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

OF colonization, in its relation to the re-
suits at Raymond City, what credit for
sincerity. or consistency arc we togiye
to the Republican platform and its
declaration against armed alien forces
Particularly when these same gentlemen
will tell you during this campaign that
they are in favor of a force bill SO that
they may have free vote and a fair
count, who congratulate the people upon
the fact that there viii be no United
States marshals at the polls this year
and at the same time declare in favor Of
federal election law that 'tputs a
bayonet behind every ballot"
Sample of Radical Economy.
The Huntington platform next de-
nounees the Democratic a9iniristrations
in this state as wIisteful, incompetent
and e1travagant. IT charges specitical-
IL that we have increased tie number
of oficeholders and their salaries; in
creased the average assessment for state
taxes, and the object and basis of taxa
ton by the reassessment of property.
Let them specify wherein we have been
either wasteful, incompetent or extrava-
CANT. Let us compare records. The
Republican party was in power in this
state from 1868 to 1871. During that
period with tax rate greater than we
have since had, they only partially built
the asylum at Weston, about half COM
plotted the penitentiary at Moundsyille
and received as a donation grounds and
buildings for n university and normal
school. The impartial inquirer will ask
in vain what they did with the taxes
collected from the people. assert on
the other hand, that every fair-minded
man must concede merit in all the eN-
penditures ruder Democratic administra-
ton, In the offices created and the sal
aries paid: that they must also condemn
the Republican methods of handling the
finances, disapprove of many of the
Offices created under Republican ad-
ministration, and criticise the salaries
paid.
did upon coming into power was to
abolish fifty-four boards of registration,
thus doing away with 162 Republican
officers, whose sole business it was to
disfranchise Democrats. These boards
cost the state treasury 50. 146. 80 in 1886;
sic, 431. 81 in 1857; $685.. So in 1868: 3d.
1854 in 1869; So, 40 in 1870; ST.
490 80 in 1871. More annually than the
present salaries of the governor, auditor,
treasurer, attorney general and supel
intendent of free schools, and the aboh-
ton of these boards also retired to
private life an army of several hundred
registrars, all of whom had to be paid.
The Party Pleads Guilty.
The Democratic party pleads guilty to
the charge i'll the Republican platform
| that it has created few offices. 1t Gre
ated the offices of state inspectors of
mines. made necessary by the mining
law enacted by Democratic legislature
to provide safety for that very deserving
class of our citizens employed in mining
coal and who are doing SO much for the
development and substantial prosperity
of the state. The very nature of this in
dustry makes it a hazardous one, and it
is the plain duty of the state to provide by
law such regulations as will tend to re-
duce the dangers and increase the safety
of this class of our citizens. Do You Re
publicans propose to abolish the two
offices of mine inspectors? Another
| Office created by Democratic legislation
is that of commissioner of labor. This
| bureau was created to gather such
statistical aud other information respect
ing the conditions of all classes of labor
as would enable our legislators to inteli-
| gently consider and enact laws in the in
terest of the laboring classes. Do you
propose, my Republican friends. who
delight in posing rs the special friends
of labor, to abolish the labor bureau
The board of agriculture in another Gre
alton of the Democratic party. None
except practicable farmers are eligible
to places on this board. You Republi-
and insist upon maintaining, as you say,
a high protective tariff in his interest;
| do you object to a few hundred dollars
expended through the operations of this
board exclusively for the benefit of the
farmers of West Virginia? Are you in
| clined to
Oppose the National Guard
of our state, of whom all. should be
proud? If not you can not object to the
law which relieved the adjutant general
of the duties of state librarian by Great
military law under which our national
guard is organized, and which was pre-
pared by those eminent Republicans,
Colonel Frcer and Major Gluck. gentle
men for whose fairness and ability as
politicians, citizens and military men 1
have high regard, made it necessary to
have in the adjutant general an officer
who could give all his attention to mill
| tary matters. The Office of librarian is
one of importance, its duties are contin-
ing and require constant attention from
one person at least. Since the creation
| of this office, our valuable state library
has been well cared for and the service
has been most efficient. Do our Re
| publican friends want to cripple the
military organization of the state, or
| leave the state library without proper
care and service? Another new Office is
that Of state bank examiner, but in fair
ness to the Republican candidate for
| governor. l must not claim for the
Democratic party the exclusive credit
for creating this office. Mr.. Davis was
author of the bank examiners law now
on our statute book and the most earnest
advocate of its passage. Does the party
which has headed its state ticket with
the name of Mr.. Davis object to this
law, which aims at providing secure and
t0lvent banks for the use of the people !?
What other Offices have been created.
unless it be an additional member of the
court of appeals and few additional
circuit judges, made necessary by the in
crease of the states population and con-
Bequent increase i'll litigation? Do the
Republicans propose to deny to the peo-
pie efficient courts?
About Salaries.
The Huntington platform next ac-
crses the Democrats OF having increased
salaries. L can only characterize this as
a most objectionable and deliberate
false statement. The present salaries
of all state officers are fixed by the con-
stitution, which was adopted by vote
of the pc ople, and there could be no in
crease or reduction except by consti-
tutiOnal amendment, There has been
no change in the salaries as fixed by the
constitution of 1872, except as to the
salaries of the circuit judges, which
We're not increased, but in fact reduced
from 81, 900 to 81 800 by the adoption of
the constitutional amendment OF 1879.
The salaries so fixed by the constitution
of 1872 are substantially the same as the
salaries and allowances previously paid
under Republican administration. In
| fact, they are trif1e less. The differ
ence is that now state officers receive ex-
clusively salary; than they were paid