Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-09
Special to the Register.

special 10 INC ISe6tStCh'
CHARLESTON, W. Va, October 81
A ripe subject for legisletion hat es-
caned all attention at the session OF
1897 is the Zee System" 1t has been
long alleged by those competent to
know that the fees received more or
less directly by the Auditor and the
Secretary of State swell their emolu-
ments to an extremely large total, a
sum, in fact, several times in excess OF
the amount received by any other State
official, not excepting the Governor.
That these fees should be entirely abol-
ished, or at least turned into the State
treasury. and the officials In question
allowed only a salary, has probably
been the sentiment of the rank and file
of both parties for some years back,
though the Democrats have not taken
n action as a party on the subJect.
About the beginning of the present de-
cade, however, the Republican leaders
attacked the "fee system" with peculiar
acrimony; its iniquities were paraded
on all possible occasions and the people
were solemnly assured that ifthey would
only elect a Republican Legislature this
vicious practice would be at once abol-
ished and the people saved the amount
of these fees right away.
The Democratic Legislatures were
generally in favor OF
Putting nm End to the System.
which has only grown up of recent
years, but as often as they assembled
they were met by their political friends
already in Office, who strenuously pro-
tested that it would be unjust to cut
down the receipts of their places after
they had been appointed or elected by
the people upon the understanding that
they should receive such fees as a part
OF the emoluments OF their respective
Offices. Under the influence of argu-
ments of this sort, and in the absence
OF any party declaration on the subject,
the matter was postponed from time TO
time, while the evil continued to grow,
largely as the result Of the extreme lib
eral provisions of the present laws as
tic Incorporating joint stock compa-
MES, etc.
When the first Republican Legislature
met In 1895, 1t found Democrats in all
the State offices, and might have re-
deemed It's ante-election promises at
once, either by a passage of a law to
go into effect Immediately, or n that
should be operative after the 4th of
March, 1897. In the former case, the
officials in question might have COM
planned, but they would still have been
left with a fair compensation for the
labor performed. In the latter, there
could have been no just ground of OBJ
lection, since the incoming officials
would have been both nominated and
elected or appointed with their eyes
open in this matter, and as it was not
known with certainty which party
would prevail at the ensuing election,
neither of them could complain of I'm
fair treatment. Unfortunately, neither
of these courses were pursued.
A Faint ana Formal Attempt
was made to attack the evil, but it was
allowed to langulsh through the session
and the whole matter was really ad-
jcurned over to await the result of the
next election. Discussions between the
President and the bulk of the represent
tatives of his party in Congress, the
continued financial depression and the
violent agitation of the labor world al
ready presaged Republican victory in
the national contest, while along when
1t might be discerned a widening pros
pect Of the long prayed for Republican
triumph in the State. Under these cir
cumstances, just as they were about to
enter into the promised land, after a
sojOurn of a quarter of a century in
the political wilderness, it was asking
too much of a Republican Legislature
that it should itself in any way dimin-
ish the contents Of the public crib. II
was realized that there would be large
debts to pay, and to decrease the po'
ditical assets by destroying the fee sys-
TEN was a folly that the most rural
representative scorned to be led into
Had Democratic State officials and a Re-
publican Legislature been elected, it
goes without saying that the system