Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-18

The Vicious School BOOK Law
Favors a Short and VIGOROUS
Campaign.
A Register representative called up
on Hon. T. S. Riley yesterday to obtain
an expression Of his views on the polit-
icaI situation generally and of the pros
poets Of success for the Democratic
party at the approaching election. Mr..
Riley stated that he is not one Of those
who shares in the feeling expressed by
Republican leaders that the Republi-
can party Will carry West Virginia at
the coming election. He said that this
claim has been made for years by the
Republican party, but perhaps with
more confidence at this than a any
other previous time. In further dis
cussing the subject he said:
1T is only necessary TO go back to
the campaign of 1888 to illustrate the
fallacy of thsir position. In that year,
there being considerable dissausfac-
ton in the ranks o. the Democracy, the
vote almost divided equally between the
two parti $. 10 was then thought by
our sanguine Republican friends that
the Democratic party was done for in
the State. but to their great surprise
and chagrin. they found the Democrats
carrying the State at tbs election of
1890 by a plurality of over 5000 votes
on the Congressional ticket. 1t was
thought this was caused by Republican
dissatisfaction in the ranks. and that
they would surely carry the State in
1892 But at the close of a hard fought
battle 10 was found hat the Democrats
had the safe plurality of over 1000
votes. Now, the Republican hopes and
prospects are frightened because. in an
on year. when the DmeOcratic party
was suffering from the disappointment
OF many Office seekers and hard times
brought about by Republican misrule.
they carried the Stat by a rather
handsome plurality and therefore that
the State is safely Republican; but in
this view. they will find themselves
greatly mistaken.
West Virginia, in my opinion, is
safely Democratic; and why not? The
party has had the exclusive control of
an branches of the STATE government
FOR more than twenty-five years. and
upon rigid and close examination by
q Republican Legislature of all her de
pcrrments and institutions. they did not
find blot or stain upon her in any
quarter; but. on the contrary, the re-
ports Of the legislative committees s. ap-
pointed by a Republican Speaker OF the
House and President of the Senate. and
composed of a majority of Republicans.
are full of praise of the conduct and
management of those departments and
institutions In addition. the peOple
have not been burden-d by State taxa
ton. and the State does not owe q cent.
and, l am informed by the State Treas
ur7r she has over sq0G o00 o. bond.
There is another important question
upon which the Democratic party can
be trusted and ifrumOrs and actions 90
for anything the Republican party can
not. I refer TO the settlement of the al
legged West Virginia share ofthe Virginia
debt Early in the history of the State
government. this question was investi-
gated by three of the most able and
upright men of the State, and the
Democratic party adopted their con-
illusions as safe guide TO follow.
And, notwithstanding they have from
time to time been impOrtuned by the
holders of the unauthorized bonds is
sued by Virginia-yet it has long since
been regarded by the Democratic party
as q settled question. And yet. as
soon as the Republican party came into
power in the legislative branch of the
State government, the question of re-
opening the subject was seriously dis
cussed. and it is well understood that
ii was only postponed because they
thought it was too early to begin the
agitation.
ct think. if the proceedings of the
last Legislature are to be regarded as
a fair criterion of Republican acts and
Republican management, that the peO
pie of West Virginia will be slow in in
stalling the Republican party in power
i'm the State. l think ii can be safely
said that every bill presented in the
interests of the people either met its
defeat on the floor OF the house or was
pigeon-holed in committee. Some of
those came under my personal observa-
ton. For instance. I prepared with
great care a bill for the taxation of
the Pullman Car Company on cars
used by it in this State There was
no question as to legality or propriety
of a bill of this character. Those cars
are taxed in nearly every State in the
Union. this State being one of the
exceptions. and the legality of such
taxation has been upheld by the Sill
preme Court Of the United States. The
property of this company constitutes
the greater part Of the passenger roll
ing stock on the trunk lines Of rail-
roads in the State. Tt receives the
protection Of the State government and
vet does not contribute one dollar to
its expenses. This bill was unani-
mously recommended by the Commit
tee on Finance of the House. and after
that fell into the hands of its enemies.
and never as much as reached its sec
ond reading in the House The FL
nance Committee Of the House re-
ouested me TO prepare a bill for the
taxation of telegraph. telephone and
express companies. as they are taxed
in other States. which did: and il was
likewise recommended by that COM
mittee to pass. and afterwards met
the same fate as the Pullman car bill.
Other bills might be mentioned in the
same line They did mass q hill IF