Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-02-11
Editor Martinsburg HERALD.


see by the newspapers that Delegate
Walker of Martinsburg has introduced a
bill in the Legislature, the object of
which is to prevent bankrupt sales. &C.,
in w. Va, by persons living ohtside of
the state. The bill as we view it is very
sweeping in its character and has Pro
tective feature about it that would put to
shame some of the strongest advocates of
the Mckinley bill, and savors of the an
cient Blue Laws that have long since
passed into oblivion. The bill provides
among other things penalties, &c., that
no itinerant vender shall advertise, rep
resent or hold forth any sales, itinerant,
bankrupt, insolvent, assignee, trustee,
testator, executor, administrator, receiv
er, wholesale manufacturer, or closing
out sale or as sale of any goods dam
aged by fire or water or otherwise, I'M
less he shall before doing SO in addition
to fees prescribed state under oath all the
facts relating to the reasons and charac
ter of such special sale, including
statement of the names of the persons
from whom the goods were obtained and
other particulars. One can hardly real
ize that the above bill was introduced in
the w. Va. Legislature by one standing
on platform that declared Protection
unconstitutional and fraud. If Protec-
ton as principle is unconstitutional as
applied to foreign countries, theif vend-
ers, bankrupt agents, wholesale manu-
facturers, goods that are smoky and wa
terry in the language of Delegate Walker.
In all fairness to the commerce among
the states that have one common interest
let us have trade unrestricted by unrea-
sonable taxes, test oaths and penalties.
under which if an administrator of an
estate living in an adjoining State wish
ed to sell or advertise the goods and
chattels of an estate in Delegate Walk
ers own county of Berkeley, he would
have to make oath that the testator was
dead and buried and that he was repre-
senting the interests of the heirs and
that it was simply business transaction
in which the citizens of w. Va. or Ber-
kelley Co. should not be unfairly dealt
with, and all the reasons the bill says
shall be given and the facts connected
Herewith, &c. The people of w. Va. in
all their transactions with the outside
world hitherto, have shown their
ability to not only hold their own but to
reap profit by their business tact and
touch with their neighbors without the
aid of unnatural and unjust burdens be-
ing placed upon those with whom they
do business. AS West Virginians we
scorn the very idea of having any law
restricting free trade whether in town,
county or state. 1t might benefit few
merchants or professional men of a town
to be protected, but it is an abridgment
of the rights of the people and can be of
no utility to the county. Persons who
are of age can usually tell what they
want to buy and the quality of the goods
4 NI,oy, n ,1.Nr- tlOtr
ents and guardians so there is no urgent
necessity for general system of guar
dianship as the bill in question asks to
provide We hardly think that Dele
gate Walker seriously expected to get
his bill through, but like the young
mother who made for her boy his first
pair of pants, while the style was elegant
and the fit was perfect, when she put
them on him and the little fellow pranc-
ed around in great glee, she found she
had made them to button up behind in
stead of before and she was unable to
tell whether he was going or coming.
We want liberal and comprehensive
laws. This is not mere aggregation of
independent sovereign States, but union
of states, a government of the people, in
which state lines should play no part so
far as the commerce of the country is
concerned. If merchants or tradesmen
from Nd. or Penna, or any other state
wish to trade among our people, they
ought to have the privilege of doing SO
and in the future as in the past West
Virginians will take care of their own
individual interests; it ought to be borne
in mind that w. Va. ships millions of
dollars worth of her own products down
the great rivers to the Gulf and by rail
20 the eastern states and cities. She ped
dies her cattle, horses and sheep in the
adjoining states and there is not a collec-
tor in all the broad land to collect one
dollar of tribute from her citizens it is
not strange or unnatural that people of
other states should be equally as enter
prising as our own and come among us
with their wares it is just as fair and
legitimate to itinerate with goods and
wares in w. Va. as for w. Va. to peddle
her stock and products in the neighbor-
ing states ; il the language of the bill the
goods of one state are as liable to be wet
and smoky as any other. 1t is the mar
row selfishnes8 of towns and individual
interests that levy excessive tells and
Burdens upon the people in a local way
that brings the great principle of Protec-
ton as applied to nations in disfavOr.
We think it unfortunate that when Leg
islative bodies meet there should be SO
much time wasted with the great accu-
mutation of superficial matter, that like
the sprays of the ocean, they fly higher
than the mighty waves that wash the
shores but soon return to their natural
level The experienced thinking men of
legislative bodies have to get to the front
before matters of general interest and
utility are attended to. Let US hope, Mr..
Editor, that the present Legislature of
w. Va. may very carefully consider
what will be for the best interests of the
people and have the wisdom to adjourn
when the time limit expires. Yours,
very truly, OBSERVER.