Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-10

1 the people OF his district without oppo-
sition and would be SO elected again
Eff necessary; furthermore the War
Department, while retaining him noni-
nally on the active list of the army,
has retired him from active service.
/! In the cases of Pierson and Getzen-
danner, by accepting commissions in
the army they plainly vacated their
seats in the Legislature according to
the provision of Section 10, Article of
! the Constitution. In order that the
whole matter may be understood clear
| ly we quote below the connecting sec
tions covering the point of eligibility
| of members of the Legislatures:
| '.12. No person shall be Senator or
| Delegate who has not for one year next
| preceding his election. been a resident
| within the district county from which
| he is elected: and if Senator or DeleSate
| remove from the district or county for
! which he was elected. his seat shall be
/ thereby vacated
10 No PERSON RoLD;N Nc A LUCIA
| TIVE OFFICE UNDER THIS STATE.
! THE UNITED STATES, or any for
eign government: no member of Con,
| gress; no person who is salaried
| officer of any railroad company, or VINO
! is sheriff. constable or clerk of any court
| of record, shall be eligible to a seat in
] the Legislature
/ 1T No person who has been, or here
after shah be convicted of bribery, per-
jury. or other infamous crime, shall be
| eligible to a seat in the Legislature.
| There can be no doubt OF the mean
| ing and intent of the Constitution. 1t
is plain and indisputable. Suppose, for
instance, these gentlemen should take
notion to hold their commissions in
| the army and should be sent to the
| Philippines or Porto Rico or some
where else OUT of the United States,
would it still be held that they were
entitled to seats in the Legislature of
West Virginia, which must meanwhile
remain vacant awaiting their pleasure?
The thing is absurd on its face. Be-
yoid dispute Messrs. Pierson and Getz-
endanner have vacated the seats in
question, and these seats must be given
TO the men duly elected to fill them at
the recent election.
attorney General Griggs's opinion
does not make law either for this State
or the United States and it is fact
that Mr. Bailey, the Democratic leader
in the House of Representatives has
given notice that he will protest if
Gen. Wheeler attempts to exercise the
duties of Representative while Gen.
Wheeler, himself, has declined to ac-
cept the salary as Congressman.
There is something suspicious, by the
way, concerning the rendering of At
torney General Griggs's opinion at the
very time when the Republican bosses
of West Virginia were meeting in the
city of Washington in secret conclave
( Matching plans to deprive the people
of West Virginia of their choice of a
Legislature, THE CC.dpLEXION OF
WHICH APPEARS TO HINGE ON
THESE TWO CASES of Pierson and
Getzendanner for which the Attorney
General has thus so obligingly and CO.
incidentally created an alleged prece-
dent. Can it be that Attorney General
Griggs had a talk with a certain West
Virginia Senator very influential with
this administration, who will be a can
didate for reelection to the United
States Senate from West Virginia in
1901 and who is naturally DESTROYS of
having as many Republican hold-over
Senators as possible in the Legislature
before which he will be a candidate?
We have heard of such things.
Very much apparently hangs on the
result in these two cases, which may
decide the political complexion of two
legislatures and the politics of two
United States Senators.
1t is notorious that the seats of all
Democrats elected to the State Senate
regardless of their majorities will be
/ contested" in behalf of this same in
fluential Senator with the same view
of having these seats given to Repub-
licans who will hold over in 1901 and
vote for him for United States Senator.
|. If the INSCRIPTIONS gang at work on
this nefarious plot against popular gov
eminent in West Virginia think the
people are children or fools to tamely
submit to being cheated of their con-
sJitutional rights in this manner they
are mistaken.
Messrs. Pierson and Getzendanner
are no longer State Senators. Two
! Democrats have been duly elected TO
succeed them. A majority of
Democrats will take their seats
in the next Legislature and will
elect a United States Senator. unless
prevented from doing so by revolution
airy force.
That revolutionary force is contem-
plated is shown by the summoning to
this same secret Washington conclave
of the commander of the State militia.
1t is quite essential to the success of
the revolutionary plans of this gang to
have this official in their confidence and
properly impressed with the import
ance of carrying out to the letter his
share in this business.
But let these revolutionists scheme
and plot to their hearts content. The
r. do n ar ,,ro,>neo 70 h. oboo.o1