Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-01
Virginia be determined to move the
capitol to a convenient and central
point.
VIEWS OF A PROMINENT
DEMOCRAT.

Nichola Chronicle.
A prominent Democratic member
of the House of Delegates was asked
by a representative of this paper what
he thought of the last West Virginia
Legislature. He said:
That question has been PROFOUND
ed to me a great many times. Ii l
should tell you all and everything |
think about the majority l would
necessarily, or unnecessarily, detain
you. Of course, there were excep-
lions, notably in Senator Koran and
delegate Jackson, of kanaWha. But
for incompetency and subserviency to
bossisms and dictatorship n extrav-
agance there never was before another
Legislature like it. l will speak es-
pecially of the House of Delegates.
They started out by electing the
weakest and most incompetent and
servile man they could find for
speaker. He did not seem to know
anything, and he could not learn. He
would ride rough shod over the
minority, and rule one way to-day
and another way tomorrow. And
then such a set and lot of other Off
GERS you never saw before. Look at
the number of clerks, assistants, COM
mittee clerks, sergeants-at-arms,
door-keepers. cloak room keepers,
pages, etc. 1t appeared hat they
were trying to make a place at pub
lie expense, for every Republican
striker in the State. At the end. they
increased their compensation.
1t is stated, and without c%ontradic-
ton, that the goyernor-elect went be-
fore a Republican caucus. and in cold
blood. informed the representatives OF
the the people 90 there assembled,
that the people had elected him gov
ernor, that the responsibility was his,
and he wanted TO appoint the regents
and directors of all the State i~nstitu-
tons; and the caucus said Amen"
And the Ripper bills were passed, IL
thorizing the Governor to make all
these appointments.
The Auditor and Secretary Of State
have conpensations fixed by law. It
is well known that they receive enor-
nous amounts in fees outside their
salaries. The Democrats wanted re-
ports to show what fees were received
by these officers to the end that they
could legislate in%te.ligently and les
sen the tax burdens of the people. No
less than four resolutions of inquiry
were voted down or pigeonholed by
the committees. Boss Dawson, secre-
tary of State, had to be obeyed, and
he was. Such absolute subseryiency
to the dictum of one man was never
witnessed before. The motto Of our
State ought TO be changed. We are
not free. We are owned body and
soul by bosses. Republican members
who had insisted that Democrats
holding these offices should report as
to these fees, assisted to vote down
these resolutions. Duffy, auditor,
and Chiffon, secretary of state, were
required to report. But the Republic
can officials were protected in pocket
ing unreasonable compensation. And
the elimination was, and as evidences
of the bossism behind it, and the
villainy, a bill was passed making
these officers pay four-ffths of these
fees into the State treasury four years
hence. In other words, the present
incumbents are to be protected In
their ill-gotten gains. and the people
are to be Deceived by the passage e