The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-10-17
THF RFPHRIIGAH IDOI

I'LL
Since Gen. Golf has been retired
from active politics by appointment
to Federal Judgeship, tho Repub-
lican party in West Virginia found
it necessary to set up another idol
in his place, one with the financial
ability to cross the palm of every
little county boss with gold and re-
eeive in return the homage of the
heelers with thepromise ola seat in
the" House of Lords '-'sthe million
aires club, the happy
time arrived for the Republicans to
show up with a majority in the
West Virginia Legislature. The
choice fell upon Stephen B. Elkins,
late Secretary of War under Mr..
Harrison, and the reputed owner of
many millions of dollars.
This same Elkins thinks he now
sees an opportunity to break into
the "House of Lords" and is circu-
lating through the various counties
of the State stirring up the faithful
and filling out checks for such sums
as may seem necessary to secure
the election of members of the Leg
islature pledged to support him for
the o. S. Senate. Mr.. Elkins is not
really a citizen of West Virginia,
for he lives in New York, but he
built a house in West Virginia,
which he occasionally visits taking
care that every newspaper in the
State shall notice the fact that he
has condescended to leave Wall
Street for a few days to renew the
allegiance of his subjects in our
Mountain State. He is to be with us
to-day, this same Stephen, and as he
is a candidate for a seat in that
branch of our National Legislature
which now makes law for the coun-
try without regard to the wishes of
the other House or of the Executive.
1t is pertinent to ask him a few
questions:
Mr.. Elkins, if elected to the q. S.
Senate, will you vote for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver? If
so at what ratio? Are you in favor
of requiring men of great wealth,
like yourself, to pay part of the
taxes levied on the people?-in short,
do you favor an income tax, such as
has just become a law? Please be
explicit on this point for it is be-
lieved that most of our citizens
without regard to party think the
Income Tax just and righteous
one, because it falls on him who is
well able to bear it, and it Expresses
no one, for no one pays it but those
who have an income of four thous-
ond dollars or over.
You are a large owner of coal
mines and of railroads that make
most of their money carrying coal,
therefore, it would seem proper to
ask if you favor a tariff on coal? If
SO, why2 Is it to keep the price of
coal high2 If the tariff on coal
does not keep its price high, why
do mine owners and railroads favor
the tariff? Do they favor it in or
der that the price of coal to the
consumer may be cheapened? If
the tariff on coal does not tend to
keep up its price, why do we find
the largest owners of coal mines in
our State doing their utmost to de-
feat Mr.. Wilson for reelection be
cause he has tried to make coal free,
it being a necessity of life that
should be untaxed, in order that
the people may have it at it's mini
mum cost? These are plain ques-
tions, easily answered, and we trust
that Mr.. Elkins will tell our people
in a plain, straightforward way
what he thinks of them, for if he is
to represent our State in the Senate
they have a right to know what
are his views on these important
matters.