Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-29
GOV. FLrlIING,s SPEECH.

At Fairmont on Saturday Governor
FLEMING, in an address which we pub
fish elsewhere this morning, took up
the Republican State platform and dis
cussed every point and plank in it.
Here is that portion Of the platform
which refers to Democratic abuses" in
West Virginia.
We denounce the Democratic admin
stratiOn iu this State as wasteful, eXtraya-
CANT and incompetent. They have broken
every promise made 70 the people as an IN
ducem6ut 20 be trusted with power. They
increased the number OF OtlCehOldcrS and
increased their salaries. They increased
the average assessment or state taxes
They increased the objects OF taxation, and
they increased the basis of taxation oy re-
peated reasSessmentS OF property, thereby
increasing taxation by every method IN
their power. They have, while processing
TO bs the particular friends OF the farmer
and while aClSuowledgiu 10y official reports
that a large amount OF personal property
escapes taxation. repeatedly increased Tor
taxing purposes the value OF the lands OF
the farmers, thereby adding 70 the confess
Cd inequality Of MS burdens.
They have made large State DEBT, &C
cordiug % the late cfliclal State report, IN
fragrant violation of the constitution OF the
State. They have used the FUNDS set apart
sacredlY 20 the education 20 the children OF
the State for other purposes, in plain vlo-
latlOn Of the constitution Of the State
They have wasted large sums Of money Tor
public printing, and the steady increase Of
the cost of stationery and public printing
has now arisen 20 IA alarming annual eN-
panse. They have placed the public penal
and humane institutions, almost without
exception, in the hands Of partisan boards
aud have 10 q large extent selected the
managers Of these institutions from uu-
scrupulOus politicians and have managed
them in the interest of partisan politics
and not i'm the interest of the people nor Oh
the unfortunate inmates thereof.
They have selected professors and teach
ers In the public educational institutions OF
the state solely on the ground OF party ser
vice and not for fitness, aud they have
driven out OF these institutions competent
and deserving men for mere partisan pur-
poses They nave by crude legislation and
liberal policy retarded the development OF
West Virginia. naturally the richest state
Of the union, ana they now propose oy IN
augeratjOu or the policy OF British free
trade 10 strike down the industries that
laws, ana 10 chill the prosperity the state
now enjoys.
They have by the outrageous gerryman-
der OF the countless of the State deprived
many OF them OF equal and Just representa-
ton iu the Leg stature in the attempt 70
hOld power In defiance Of the majority. We
ueuOuuCe the legislative appOrioGment OF
the State by the last Legislature As an out
rage Of the American principle OF equal
representation aud Of the State conSutu-
ton. The rule OF the majority IS the vital
principle OF our repU6lc. Its destruction
Is the destruction Of government or the
people, by the people and for the people.
TO the end that this great ana vital prin-
ciple be conserved every legal voter should
have the free and unrestricted right 70 cast
his ballot as ne p.saseS, and 20 have 1t
counted rs cast. Hence we denOunce as
an outrage on the rights Of the whole body
of the people of OF tue State the act OF
the legislature in refusing Nathan Con
the Cflice OF Governor Of West Virginia to
which ne was justly and legally elected by
the people, and we characterize sucn act as
destructive OF Tree government and the III
famous means by which IL was affected as
disgraCeful % our Christian civilization.
We appeal TO the intelligence and patriot
ism of the people 20 reouke TINS conSpicu-
Gus outrage OF their rights.
To these matters Gov. FLEMING de-
voted the major portion Of his speech,
and the REGISTER invites its readers to
peruse carefully, first the quotation
above from the Republican platform
aud then the Governors analysis OF the
same. Furthermore we challenge any
one to show that Gov. FLEMING has left
two shreds Of the Republican platform
hanging together.
The platform is deliberate falsehood,
Misrepresentation and buncom5e from
beginning to end as Gov. FLEMING
toncIuslvely proves tito be. His speech
goes into al the details and leaves 10
'oharge" unanswered. The speech is