Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-15
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
DO|NGS OF THE SOLONS.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
COST LESS MONEY
ARGUMENTS AGAINST CHANGE.
FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY
FEEL RELIEVED SINCE RAY
MOND AGREES TO RESIGN.
Special to the Register.

Senator Ashby will introduce bill in
the Senate on the constitutional con-
vention subject, which he hopes to
have subs tituted for the bill introduced
yesterday by Senator Whitaker. 1t
will be the same bill-the Ferguson
bill-in all particulars, except that it
will provide for holding the election
for members of the convention at the
same time with the election at which
the proposition to hold the convention
is voted upon. The tickets will nave
on them For" and Against" the
convention, and at the same time also
the candidates intended to be voted
for. II this way the cost of holding
one election will be done away with.
The sentiment favoring the holding
of a convention and the making of a
new constitution is steadily growing in
favor. 1t will be noticed that the Gov
ernor treats the matter rather ginger
ly in his Straddles" it, as he
said to the Register representative to-
day. Il felt somewhat uncertain as
to what was best to be DONE" said he;
whether to hold a convention and
make a new constitution throughout,
or to rely upon patching up the old
and making it do for awhile yet, so |
straddled."
The Making of New Constitution
is, of course, work of some gravity
The first cost is an item of consider
able Importance and yet it is the least
of all the objecIiols. The constitu-
ton now in force mas thirty years OF
judicial decisions behind it to give it
strength, and the people understand it.
while new constitution would call for
a new line of decisions. and would, in
those parts in wnicn It vas changed
from the old, be of doubt in the minds
of the people until passeo upon by the
courts. Despite objections, however,
it seems certain now that the conven-
ton bill will be passed, and if that is
done the convention will undoubtedly
be held.
BOndhOiders BreathIess.
The people who were here in the in
terest of the Virginia bond holders
have not yet caught their breath since
the adoption of the Campbell resolu
ton. They were not looking for that
sort fthiIg to come SO early in the
session, and its introduction found
issue. When the resolution was laio
before the Senate for it's action Senator
lHoran s0rang to his feet and demand
ed the ayes and noes. 1t looked as
though he realized the fact that his
party had been beaten in the matter,
and now that the resolution was to be
adopted, he wanted to get on record
in good serviceable shape. Of course
it doesn't take call for the ayes and
noes on a joint resolution, but the
Senator was in such a hurry that he
overlooked that fact.
Senator Whitaked's Trance.
Senator Whitaker has had the ap-
pearance of man in trance since
the meeting of the Republican caucus
on last Tuesday night. 1t looked such
a cinch for him that his defeat was
not only a surprise to himself, but
also everybody else except the men in
the combination that defeated him.
The come-on boys who were here for
Fitch laid themselves out to make
their man clerk at all hazards. In
combining for Fitch they somehow got
control of the Senators who were nat
urally for Whitaker and voted them
for Smith, thinking that as Smith was
from the county adjoining the county
in which Harris resides, his election
would beat Harris. 1t is said the COM
bine took in every Senator from the
Fourth Congressional district, even to
Campbell. of the Parkers.burg district,
who stuck to the end. and cast his
vote against Harris But, though
the combination was strong enough to
beat Whitaker, whose defeat was not
the object, but a means to that end,
it was not strong enough to beat Har
ris, for whose overthrow 1t was in
tended Nor was it strong enough to
frighten him, for when the tie came
along and the ritcn contingent went
to him and offered him compromise
by which he would be made sergeant
alarms. and receive half the pooled
salary of the sergeant's and clerk S Of
fees, he stood pat and said he would
be clerk or nothing, and the combine
had to come to his terms. But that
was not the story started to be told.
1t was about Whitaker.
To Say That Whitaker is Hot
| is to express it too mildly. In fact the
English language, with its limitations,
is not capable of giving expression to
the feelings of the Senator, and those
| who desire to learn the true extent of
his holiness are asked to have an eye
| to the record and see there that he
| either gets everything he wants during
| the session, or else makes such row
in the Republican camp as has not
| been seen therein for many a day.
There is a feeling of considerable re-
lief here over the outcome of the uni
versity matter AS long as Raymond
was trying to maintain his hold on
the school there were many people
who thought they should uphold him.
who, now that they have learned that
he is to leave, find that they are. glad
of it. No matter how able he may be
as an instructor, Mr.. Raymond
Was Not the Proper Man
for the presidency Of that school. for
he is absolutely lacking in the quality
of conservatism which is so requisite
for the head Of great Institution OF
learning. or for the head OF any other
institution where men are to be or
| ganized and controlled. An amusing
article concerning the Raymond epis-
ode appears in Saturdays Pittsburg
Times. which says the trouble was that
Raymond was turning out too many
West Virginia men, and that the
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