Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-12-10
The Messenger Discovers IA Mares
Nest


fifteen thousand dollars a year to
each of them. Observing our arti-
Gle, but never stopping to inquire
what our position had been in regard
20 this matter heretofore, our friend
Of the ROmcererte Messenger ana
Ne'cS, after quoting from our article,
proceeds to say:
:" The above il admirable i'm its
clear-cut devotion to the cause of the
people as against Il mOnopOly-but,
unfortunately, aS an effective argu-
ment il is, perhaps, little late. Had
| ii appeared ten years agO-Or even
nine-nay, say seven, six, five, four,
! three, or even two years sinCe-had
| il appeared the week before the late
election, we would have received it
with. that profound regard which we
all feel when reading even the light.
est editorial efforts of our esteemed
neighbor. But now, when the smoke
OF battle has risen sufficiently e. dis
cover these offices of honor and profit
in the hands of the enemy-to thus
be struck by the lightning force of a
truth hitherto unsupported, and
which, we infer, might have lain dor
mant for another decade but for the
late sad catastrophe--we repeat. to
thus apprehend and proclaim, after
! the period in which il could have
been applied to the publication of
ms own party, principle as great in
its particular department as the law
of gravitatiOn in natural physics
only proves to us that Providence
for some inscrutable reason does not
always divulge her mysteries to us
when calmly gliding ON the current
OF success--political or otherwise"
The Messenger evidently imagines
that it has made point, but, in fact,
IL has only discovered mares nest.
If it will be good enough to read the
following, it will perceive that re-
peatedly heretofore, and as far back
as 1898, we took the same position
in regard TO these fees that we now
hold, and demanded that the Legis-
lature should pass a law requiring
them to be turned into the treasury.
AS to the Patriot, il is sufficient SIM
ply to say that that paper never had
an existence until within the last
six months.
In our issue Of February Is, 1898,
commenting on the action of the
House Of Delegates in defeating a
resolution offered by Mr.. Edwards,
proposing the appointment of a com.
mittee to inquire into and report to
the House the amount Of fees col
lected by the Auditor and Secretary
of State, respectively, we said:
"Mr. Walker, Democrat, of Berke.
ley county, moved To lay the motion
of MIR. Edwards on the table. Upon
call Of the roll the motion of Mr..
Walker was agreed to, the Democrats
generally voting aye, showing that
they did not wish to have such an
investigation made. We are pleased
to note that on this motion of Mr..
Walker, DIR. McClung, of this county,
anu Mr.. Prince, Of Raleigh, voted no,
showing that they considered the in
VeStigation proper one, and that
there was no good reason WHY the
House and the people should not
have the benefit of the information
the resolution sought To obtain. We
commend them for their courage and
are at loss to know what good rea-
son the Democrats could have had
for refusing to let the facts be known.
Nothing was to be gained by a parti-
san suppression of the investigation
asked Tor, and the Democrats of the
House should have had the courage
to make it,"
Again, under the heading
"Fees," in our issue of February "a,
1893, we said: 1.-THE Legislature
having ascertained that the fees of
the Auditor and Secretary of State
amount to between Sc, 600 and So, 900
each, over and above the salaries
fixed by law, bill has been reported
taVorably in the House providing
that all fees, except what will, with
their salaries, allow them $4,000 a
year, shall he turned into the State
treasury--the law not to take effect.
however, until the 4th or March,
1897, so that the fees received by
Auditor johnson and the incoming
Secretary Of State, whoever he NAV
be, will not be affected by the bill
the Legislature, as was supposed,
having no power, under the consti-
tuition, to increase or diminish the
salaries Of these officers after thew
had been elected. We doubt much.
however, whether this provision of
the constitution applies to these fees,
for, II so. the Legislature. il would
seem, would have no power to repeal
law under which fees accrue to
either of these officers, or to enact
law under which they would get fees,
Tor in the first case their compensa.
tlon would he diminished, in the
other increased. We imagine that
the constitutional provision applies
to the salaries allowed these officers
by the constitution"
Again i'm our issue of February
~, 1895, under the heading, Fat
Offices," and commenting on the re.
ports made 10 the House by Secretary
Chiffon and Auditor Johnson, as To
the aggregate Of fees collected by