The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-08
FLEMING AND KENNA.
They Speak to a Magnificent
Crowd Saturday Night.
TYPICAL DEMOCRATIC TALK
Which will not Stand the Light of
Truth = State Issues Mlsrcpre-
sented-JudGc Flemine's I'm
favorable Impression.

favorable Impression.
In their speeches at the Capitol rim
Saturday night, Judge FleminGand Ser
ator Kenna illustrated the desperat
condition OF the Democracy. Senate
Kenna was as thoroughly in earnest a
ever in his life. He talked as one VIII
knew he was fighting, against odds
Judge Fleming vindicated the wisdom o
Chairman Riley's verdict that he was no
Gt to meet Gen. Gof in joint debate
Both their speeches We're encouraging
to Republicans; their reception by mer
Of all partieswas still more encouraging
Judge Fleming used recklessly figure,
in regard to State finances, showing thai
"he is is not sufficiently posted on the
issues Of the campaign" chairman
Riley1 to discuss them before an audi.
ence outside OF Chirman Riley's "in.
terror" He gives the Republican party
credit for establishing the school system,
but says they left it III crude and i'm.
perfect condition, and that it was per.
lected by the Democratic party. He
failed to state that the first act Off Dem
ocratiC Legislature was intended to Grip
pie and destroy the system, and had il
not been that public opinion favored
public schools, they never would have
enacted the present law.
Judge Fleming says: "In 1867 under
Republican administration there was
expended from the general school fund
Sl6G 900; in 1870, the last year OF Repub-
lican control, there was expended from
this fund $2S5,000. Then there came u
change. Republicanism went out and
Democracy came in, and what was the
result? In 1887, or the last year from
which we have official statistics, there
was expended for the benefit OF the
school children of this State almost twice
as much as any Republican administra-
ton ever laid out. 100000 was
thus laid out" The INTELLIaENcER
does not dispute the figures for 1867 and
1870. There is at hand no official report
for 1887. The last published reports on
this subject will be found on page 90,
Auditors report for 1885 and 1856, show
ing that there was apportioned to the
several counties for school purposes for
the year 1885, $lGI,524 80, and for 1886,
$2G7, ,727 90. The amount apportioned
per capita in 1867 and 1870 is undoubt-
edly greater than in 1885 and 1886, as
the population has increased at least
fifty per cent.
Tho Republicans built school houses
from the organization Of the State or,
say, from 1865, when they got the school
system in operation, to September SO,
1870, to the value OF 81 ,057, ,473 94; for
ten years under Democratic rule, from
1870 to 1850, to the value OF $Gl3,O80 94.
The Judge says: "In the last year OF
Republican rule there was expended for
all purposes in this State S557, 900. In
1887 there was hid out for all purposes
over 81, ,0S7,000. But you ask me how
was the Democratic party able to do
this? ? Did it lay heavier taxes? Not one
cent" Economy, honesty and intelli-
gent business methods, Judge Fleming
states, enabled the Democratic party to
not only expend so much more money,
but also to reduce thetaXes. The Judge
failed to state that Democratic Consti-
tutional Convention increased the num-
Der OF officers in every department Of
the State government and increased
the salaries Of many OF them.
To prevent deficiency in the Treas
ury n Democratic Legislature ordered a
re.valuation OF real estate in 1874 and
1882 and increased the valuation S22,-
423,2l2 30 from $05, 800, sos o. in 1871 to
$llT0i4, ,l40 50.
He got his figures mixed in regard to
reduction OF the rate OF taxation, for
precisely the opposite OF what ne said is
the fact.
At the organization OF West Virginia
the rate OF taxation then existing in the
old State was forty cents on each 500
valuation OF taxable property for State
purposes. This was continued one year
by the Legislature OF the new State. AT
the second term OF the Legislature the
rate was reduced to thirty cents for
State purposes-Chapter 20, Acts OF 1854.
Chapter l9G, Acts OF lSGS, the rate was
again reduced from thirty cents 10 twenr
ty cents on each 500 for State purposes.
In lSS3-Chapter 81, page Sl-the rate
was increased to twenty-five cents, where
it now remains. Both the reductions
were made by Republicans. The in
crease was made by a Legislature over
whelmingly Democratic.
This increase Of valuation and also in
the rate OF taxation did not produce the
necessary revenues to meet the extrava-
CANT expenditures caused by a Demo-
cratic constitutional convention increas-
ing the number and pay OF officers in
Tie State. So the Democratic State Ex-
ecutivc, in violation OF the constitution,
issued State bonds to the amount OF
Sl37, ,5ll 4S and invested in the Irrcduci-
bic School Fund; and also borrowed
from this same fund on temporary loan
the sum of $4,000. See annual report
1Ss5-G, page 81.
Judge Fleming did not refer to the
impeachment Of n Democratic Auditor
and Democratic State Treasurer.
Neither did he have anything to say on
the unsavory subject Of mismanagement
OF the Insane Asylum, which has be-
come stencil in the nostrls OF decent
men OF all parties. No scandals are
witten in the history Of West Virginia
under Republican control.