Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-04
A VICTORY FOB ran CRANKs.

Pittsburg have won victory in the
/ Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the
Sunday newspapers, which they seem
to think it such an awful sin to issue
and read. To thus accomplish the sup
preston OF one of the most innocent
and beneficial Of recreations these self
constituted moral policemen have res
directed century-old blue law, passed
in 1894. The Court in its decision rem
dered yesterday. says:
The trainers Of the act of 1924, could they
{ have seen the development OF the next
hundred years and the change in the hab-
( its of the people, might or might not have
included the traffic in Sunday newspapers
! among the exceptions in the act. 1t is SUI
fcient for us that they have not done so.
| The defendant must not expect US 10 al
minister the lsw>to suit his case; or as ne
/ thinks il ought TO be administered. There
! are many persons who have no higher opin-
/ ion Of judicial duties than to think that
! the law should be administered
! according 70 their caprice or their notion
/ OF what the law ought TO be. III is our
plain duty TO enforce the act Of 1874 as we
! find il upon the statute books. WhlIe the
i Sunday newspapers may be great con-
venience TO large portion, perhaps large
/ majority, of the people, 1t does not, IN our
I opinion come within the exceptions OF the
\ act of 1894. No one pretends that 1t Is
/ charity, and we cannot say, as matter OF
I law. that IL is necessity. It IS con-
| venience, nothing more We ara OF the
/ opinion that the defendat was properly
/ convicted.
/ No fault can be found with the de-
cislon. The blame for the injustice lies
with the failure of the Legislature to
amend the Anticipated statute in accor-
dance with the progress and advance
ment of civilization. That the court
itself recognizes that the law is an in
Justice and in discord with modern en-
nghtenment. applied in the case of
Sunday newspapers, is evident from the
closing remarks of the decision. Re-
cognizlng the necessity of q law to
properly restrict employment on Sun
day, it says, speaking Of the act Of 1794;
We must. however, be allowed to express
I the fear that too literal an Interpretation
NAV create an antagonism that may lead to
/ its repeal, or at least serious modification
/ There may be such thing as excessive
zeal in invoking its penalties IN extreme
/ cases. The act is in more danger from us
/ friends than from its enemies.
This is strong hint which the Law
and Order bigots of PlttsburE ought to
take. The result of their work is like
| " to so incense and disgust the people
that the absolute repeal Of a law, good
in the main, may be the result. 1t will
be very interesting to watch the pro-
grsss this battle between blind bigotry
and common sense, the ultimate out
come Of which, we warrant, will not be
the defeat of common sense.
Or THE 600, 600, 600 passengers carried
by rail in 1892, 800 were killed. Every
time you boarded train last year you
ran one chance in 100000 Of getting
killed. Terrible!
PROPOSED RAILROAD IMPROVE
mENTs.
Only six States footed up greater
railway mileage than West Virginia for
1892, and 1898 promises far greater
r.ogress in this regard. Such is the
need Of railroads in this State and so
profitable are such investments that
it is ten to one that West Virginia will
lead in railroad building this year.
There is already under way plan to
construct a railroad from the mouth Of
Coal river, at ST. Adams, to Boone
Court House, on Little Coal river, and
TO PeytOnia, on Big Coal river, dis
lance Of so miles, the work to begin in
July. Fifteen thousand acres Of land
have been already subscribed to the
project out Of the needed $4,000 acres.
It is proposed to connect with both the
Chesapeake and Ohio and the Kanawha
and Michigan railways at st. Adams;
the principal means Of its transporta-
ton from it's northern terminus at st.
Adams to the markets of the South and
West will be the slackwater navigation
Of the Great KaEawhs river,
It's remarkably rich country in
coal and timber which the proposed
road will tap, and it together with other
new railroad extensions and improve
ments which will be built as rapidly as
possible, will, in the near future, make
West Virginia the greatest coal, coke
and hard wood producing State in the
Union.