West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-06-10


WAS costing the people more actual
money than Is expended legally in
the publication OF the personal de.
Iinqucnt list. The great outpour-
ing at the bunR was overlooked in
their puuy efforts to economize by
stopping the drippings at the spigot.
Ia their narrOw-m:nded zeal. they
neglected the important duties they
had been chosen to perform. and
vacated their seats i'm tho House
whom measures reaching far deeper
INTO The pockets Of their constit.
uents and the people At large, were
under consideration. Bills csrrv.
ing large and extravagaut appro.
! plIatlons of public money, null
tplylng public officers for tho peo
pie to pay, increasing the number
OF public institutions of the state
to become fixed investments for
expense for all timo to come. Civ
ing additional remuneration TO the
already overpaid attaches OF the
Legislature each and all recei, ed
their silent sanction or their omen
support. Tho climax Of economy
was to be reached in cutting off
from the newspaper men what mea.
gre public patronage is provided
for them by the laws of the state.
Their role as public bsnefactors
would end at the point where they
could bring to the people IN local
way, occular proof that one small
leakage IN tho county treasury had
neen etIectually corked. Their
constituents would never know. or
could not fully reahzc the large
sums of public money thev had
voted away, or had suffered to be
voted away at the State Capital.
The dollar saved for the county
would be pleaded in justification
for the thousand they had squan-
dered for the state.
a man with silent grievance
against newspaper men was found
IN the Scnate to champion the
Collins Bill" on the floor OF that
Chant ber, and all the preparation
were made to cruelty tho helpless
editors on the cross Of personal
spite and public prejudice, made
doably in.onse by gross misrepro-
sentatIon. At the very last moment
the nawsPaper men succeeded IN
getting a substitute odoptod for the
original bill. So far as remuuer.
alton goes it IS worth but little more
20 the newspapers than the uucon.
dItlonsl repeal Of the law. The
great st advantage it gives is that
1t will form anucleus ground which
a more favorable law may DO secur.
ed on some more auspicious occa.
sion. 1t is much easier to amend
an existing law than to enact n
new one.
There is little room TO doubt that
the newspapers would have more
friends in the Legislature, and their
Interests would receive more favor.
able consideration, If Newspaper
nen would treat the Legislature
with moro respect and fairness.
The inclination to make the law
making power the butt of all the
low redicule, cutting sarcasm and
derislve fun-making that the aver
age country sanctum can originate,
has been carried TO the extreme.
Hardly IL the Legislature organized
before the press begins TO gibo and
jecr it, and the members arc ad
yised FOR the public veal, to ad-
journ the session and 90 home.
Nor does it receive the appreciation
Of the press when it does adjourn,
but is deridod and sconed at for
having done 50 little. Measures
are criticised by editors who have
not read q line Of them, and Icgis
lation is condemned without know
ing what the nature or effects OF the
legislation is Legislatures are
open to much consure, and arc not
above criticism, bat the criticism
should be made ina spirit OF condor
and fairness, and above everything
else, it should be weIl-fouuded. IL
is getting to DO understood by every
man who takes a seat in the Legis-
lature, that he will have TO be SUBJ
mittcd 20 the animadvcrsions Of Che
public press and take the risk of
being brought Iuto contempt boz
fore bic constituency. Sensitive