Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-09-13

tefest had been paid ana FOR which NO
note or other evidence of indebtedness
had been given. and which sum Demo
cratic aGiminiserati paid back. This
is the sort of protection and care that
was given by the Republican party to
that fund which Its present platform de-
clares was set apart sacredly for the.
education of the children So long as
that party's fingers were IN the treasury,
this fund was not regarded too asacredr
to be used for other than school pur-
poses, whether for the sacred purpose
of disfranchising Democratic voters or
increasing officers salaries by donations
of house rent.
The Rublic Printing,
Ny friends; this remarkable platform
next charges extravaganza in public.
printing and stationary accounts. While
no department of the state government
is more carefully watched and econom-
ically managed, there has been
necessarily q gradual increase in the ag-
gregate cost OF printing and stationary,
incident to the establishment and growth
of our public Institutions. But If COM
pariSon is made between present appro-
priations wheel printing is done for and
stationery supplied to the university,
ton, Colored Agricultural college, six
normal schools, hospitals for the insane,
the penitentiary, labor bureau and mine
inspectors, aud the appropriations for
printing made prior to the establishment
of these institutions and depar tpents, to
say nothing OF the large requirements of
the executive offices of the government.
a sufficient answer to; the charge of ex-,
travagance in this quarter will have
been found sA%
Partisan Boards and Teachers.
Another charge in this platform ia
that our public institutions are run by
partisan boards appointed because of
partisan service. It strikes me that
this comes with rather bad grace from a
party that was seldom, if ever, known
to appoint Democrat to any Office or
upon any board, and even required of
school teachers the infamous test oath
before allowing them to teach school for
a living: but in defence to the charge
we plead that all of cur state institutions
are in a most healthy, prosperous and
satisfactory condition, and better man
aged with less reference to politics than
they ever We're at any period during all
the years of Republican supremacy in
this state. So far, my fellow citizens,
as 1 am authorized to speak for it, the
Democratic party will decline to apollo
SoAAO AL P4EAG4AlS9 DS44AOS4cLGo LdIu.
The States Prosperity.
And now come to what must be re-
garded, in the light of our states SPLEEN
did prosperity since she threw off the
yoke of radical Republicanism, as the
Joke" the ridiculous absurdity of the
Huntington platform. The Democratic
party is gravely charged through its adj
miniStration of affairs with retardino
the growth of the state. My friends,
invite your attention to our public insti-
tuition, costing more than So 600, 600, to
our spendid system of free schools and
educational institutions, to our I'M
precedented increase in population and
material wealth, to the astonishing in
crease in the states railroad mileage, her
mining industry and every department.
Of commercial and industrial activity,
md I ask that you follow me while
make some Comparisons.
A Few Comparisons.
In 1871, after nine years of Republican
rule, we found the state with a free
school system crude and inefficient. We
perfected tho law, enlarged and i'm
proved the school work, and gave to the
state of West Virginia one of the best
educational stems in the country The
growth of oUr schools under Democratic
administrations has been simply wonder
Lu4.t LII 1911 we Itt1 UOS SlCOO1 houses;
III 1891 we had 1899 In 1871 the school
population of the state was IL, 33i; in
1892 it was 271 1888. In 1871 the aver
age daily attendance was but 81 1886; in
1892 1t was 1913 1857. In 1871 there were
only 2,45S teachers employed; in 1891
there We're 1900 teachers employed. The
value OF our school property in 1871 was
l,064, III; iii 1891 it was So, 151 1886. In
1871 we had an irreducible school fund
n nod g.,
aggregating only $f74, 1896. 35; in 1891 the
1rreducible school fund had grown to
1858. 203.93, and the general fund to
1851 ,4S7.S9. In 1871 the entire amount
spent i'll education was $55117, 71S.72, while
in 1891 there was expended 81 $3.50, 693, 81
This, my friends, is the splendid record
of our educational progress and grandly
vindicates the loyalty of the Democratic
party to the bright boys and girls of
West Virginia. s9tE #fgAa
West Virginia Railroads.
In 1870 we had, $3.50 miles of railroad in
this state. The milage was made up al
railroad, completed in 1876. under a
Democratic administration of the old
mother state. During the entire period
of Republican rule III West Virginia,
from the. organization of the state to
1871, less than twenty-five miles of rail
roads were constructed and put into
operation. What a record for this party
of boosted progress that now in the face
of such record charges us with retarding
the growth of the state On the other
hand, what has been done in railroad
building Under Democratic administra-
ton since 1870? On the Sfth of last De-
cember, the aggregate railroad mileage
in this state Tns / 1886 miles. assessed Mt
$18.195, 548.G4, with many more miles of
new road under construction than at any
other time in the history of our state,
Not only this, but. the new roads ara
chiefly cross lines. penetrating the In
terror of the state and reaching and
throwing open to capital those sections
richest in all the elements of material
wealth; and they have been and are being
constructed by West Virginians, they
are largely tie product of West Vir-
capital. In the sfaeeSof these facts. nv
fellow citizens, which party is the party
of progress, and which shall be charged
with retarding the growth of your state?
Does the fact that in nine years of Re
publican supremacy less than twenty
five miles of railroad We're built in West
Virginia; show that any. great amount of
progress attaches to that party? Is the
quadrupling of our railroad mileage I'M
der Democratic administration to be
cited as evidence that the Democratic
party is reta~ding the growth of the
state? 80
Progress of the Mining Industry.
No less maaked is our progress under
Democratic rule in other lines of indrs-
trial activity. We can not give an esti-
mate. even, of the coal business in this
state when the Republicans were run