Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-02

! ed to its second reading.
On motion of Mr. Martin, H. B. 250
was taken UP out of order, read a sec
ond time; amendments made, and, on
, motion of Mr.. Jackson, further con-
| sideration was postponed until to-day
| at 2 o'cloc.
Mr.. Grover reported H. B. No. 270,
to establish the Independent school
| district of Ceredo, accompanied with a
petition.
On motion of Mr.. Scherr, S. B. No.
so, to change the name of the Potomac
& Piedmont Company, was taken up a
first time and read.
II. B. No. So, relating to the time for
holding Circuit Courts in several judi
cial circuits, was taken up out Of or
der, on motion of Mr.. Anderson for Mr..
Brannon, and put upon it's passage.
Carried and into effect from passage.
The House, on motion of Mr.. Lowry,
took a recess until 2:30 o'clock.
Afternoon Session.
The House was called to order at 2
o'clock. On motion OF Mr.. Scherr, 5.
B. so, vas substituted for H. B. $50,
relating to the change of name, ETC.,
VI IIG l. OCOIudC anu L lCQllOuL SOdl dlu
Railroad Company. Passed to third
reading. :
Mr.. Mcclure granted leave of ab-
sence for three days.
H. B. 235, to apportion representa-
tives in the Senate and House of Del
egates, on third reading. Mr.. Alder
son SAID he had been informed the
fiat had gone forth. He said that in
the Senatorial districts three-seventhS
of the voters had been disfranchised.
He had been told it was no use talk
He criticised the McDOwell-Mingo. etc,
district, which he said he was inform
ed Was 200 miles long and eight miles
wide. He criticised the P~ocahontas-
Calhoun district, which he said ex-
tended from the Virginia line almost
to the Ohio line. He had heard of hog
combines, but this was a hog bill. He
declared it the most infamous gerry
mander ever proposed in this State,
or anywhere else. There would be IN
other election two years hence and
~retribution would come as sure as
fate.
liz odIu CnS lNCpuDitCdlS IldQ Cdll1Cu
out the threats made secretly and de-
MED on the stump, that they would
virtually disfranchise the Democrats.
1t is not the first time in the history
of this State that the Republicans had
d~isfranchised the people; they went
out of power in 1870, violating the
Constitution ana disfranchising the
people, and came back the same way.
They had refused to investigate the
fees of the Auditors Office and the
Secretary of State, and would wind
Up this carnival with apprOpriating
more money than there would be eve
nues. They had appointed many UNI
necessary attaches and employees. He
declared the people would vote down
any set Of politicians who sought to
p%erpetuate this thing.
Mr.. Reynolds compared the Demo-
cratic ~gerrymander in 1891 with the
poposed measure in which a number
of counties were DISTINGUISHED, and
thought the Democrats would not men
ton anything like a gerrymander. 1t
was q dltflcult matter to ~reappOrtlOn
for Senate and House of Delegates in
this State without doing some appar-
ent injustice. There is the i~rregularity
of the State to contend with and the
equalization of the population to ar
range. This matter of redistricting
was up before the people during the
last campaign, and they said the Dem
ocrats should not do it. In giving
each county its W delegate, it had
given more Democratic delegates than
there were before.
Mr.. Wetzel thought that the major
ity was like the devil who was sick
and a monk would be, and the devil
who got we'll. He criticised the ar
rangement that gave Hancock as many
delegates as Jefferson, which had
nearly three times as much popula-
ton.
Mr.. Jackson made a few remarks in
reply to Mr.. Wetzel. Mr.. Jackson said
the Constitution intends to give to
each county a delegate, but that prin-
ciple had never been recognized in the
apportionment of 1881 and 1891 by the
democrats, and cited instances. The
Democrats had carried out this pro-
vision partly except where it had been
departed from for political reasons.
The county is a unit and should have
it's voice in the affairs of State. The
Republican county Of Putnam, which
is larger than Jefferson, gets but one,
while Democratic Logan, with only
5000 population, had one, as we'll as
Hancock.
Mr.. Anderson insisted that this re-
districting was a gerrymander. He de-
clared the Senatorial reapportionment
was a political gerrymander purely.
He criticised the arrangement that
threw five sole Democratic counties in
the middle of the State into one dis
trict reaching almost entirely across
the State. He referred to the district
Of Wyoming, Mcdowell, Mingo, etc,
as a tishworn district. Mr.. Anderson
was very severe and caustic in his re-
marks and quite personal.
Mr.. Lowry said it seemed to him
that the House reapportionment was
fair; some of his Democratic friends
had said the Republicans had acted
with fairness. Small democratic coun-
ties get a delegate, just as small Re
publican counties.
Mr.. Smith, of Mcdowell, called for
the previous question, and, being sus-
tanned, the bill came up on it's passage
and passed by an aye and no vote of
80 to IS.
H. B. 62,repealing the law allowing
the granting of short licenses, was
passed. Announcement of the vote
! on n1ttino ~ into Affnnf - @Dao r-o,