West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-06-21

- wy w y NsNNuNN hi oOsoluuSms
Ninih-we condemn the law recently
passed by Congress establishing the gold
standard, which transfers To the national
banks the control over the paper currency of
the country, with power to expand or con.
tract It, not in the interest of the public,
Out as the interests of those who issue II
may dictate power which is one OF the
highes, prerogatives Of the government, aud
which the people should never for an In.
s'ant consent should he exercised by bank
'hg corporations. We denounce the "money
trust created by the said act as being dan.
gefous To the government, oppressive To- the
people, destructive Of their prosperity and
welfare, and as creating an oligarchy of
wealth. the influence of which is hostile to
popular government and liberty.
Tenth-The purity of the ballot box and
the freedom of elections are essential to the
maintenance of good government. Sound
political morality, aud the successful adj.
m'nistralion of honest government call for
the rebuke of the corrupt practice of bribery,
and the use of money TO buy votes and de.
baueh the suiferagc, as we'll as the equally
rePrehensible and disgraeeful means en-.
ployed 10y unworthy men to obtain seats In
the Senate of the United States and the halls
OF Congress by bribery and corruption. We
denounce all such unclean methods, and call
upon the voters throughout the state, with.
out distinction of party, to dscountenance
anu frown down such corruption, and to
oppose as unfit for any office men who en-.
courage and resort to such methods To oh.
tain IL.
E'eventh--That we favor the building of
canal across the Nicaraguan Isthmus, to
he constructed, fortified and exclusively
owned by the Uuited States, and not TO be
subject to the control or Intervention of any
other countryi aud we dcnounee the Repub-
lican national administration for its attempt
to rehabilitaIe the Clayton-Bulwer treaty,
and destroy the principles of the Monroe
Doctrine, by treaty with England, under
the terms of which the Nearaguan Canal
was to be virtually controlled by that
country.
RESOLVED, Further that upon just and
equitable settlement West Virginia docs not
now and never has been indebted to the
state of Virginia in any sum whatever and
we are opposed to any legislation authorizing
the recognition of any syndicate or repre-.
sentative thereof, holding what is known as
the certificate Of the Virginia debt.
selfish and corrupt political machine
now absolutely controls, and has become for
all practical purposes, the Republican party
OF West Virginia. IL has put devotion to
party above obedi ence TO law, and has made
slavish subservience to the ring bosses, the
sole test Of fitness for Office.
10 prevent the verdict of the people at
The polls from becoming effective after the
last election, il tramplcd the law and the
constitution under foot, with bold-faced
ehrontery as amazing as it was unpreceden.
ted, aud openly declared that IL would adopt
revolutionary methods If necessary to pre-
vent the election Of a Democratic United
States Senator. The Chairman of the Re-
publican State Committee. submitting his
own side Of the controversy To himself As
secretary of state, and acting without shadow
OF law or color Of authority, substituted Re.
Publicans for Democrats on the roll of the
number Of the House of Delegates. For
the same purpose, the Senate reelected into
membership two former senators, who had
forfeited their Beats, under the constitution,
as completely and finally as II could be done,
ana hnding Il was still short one vote Of the
requisite number, violently and illegally un-
seated Democratic Senator-Sena,or Kidd
and seated his opponent, then declared
the seat in ga temporary allegiance" until
after the election ofa United States Senator.
when It reseated Senator Kidd, with a
virtual admission that there had never been
any reason for unseating him, except to
prevent his participation in the election Of
United States Senator.
Iiesitating at no expenditure Of public
money, however extrayagant and wasteful,
that would build up and solidify It's own
power by increasing the number Of Offices
and places Al lis disposal, the same machine
management has caused the biennial appro-
priaiion to leap from sr,4oo,ooo Of the
last Democratic legislature to 81 200, 900 for
the two current fiscal years, an increase Of
more than forty per centum in the annual
expenses Of the State in six years.
In open defiance Of the explicit provision
Of the constitution It has refused to publish
the customary report Of the receipts and
disbursements Of public moneys, 50 that the
people may have an opportunity of learning
in detail what sums are received into the
treasury, and to whom, and for what pur.
poses, the public funds are paid out.
To repay old services Of party sub bosses,
il robbed the State Treasury Of over SO, 900
in a single lump, under the pretenoe Of pay
ing military claims that had been repudiated
by non-partsan legislature more than a
quarter Of a centuary before.
To reward hungry claimants for party
recognition more indirectly at the public
expense, it has practically wrecked the man.
agemcn' Of some Of the State institutions.
by making ont Of them more local political
machines, 10 be run as adjunots to itself
the great central head Of the political oil
garchy Of The State. As the natural result
Of such political manipulations, laxiiy Of
methods and wasteful exiravagance are now
dominant 10 the conduc, Of those institutions.
ln the management and conduct Of the
peniieniiary, TO cover up an inefficient man.
agcment, il procured, under per capita tax
contract from plant Federal administra
ton, felons convicted OF crimes in other
states and territories and sold, aud today is
selling, the labor Of these imported conyiets