Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-03-14
Editor.
That Campaign Document.


committee clerk OF the House of
Delegates was extended ten days at
six dollars day, with instructions
to him to prepare a comparative
statement Ofthc appropriations made /.
by the Legislatures of 1898 and 1898, /.
respectively, has completed his work .
and given out the precious document
to a waiting and impatient people. .
Our Republican friends doubtless
considered that this document would
be of great value to them in the next
campaign, and that it might not by
any possibility be lost they ordered
ii, even before ii had been prepared,
to I've published in the journal, thus
giving it the scmblauCe of an official
paper, whereas it is nothing more
than bit of cheap partisan buncOme
prepared by a man paid for the job
and who knew we'll what was wanted.
The statement is, therefore, not
worth the paper upon which it is
written, much less the $50 paid
Phillips for its preparation.
He figures out, to his own satisfac-
ton of course, that the Legislature
of 1898 appropriated about sos, 900
more than was appropriated by the
Legislature Of 1898, and this show
ing, false though it be, will be pro.
claimed from every stump in the
next campaign to show how careful
the Republicans were with the ppo-
pies money. Mr.. Phillips docu-
mGnt i far more remarkable for
what il Omits than for what il states
lie tUlgets to charge the Republican
account with the $4,000 thrown
away at Montgomery, the $4,000 to
be spent on a high grade colOred
school to be established at Bluefield,
and various other sums appropriated
by special bills. Nor does he think
it necessary to remind those, who
care to waste time in examining his
statement, Of the extraordinary de-
mandS made upon the Legislature of
1898, for the construction of the new
hospital buildings ut Spencer, for a
State exhibit at the WORLDS Fair,
for copying the records at Richmond,
etc, and he willfully or ignorantly
failed to credit the Democratic ac-
count by $4,000, uncXpended bal
ance Of the appropriation made for
the Spencer hospital. He represents
asking for 5000, 900 for the year 1895,
when the Auditors report shows
that the amount asked for was only
S577,3lS.30.
Mr.. Phillips might have prepared
a readable document had he seen fit
to remind the people of certain APP
preparations his friends in the Leg
islature should have made but wholly
neglected or declined to make. Why
did he not tell us of their failure to
provide the money for the prosecu-
tion of that important case now
pending in the Supreme Court of the
United States, i'm which large
amount ofrailroad taxes is involved ?
Why did he forget to say anything
about the failure of his party friends
to pay for the publication of the
bank statements the law required to
be published Why did he not
mention the failure of his party to
provide for the deficiency i'm the
mileage due the Judges, and on ac-
count Of criminal charges? Per-
haps he agreed with that broad
minded and enlightened statesman
of Wheeling, the Honorable Senator
Nelson Whitaker, who, i'm a recent
interview let the cat out Of the wal
let and frankly declared that the Re
publicans did not propose to load
down their bills by providing for the
deficiencies of former Democratic
administrations. Phillips like Whit
aker was probably ignorant Of the
fact that all appropriations are based
upon estimates and, like Whitaker,
preferred to repudiate an honest oh.
legation rather than provide for a
Democratic deficit.
We feel satisfied that correct and
nOn-partiSan statement will reveal
the fact that the Legislature Of 1898
spent more of the peoples money
shan its Democratic predecessor of
1898.
THE failure of the Legislature to
enact law rearranging the judicial
circuits was serious and ineXcuSanle
neglect of duty. The State has out
grown the present arrangement, aud
there are a number of circuits in
which the civil business of the courts
is greatly delayed because the time
of the court is consumed in the trial
Of criminal causes. Ii seems to be
understood now that without AN eX.
ira session Of the existing LpgiSla-
ture, or a constitutional convention,
no Encouragement Of the circuits can
be made for the next eight years, be-.
cause the constitution requires such
Encouragement to be made AT the SEES
sion next preceding the election of