Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-22
WHY THEY WANT IEGJSLATURt

WHY THEY WANT THE LEGISLATURE.
To steal a United States Senator is
! not the only purpose of the Republican
! leaders in this State in their efforts
to cheat the Democratic party out of
its honestly elected majority of that
| body. 1t is. in fact. not majority
on joint ballot they are after So much
| as majority of each house. They
have the Senate by narrow margin,
but they also want the House for the
purpose of passing several immense
preparation to Introduce into the Leg
islature. OF course, if one branch is
Democratic these schemes to plumber
the State treasury will never be per-
mitted to get through. These big jobs
are mostly familiar to the taxpayers
of the State and in thems slves furnish
one good reason why the people have
voted the Legislature out of the hands
of these insatiate political buccaneers.
They are enumerated by the Charleston
Gazette as fOllOWS.
| A State service commission bill is to
be proposed and rushed through. This
is the same bill that was passed at the
| last session of the Legislature, and failed
| through the veto of Governor MacCorkle.
1t provided for the appointment of a
| State service commission who should
! hold sessions at the capitol or elsewhere
| and audit the claims of the State militia;
or home guards for services alleged
to have been performed in 1S5l-6o, tut
| ypl1 ioh performed
! Legislature appropriated 600 to pay on
| these claims but this is hardly a starter;
1t is only drop in the pu G com = req
| if all these old claims are SATISFIED rms
| is one of the many schemes that are &c
! be put through this winter if the Repub'
| licans get control of both houses OF the
| Legislature.
Then there is the appropriation OF
$4,000, or So, COO for each of the two tsca
wears. for the West Virginia Nationa
Guard Heretofore the Legislature ha:
appropriated only SIS coo for each year fol
this purpose but the administration
| wants double that amount.
Then the Governor wants greater
| amount appropriated for his contingen
| fund Although the last Legislature ap
propriated almost double the amount ap
propriated under Democratic administrel
lions it was not enough for the preSen
Governor and he thinks he needs more
He will probably have no trouble in get
ting more If both houses OF the Leglsla
ture are Republican.
Then the heads of the several eXecutiv
departments of the State want additions
| amounts appropriated for clerk hire.
| great many of the young Republican
who took an active part in the campaig
| lust closed want to be rewarded for part
service and want jobs in the state House
These same heads of departments wan
| additional fees Notwithstanding the fac
; that the salary and fees of some of thes
| officers net them from $1,000 to Sl9,UU0
> year each, they all want more.
Then there is to be expended fror
$1,000 to S15,o00 for the clerks and othe
attaches of the House OF Delegates. In
/, Republicans want this.
These are a few of the big jobs tina
will get through the Legislature thi
winter if the Republican leaders sha
succeed in their efforts, now on foe
, wherever they control the election ma
, chinery, to keep duly elected Demo
y Gratis out of their certificates of ele'
f ton until they shall succeed in organ
izing both houses after which theS
duly elected Democrats may easily
= deprived of their seats for good.
The bosses are desperate. 1t is the
last chance to retain power. The edi
has gone forth that the Legislatu
. must be stolen from the Democrats
. all hazards.
Now let us see if they can do tn
damnable thing in the face of the of
h cial returns showing a safe Democrat
n majority of the House and on joint ba
y lot.
! The people are in no humor to stat
more of the lawless and revolutiona
methods of this gang. The taxpayer
sufficiently plundered in the past, ha
demanded change. They have turn
lie the ringsters down and their record
Z. will must stand.
&c The Intelligencer. which was
Of fond of quoting the New York jour-
ae when that paper upheld the admin