdy
yeomanry who earn their living by
tilling the soil-have no sympathy
with this outrage upon the rights Of
free labor. Workingmen themselves
in the broadcast sense of the term,
they naturally possess a sympathetic
feeling for others of their class
They would scorn to uphold system
which, while it may provide them
wagons at less cost than they can be
secured from honest and free indus.
trial establishments, does so at the
cost OF life long misery and degrade.
ton to the mechanics who are thrown
out of employment by this destroy
ing competition. There are a mum.
Der of these practical farmers occupy.
ing seats upon this floor, and if the
fate of this bill were left solely to
them, feel confident 1t would be
passed by unanimous vote.
The amendment was adopted by a
vote of so to IL. The bill was then
indefinitely postponed.
In the Senate, Saturday, No ia,
a bill prohibiting the intoxication of
employees of railroad companies
while in the discharge of their du-
ties.
Several petitions were presented
asking favorable action on tho pro