The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-02-24
An Era of Many Reforms.

In his speech at the annual ban
euet of the New York Board of
Trade and Transportation, recently,
Chairman Wilson, Of the Ways and
Means Committee of the House, at
ter detailing some of his experiences
in five months of arduous labor as
tariff reformer, ventured to predict
that the success of the reform now
in progress will be followed by var
ious other reforms for which the
times are ripe. Economic questions
will still command attention, but
now that the tyranny of sectionalism
in public affairs is broken other for
ward movements will be possible
Mr.. Wilson mentioned civil-service
reform as topic that will interest
the people in this "era Of reform
that is going to prevail in this coun-
try for many years TO come" There
is ample room for it, he suggests, Gin
all the departments of nation. State
and city. Along with our civil ser
vice laws-which still lack much of
absolute perfection progressive
craftsmanship will include our nav
igation laws, patent laws, banking
laws, land grant Jaws, in relation to
the Indians and other statutes of
old date and imperfect structure.
Much Of this legislation emhodies
ideas now considered obsolete.
Much Of it is obstructive of national
progress. Practical injustice results
from the working of many of our
federal statutes, which would have
been reformed long ago but for the
absorption of the public mind since
1860 in burning sectional questions.
The sectional party, identified with
the origin of the civil war, has sought
to retain its hold upon the govern
ment by inflammatory appeals to
passion. Vote as you shot was its
cry, till the economic evils arising
out OF its narrow conception of duty
became so great as to cause innum-
cradle secessions from its ranks.
"The result of this policy of sec
tionalism, fortified by alliance with
certain private interests, has been
decided arrest of progressive legisla-
ton. In the last thirty years the
governments of the Old World have
nearly all overhauled their codes and
brought them into accord with mod
ern ideas. England has distanced |
us in the matter of reformatory leg
islation. While our statesmen have
been contriying force bills, giving
away the public lands, improverish-
ing consumers with high customs |
duties and dickering for the spoils
of office, hers have been abolishing
old statutes out Of keeping with the
times and oppressive to the people
II is not tlattering to our vanity TO
know that in parts Of our federal leg
islation We are decidedly behind the
times. but it is undoubtedly the
fact"
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Wilson's
provision is correct, and that the
coming era is to be fruitful in pro
gressive legislation, based on we'll
ascertained experience Conditions
seem to favor. The public mind is
now given to reform as never before
in our history. The party that will
live is the party that is most capable
of seeing the situation as it is, and
Of acting upon we'll founded convic
tions of right and justice with vigor,
with promptness and with courage.
CoKEToN, w. Va, Feb. 19-Over
1000 tons Of coke were shipped from
Thomas and Coketon last week for
Mexico. The lot was consigned to
to the Mexican Silver Company and
will bensed in smelling silver ore
The above is Significant press
dispatch which Republican papers
did not print. Facts which that dis
patch point out so very clearly show
the fallacy Of q non Democratic du-
ty on coal.
Found.