Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-12

hand are unjust and immoral We de-
lsmand for evezyscitizen. white-or black.
| rich or poor. high or low, equal rights
before the law.,and unequal chance to
l,develop the Talents and gifts that Gcd
has, given him.
Wesare opposed to the removal and
to the agitation of the removal Of any
OF the public buildings or public irsti-
tutions%of, the State from their. present
locations Such agitation unsettles
values, creates bitterness among diff
ferent sections of the State. and is es-
pecially a, hardship to the poor men
who own houses near such public
buildings and institutions.
The election of Republican Legis-
Importance, not only because OF the
election of United States Senator, but
also that the State may be fairly and
honestly apporTioned for the election
of members of the Legislature and
Congress under the census OF 1900
| and also for the election OF judges; 20
preserve an honest election law, TO
prevent the Acknowledgement OF voters
and to save the STATE from being
Goebelized.
In the apportionmant for election of
members of the Legislature, we favor
giving to every countysat least one del
egate, and the abandonment, as far as
! possible, of the legislative districts,
which, while being plan intended to
equalize representation has been per-
verted by the Democrats UNTO parti
san scheme to disfranchise counties
and voters.
We denounce the &apportion-
ment, enacted by Democratic Legisla-
just, unfair and unconstitutional. re-
sulting in the virtual Acknowledgement
of thousands of honest voters We
promise the people of the State fair,
just and equitable apportionment, in
obedience to both the letter and spirit
of the Constitution.
We denounce the Democratic leaders
of this State for their repeated count
ing out of Republican officers who were
honestly elected for their rapes of the
ballot, and for fraud and corruption in
elections. Passing over as matters we'll
known to all intelligent citizens of the
State, their crimes against the people
in this regard in former years, we af-
firm that Charles M. Via, of the coun-
ty of Monroe, and Humphrey F. Bro
hard, of the county of Taylor, and
William l.. Huntington, of the Lewis
Webster district, were fairly and hon.
estly elected to the House of Delegates
of the Legislature of 1900. and that
they were deprived of their seats there
in, and their defeated opponnts stated.
by chicanery., fraud adm felony.
We are unalterably opposed to the
payment of any part of the Virginia
debt. That portion of Virginia which
now constitutes the State of West Vir-
ginia paid its full share of taxes into
the treasury Of Virginia for almost
three-quarters of a century, and re-
ceived but an insignificant share of
the public improvements for which the
Virginia debt was created; and when
West Virginia was admitted into the
sisterhood of States, the assets. which
belonged to both of the States, were
kept by the mother commonwealth;
and yet it was arbitrarily decided by
the Legislature of Virginia that West
Virginia should pay one-third of the
Indebtedness of Virginia, without any
reference to the amount of the expend-
iture of public moneys for public i'm
provements within what is now the
territory of West Virginia, and with
out giving to West Virginia credit for
the amount of taxes paid by her people
into the treasury of Virginia. We pro-
nounce such arbitrary adjustment as
unreasonable, unfair and unjust, and
in no manner can it be held as morally
or legally binding upon the people of
West Virginia. The Republican party
of West Virginia thus publicly an
nounces that it does not believe that
West Virginia owes to the State of
Virginia one cent of the debt of Vir-
ginia. existing at the time West Vir-
ginia was admitted into the Union
West Virginia has issued no bonds and
owes no debt.
The assents and agitators In this
State of the payment by West Virginia
of any portion OF the Virginia debt
have all been Democratic attorneys,
and the only member of the recent leg
islature who voted favorably to a rec
ognition of the Virginia debt was a
Democrat, who has been renominated
by his party for reelection to the next
| legislature