The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12

| verse. w 9houlu nave Such an Oflcef,
who will give his entire time TO this i'm
portant work: and In the interest OF
good morals, good government and re-
ligion. such m officer should be pro-
| vided by law. His salary need not be
large. The state Is fully able to meet
l this small expense in order to keep Itself
abreast of the times, and do It's full
duty In imparting moral and spiritual
Information to its criminal classes.
PROVISIONS FOR INDECENT Chill
DREN. s.
I think tt Is apparent to everyone that
our state is. deficient in It's provisions
Nor the care of INDECENT and helpless
children. We have no "chlldren's
home" for, this purpose. There is n
chartered institution OF state char
acter. which attempts. at private ex-
| pense. to meet this want. But 1t cam
not be MS effective as II ought TO be
\ without, some sort of state backing. Its
4 purpose Is to lind homes for orphans
/ and such other children as may need
!, the aid OF charitably disposed people.
Our .eleemosynary institutions, such us
1 poor houses, which We have In all of our
counties, are crude md In most cnses,
| antiquatea and poorly kept: and as n
general rule. all those who by nisfor-
| tune or disease are compelled 10 seek
their forbldding and lnhospitable shell
/ ter, are compelled to leave Nil hope be-
| hind. In nearly, every poor house in
the state are bright. happy children,
| who have the blood and material IN
them to make useful citizens II they
We're removed from the corruptirg and
debasing Influences Of their surround
ings; but they. are too young and ten
| der to be self-supportlng. and yet old
enough to receive the Impressions al
ways gotten In the haunts of misery and
dens OF vice. tgl
The remedy that I have In mind Is the
| enactment ofa statute empowering the
county courts or county commissioners
! ofsthe various counties, 10 place with
/ the Chi!drens Home Society. or some
similarly planned organization OF the
state, to be provided for in the Act, all
children under the aga OF twelve years,
who are OF sound bodies and minds re-
curing said society," or its properly au-
thorized agents, to place and procure
for each child In certain specified
time. n proper and suitable home In
some good family. who may, IL desired,
adopt 1t, and empowering said court or
| commissioner to pay said society rea-
Sonablc charges and expenses, for pro.
curing such home. This, I believe
would not only be q great saving to the
various counties, but would also be the
means of lifting many d helpless one
from misery. degradation and shame to
n posi- tion. possibly. OF comparative use
lfulness and happiness for the futura.
CRIMINAL ISLANDER AND LIBEL.
hope your honorable body will not
misconstruc my motive in calling your
attention to the fact that West Virginia
should have q clearly defined statute on
the subjects Of slander and libel. Many
Of the states made deliberate assassl-.
nation Of personal character a criminal
offense. This should, in my opinion, be
the law OF all the states. Ones good
name. personal reputation and private
character should be classed on level
with his life. The law of all the states
says the assassin shall be prosecuted
c;iminally. The same law should say
that the assassin of character ought
also to be prosecuted criminally. It Is
not my purpose to infringe In the least,
upon the rights of free speech and
| free press. This Is a free country. and
,
pres; himself freely, either viva voce,
or in print. But there should be law
in every state preventing everyone from
| wilfully and deliberately attacking the
private. personal character OF another,
| without just cause. AS the law now
| stands, there Is no remedy for these at
tacks. except In the civil courts. In
most instances, this Is no remedy Mt all,
for the reason that the majority OF the
! persona who Indulge In wholesale. un-
justitlable and uncllled for abuse o. an
other, are without financial RESPONSE
billy. and civil suit for damages
would necessarily prove futile.
Men In public positions are Just Sub
| iect3 for criticism. The genius of our
! free institutions rightly allows such
| procedure. When Il public officer ne
elects or exceeds his authority,he ought
| to be criticised and held TO public scorn.
| No one will dare TO withhold this right
from private individuals or public News
papers. In fact, II is their duty thus to
act But when TN Individual or n news
| paper deliberately and wilfully at
! tempts, without cause. to lnsSassinate
the character OF an officer or a private
citizen. there should be IL law which
fixes criminal responsibility upon him
| for such act. A law OF this sort can
result In harmng no well meaning cIti-
zen. and 1t certainly will protect the
| public genrally from the vaccinations
of Ill disposed. irresponsible individuals.
l hope. therefore, that II will be your
pleasure to give thoughtful considera-
ton to this, as view It, important sug-
gestion.
THE ELECTION Law.
The present election law needs radical
amendment. The purpose of n ballot is
TO aid the voter in the expression OF his
choice for public officers and upon pub
lie questions: but the ballot provided by
law as It how Is. results IN the practical
dlsfranchsement OF hundreds of voters:
ana these ure by no means, ignorant
voters. The method OF preparing the
ballot isillOgical. Re-counts by county
courts should be stopped. ana many
other features OF our present law need
amendment. leg especially TO call
your attention to SENATE bill No. f6t. IN
| troduced Into the senate Of the last leg
| islnture, as, In the main. Il wise ileas-
| llre. 1t was very carefully prepared.
ana thoroughly considered by several
! very capable gentlemen. 1t Is based
largely on The very excellent laws of
Ohio and New York. Among its provis-
Ions are simple and plain ballot, the
provisions for more parties on election
boards at each precinct. and at each
county seat, as well as the burning of
tho ballots after they are counted by The
precinct election officers. This latter
| provision will STOP the recounts by
county courts. which have dlsgraGel
the state In the past. TX