Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-09-26
STARTLING BUT TRUE
Democratic Legislatures Com
pared With the Republican.
GRAND REPUBLICAN RECORD

The Records Show That as Compared
With the Republican Legislature til.
Democratic Sessions Were Costly, Cor
rupt, Incompetent and vicious--A sting
ing Rebuke Of the Democratic Platform
by Hon. r. w. Morris.
Hon. P. w Morris Of Richie county
who has served several terms in tht
State Senate and House Of delegates, anC
who was a member of the last Legisla
ture, (the first Republican body in /
quarter Of a century, has an additional
article in his paper, the Richie Gazette
showing comparison Of the records Of
the Democratic Legislatures with tht
Republican one. 1t is singing rebukt
to the infamous Democratic State plat
form and we give it in full, as follows
The platform adopted by the late
Democratic State convention attacked
the Legislature of 1895, which was Re-
publican in one branch, in vile and
false way. The Legislature was the
ablest. most industrious and most hon.
est that has assembled since 1870. and
its work surpasses that of any Demo-
cratic Legislature the State has ever
known
Unlike the first Democratic Legisla-
ture of this State, it went to no ex-
tremes, did not pass any partisan meas
ures and failed to call costly constitu-
tional convention.
Tho r aeffela fn,.o of 1Q0< -,
work within the constitutional limit of
Do days, something which Democratic
Legislature rarely ever did
1t unanimously adopted early in the
session a resolution to the effect that
West Virginia is not responsible for any
debt of the old State, and thus gave
notice to all lobbyists that it was not
worth their while to attempt to influ-
ence its action.
1t founded two good schools to bene-
fit the mining and negro population of
the State.
1t passed school book law, which
will save the people of the State $40, 900
had not been for the delay of Demo-
cratic book board would have saved the
people $4,000 year.
1t appropriated $4,000 for criminal
charges which was $4,000 more than
the Legislature of 1898 appropriated,
made necessary by a deficiency under
the Democratic State administration.
1t passed 81 acts of local and general
benefit comprised in 262 pages of COM
pact, sensible, grammatical matter,
among which were a law making the
educational institutions of the State
non-partisan in their management,
law providing for board of agriculture;
a law giving the people Of the State five
months public school; law establish
ing the county of Mingo and many other
useful laws.
For this work it paid the members of
the Senate. including mileage, 5,S47 40
and members of the House of Delegates
including mileage, SIS, 703.60 Total,
$21 ,551. 90. For the work it did it was
the cheapest Legislature ever held in
the State.
II appropriated to the public printer,
a Democrat, for all purposes $28, 900. 90.
and that official has threatened to resign
because it was not sufficient to fill his
Democratic NAV. He has not carried
out his threat at this writing
1t was absolutely the freest from sus.
picion of corruption of any legislative
body the State has known
How does this splendid record COM
pare with that of Democratic Legisla-
lures?
The Legislature of 1898 was strongly
Democratic in both bodies 1t sat
around for As days with its feet on the
desks. some of the members drinking
good whisky and smoking good cigars,
the latter in the hall Of the House while
it was supposed TO be in session, and
was Immediately reconvened by the
Governor to pass the appropriation bills,
which it had failed to pass. 1t then
took II days extra in which to pass
these. In its total sessions of 81 days it
did not pass one bin Of Importance, and
but few of any kind.
This Democratic Legislature of 1898
appropriated for pay to members of the
Senate $7,149, 40 and to members of the
House of Delegates, $l9,05900 The
total was $26,2)S.40, or about $4,000
more for doing nothing than was paid
the Republican members for Intelligent,
beneficial work.
This Legislature appropriated to the
public printer Democratic and still he
did not resign 81 900
The Legislature of 1891 was in ses-
sion from the 18th day of January tlll
the 14th day of March inclusively,
being extended beyond the constitu-
tional limit. 1t paid its members the
sum of $50, 543 40 and appropriated to
the Democratic public printer $64, 100000.
Ut will be observed that the printer did
not even threaten TO resign this year.
Its so called ''acts" are put in book of
1900 pages. but these are nearly all from
the Secretary of State, being charters
of corporations. This Legislature
passed some good bills, however, being
a notable exception in this particular to
any other Democratic Legislature of
West Virginia.
The Democratic Legislature of this