The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-04
Special Dispatch to Tho In,e,llgencer.

Special Dispatch to the Intelllgencer.
| CHARLESTON. W. Va, Feb. s.--The
report OF the constitutional commission
is going to have some pretty rough
sledding. II It ever goes through the
fre OF amendments that is In store for
It In both houses, It will scarcely be rec
ognlzable when It comes out. The fight
Is going to be no1-partisln.
| Yesterday. when the report was taken
up. the opposition manifested itself at
the very start. 1t came from Mr.. Ash
by, of Kanawha, who opposed the
clause. making cases that are tried in
justices courts before Juries appealable.
In this opposition, however, M:. Ashby
did not meet with much support, as this
amendment is considered by many as
| one OF the wisest suggested bv the COM
| mission.
There are now two propositions before
| the house in regard to the constitution.
One. the recommendation OF the COM
mission, Is 10 submit the report. II 1t Is
| adopted, to vote of the people. The
other Is a bill introduced by Mr.. Ash6Y,
providing FOR constitutional conven"
| ton. The plan of those favorinG this
| proposition Is to have n convention TO
| consist of iifty-one delegates three
| from each senatorial district and twelve
| at large. II Is claimed that this was
/ suggested by the late Judge j. II. Fer
guson, who once said that OF all the
! state constitutions ours was the worst.
| But in the opinion OF leading members.
| the Ashby proposition will not be ac-
| cepted. 1t would involve two special
| elections-one to vote on the question of
| calling a convention, and then one to
Vote for delegates. II the constitution
were accepted. special session OF the
| Legislature. with power to sit Indefinite
| ly. would then have to be called to
| frame the laws to comply with its pro-
visions. \ lnemhe. of the senate esti-
| mated the cost Of all these proceedings
at $500, 900. He. rs well as other Repub-
lican senators. declared their unwilling
| ness TO vote FOR any proposition that
| would involve even half Of that sum
Senator Anthony Smith, who is one OF
the Republican leaders on the floor OF
the upper house. is going 10 introduce
bill providing Tor the distribution of the
irreducible school fund. In accordance
| Ni'hi III lIt ecNt
| nor's message. His plaa Is to have the
fund distributed in FIVE annual Install
| ments. The folly OF accommodating
hordes OF money for future generations
is becoming more and more recognized,
| aud Senator Smiths proposition is like
ly to meet with considerable support.
That University Bill.
Considerable OF Il stir has been crea-
l
ted by the introduction. b.. Mr.. Davis,
OF Harrison, of the bill providing FOR The
abolition OF the preparatory department
of the state university. The object OF
the bill Is TO raise the standard OF the
university. IT Is going to meet with
strenuous opposition from Senator
Fast Colonel Fast believes that the
preparatory department Is very essen
tlal and that Its abolition would be un-
wise. He says that there is no school
In the state, high schoo! or normal,
which thoroughly equlps the student to
| enter the regular course at the unive:-
| sity. In reply TO the contention that so
many students enter the preparatory
department, he argues that this Is indi-
cauvc OF the necessity for maintaining
II.
some Othcr bills.
There is a very peculiar bill in the
house, introduced by NJ. OBren, OF
| Writ, entitled "to prevent mixed
| trains" The object OF the bill Is 10
| prohibit railroads from running what
are known as accommodation trains,
made up of both freight and passenger
| coaches. 1t Is going to meet with oppo-
| sition, because il Is believed that Its ul-
Innate effect would be to cause the
smaller railroads 10 take their passen-
ger trains off altogether
The bill providing that all legal exc
| cutlons take place at the pcniten.iary
went through the house without much
difficulty. The chief opposition came
| from Mr. Hunt. who favors the oboli-
tlon Of capital punishment altogether.
But the particular ground Of his oppo-
sltion 10 the bill was that It took from
the condemned the privilege of bidding
many Of his friends goodbye. Mr.. Hunt
said his conscience would never lot him
rest IL he votcl FOR such n measure. His
argument provoked some amusement.
Mr.. Bchrcns wanted to know how much
time n murderer usually gives his VIC
tim to bid his friends goodbye. Tha,
convinced the most doubtful.
! Appropriation 1iold.up.
| That threat OF the Democrats to cut
off the administration withou. a cent II
Mr.. Kidd is rot seated is not affecting
the Republican members In the least.
| They say theS are going to give the
case the most fair and impartial Invcs-
| tigation. And that Is more than the
Democrats are going To do in the
house, said one OF them. II do not cy-
| pect TO see Brohard seated. II Kidd Ia
entitled TO his scat. he is going TO have
| It; and X he Is not entitled TO ii, he is
not going TO have 1t. no matter what
| threats are made
1t seems that the Democrats are aim
ing particularly ut the attorney general
and the secretary of state. against
! whom they think they have A GrIcv-
ance. Mr. Dawson says this Will not
affect his course IN the least,