The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-10
STRONG POINTS MADE
By. Prominent Speakers at the
Eighth Ward Club Meeting.
A FINE GATHERING LAST NIGHT.
Captain lDOvenor scores "colOnol"
Maccorkle and others OF his Tx.
The Next Attorney General is Pres
ent-..s. G. Smith, Esq, makes Some
Good Points, too.

League Club held rousing meeting
last evening at Nolte's Hall. Mr. S. L.
Brice presided in the chair in the
absence of the president, and Mr.. Alex
Bebout oficiated as secretary. The
hall was crowded the entire evening,
and considerable enthusiasm was
evinced as each Of the speakers scored
strong points.
After the regular routine business OF
the club, Mr.. S. L Brice introduced Mr..
I. o. Bullock, Of Parkersburg, candidate
for attorney general, who made short
speech. He made many friends by his
atiable manner.
; At the conclusion OF Mr.. Bullock's re-
marks Mr.. S. &. Smith was introduced.
Mr.. Smith confined himself almost
wholly to matters that affect directly
the citizens Of this state. The fee sys-
tenn in its ubiquitous operation, fatten-
ing the pockets OF the officials at the
expense of the people and the good
name OF the state, came in for good
share of denunciation, and the loosely
drawn laws. such as the mechanics
lien and married woman's laws, were
characterized as simply monuments oil
legislative stupidity. Referring to can
didate MacCorkle's claim that the Pc
Rod from 1916 to 1860 was the most
prosperous in the history of the coun-
try, Mr.. Smith showed that for seventy
FIVE years previous to 1850, LIZ iron fur
naces passed through the sheritf's
hands, and OF these l24, or 70 per cent,
failed and were sold by the sheriff in
the four years succeeding the tariff OF
lS46.
Captain B. B. Dovener, who was the
main. speaker OF the occasion, was
greeted with deafening applause as he
stepped forward to discuss the state
issues, which were his main subject
He refuted the MISREPRESENTATION made
by Col MacCorkle in his speech on the
previous evening.
The captain opened his speech by
showing up the state house ring, which
had been in power for twenty-five years,
and showed how the officials had made
big sums OF money in fees which should
have gone into the treasury and lessen
ed the burden OF taxation instead OF in
creasing it. In reply to Col. MacCor-
kle's remarks in regard to the importa-
ton of Ignorant cullud labor" from
other states and the Pinkertonism dur
ing the Marmet mine trouble in Putnam
county, he showed that the imported
labor from other states had only come
from the adjoining county OF Fayette,
and the so-called seventy-fve Pinker-
tons that had been brought
from Cincinnati had crossed the river
into Charleston and marched through
the streets OF that city past the capitol,
where the governor was, and whore
prominent legal talent OF that city mad
protested against armed men being
brought into the state. The governor
sent the assistant adjutant general to
investigate, and the governor reported
that there was no law TO prevent it, al
though there was law onAthe statute
books, that no citizen has the right to
carry concealed weapons or to use them,
except in self defense. He also showed
up the state house ring in its true
light, and the increase of salaries in the
past twenty-five years. In some re-
spects the increase was demonstrations
al, but they avoided this point by the
substitution OF fees, which should have
gone into the treasury and not be paid
out in big salaries This would have
avoided borrowing 100000 from the
school fund to run the state.
He also dwelt on the reassessment at
some length, revealing how the wealthy
and large owners Of land in the interior
part OF the state escaped this by organ
King wildcat railroads under the gem
eral railroad law passed April II, 1873,
by which any five men may incorporate
railroad and secure charter. He
showed how the Steer Creek & Elk
Valley railroad organized in remote
part OF the state, beginning in the
woods and ending in the woods. II
started with a capital OF 81, 900, and
10000 acres Of land was subscribed as
stock, which was then exempt from
taxation. This was afterwards in
creased to capital OF S5,000,000, and
100000 acres subscribed as stock to
save the individuals who owned this
land from taxation. And when the
public's attention was called to these
frauds, these acts were repealed in 1880.
In the meantime the lands had been
improved by farmers to whom they
we're sold and fell under the re-assess-
ment, while these prominent Demo
cratic individuals had grown wealthy
in the meaptime. Referring back to
the Pinkerton law, defeated by
the last legislature, he ridiculed the
idea Of Republicans defeating il
as advanced by the Register. After
passing the house unanimously, it was
killed in the senate, where there were
nineteen Democrats and seven Republic
cans. The Register claimed that had the
senator from this district voted for the
bill it would have passed. He closed
by paying an eloquent tribute to Sena-
tor 7. E. Davis, the candidate for gov.
ernor, and the general excellencies o.
the whole ticket. After considerable
cheering, the nesting adjourned.