Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-01

Auditor Johnson in 1895, and shows that
the deficiency was due to the cu1pable
refusal of the Republican Legislature
j to appropriate what was necessary, and
not to any Democratic extravaganza, as
was charged. 1t IS probable, however,
that the expenses OF this fund will con-
| tinue to grow uDcSr any administration
as long as the present method OF alive.
ing them remains in force.
| In looking at the amounts set aside
for unclassihed expenditures and desig-
mated as the contingent funds of the diff
ferent departments, considerable in
crease is apparent, especially with the
size of these funds. Thus the civil con-
tingent fund advances from $4,000 to
f22 600, an increase of ten per cent, ap-
apparently, but as an item OF 81, 900, here
tofCfe payable out OF this fund, has
been appropriated Tor under the head OF
criminal charges, the real increase is
$1,000, or thirty Per cent. The contin-
gent fund OF the executive departments
goes from $I1, coo to s14,800 an addition
OF over twenty-three per cent. The con-
( tlngent fund of the Senate, excluding
the item OF $1,759 for chairs and desks
that has been switched over to Mis-
lcellaneous" in the appropriation bill,
has grown from sl,700 to S. 200, show
ing the enormous increase OF more than
two hundred per cent in six years, while
the same fund for the House advances
IRON $4,000 to $1,000. a growth of one
hundred and thirty-three per cent in
the same period, very great increase,
and showing that the influence OF con-
ta2iCdS extravaganza Is reaching even
the popular branch of the assembly. The
contingent fund of the slaid and con-
serYatiYe judiciary also shows the sings
Oh The times, and creeps up from $500
TO $l0,4oG, sedate advance OF
| Over Eighteen Per Cent.
The pay roll OF the Senate for the
regular iorty-five day session this time
foots UP SIS instead OF 1918, an ad-
vance of over thirty-eighs per cent,
while that of the House Tor the same
time passes IRON s2t, 05s to S25,417, an
| increase CT not quite twenty-one per
cent. And it must be remem-
bered That there has bee no
| increase in the membership OF
either house between the periods
taken for comparison, nor as far as
results in work show 1t, any necessity
! for additional attaches.
For the years 1884 the pay of clerks
at the State House was $35 POO for the
| current two years il is $40, 400, an in
crease o. about Twenty-Five per cent
That this addition OF clerical force is
unnecessary cannot of course be posi-
lively affirmed by any one unacquaint-
ed with the details of the work
required to be performed in the
dinaient offices, but if it is neces-
sary, then the clerical force under pre-
ceding administrations must have la
| bored very much more than the hard
hearted public ever gave it credit for.
The heading Miscellaneous" shows
an increase of little over $1,000 This
group OF expenditures Usually includes
odds and ends that are not thought
TO deserve particular places to them
selves, or have failed TO connect else
where. The item under this heading
| that received the most attention ana
| comment during the session was a
charge of Extraordinarily $1,000
| made by the Acknowledgement for pro-
| fessional services in what were known
as the Ohio county liquor cases, as in
| volviIg among other things, the prin-
| ciple OF certain State officers receiving
extra compensation in the shape of fees,
| A clear idea of the transaction may be
obtained from the following editorial
| in the Charleston Gazette of February
18th, 1899:
A Nfgger in the WOodpiie.
There has been a good deal of I'M
savory gossip in and about the State
| House within the last few days regard
ing some OF the claims unDlushlngly
| urged before the Committee on Appro-
| fNrn <f~ &c
| told regarding one of the many claims
put forth from time to time by Attor-
| ney-General Rucker There is the lit
tie item of $1,000 for instance. $1,000 of
which is for some alleged services rem
! dered regarding one of the bridges
! near Wheeling. But it is the ebony
gentleman or coon" in the other $4,000
| to which the talk more specifically re-
| lates 1t seems that some 1870 saloon
| keepers of Wheeling determined to
evade the license tax by taking out
| what is known as the short license"
for what they paid $3.50, leaving out the
| $500 generally assessed. Twas said the
| Attorney-General, ever on the alert to
turn an honest penny and with thrift
| unknown to his predecessors away off
| in Mcdowell scented the chance await
| Ing MIN IN O1lO county. he nleQ nlm-
| self hither unexpected and unlimited.
| The commemorative attorney of Ohio
county engaged Mr.. Caldwell to aid
him in bringing these recalcitrant sa-
loon keepers to justice and the story
| goes that Mr.. Caldwell was fully paid
! for his no doubt valuable services. In
| deed, 1t is said the prosecuting attor-
| ney kicked like a steer at the Attorney
| Generals superserviceable intrusion up
| on his preserves. However that may
| be, which, however, seems true, Mr..
Rucker underwent the severe fatigue
of his physical and mental make up of
actually visiting Wheeling on two oc-
| casions, devoting as much as whole
| day to each trip. He appeared in court
! pro forma on one of these trips only
and then for a few moments to arrange
a time for the hearing of the cases.
| This was all he did and yet he imagines
our plethoric treasury is aching for
| him to put his hands into it and re-
| lieying its tense strain of surplus by
pocketing the modest sum OF only
| $4,000. The cases were compromised
by the saloon keepers paying only in
all S295, thus saving to themselves s55
each or chisling tue State out of the
neat sum Of s7,150! For thus "manag-
ing" this case and losing to the State