Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-19
FEE SYSTEM PREcIP|THTED
HOT POLITICAL DEBATE.
REPUBLICANS NOT READY For IN
yEsTYGATIoN RECOMMENDED
BY CoMssxTTEE.
RESOLUTION AGAIN REFERRED.
REPCBlICANS DECLARE AGAINST
FEES, BUT BELLE THEIR WORDS
BY THREATS.
Special to the Register.

bA
Special to the Register
CHARLESTON W. Va, January IS.
A bitter political discussion took
place in the House of Delegates to-
day between Anderson and Brannon on
the Democratic side and Martin.
Smith, of Ohio and Reynolds on the
part Of the Republicans. 1t was occa-
stoned by Jacksons motion to refer
Alderson's resolution to investigate
the Auditors Office TO the Finance
committee, after it mad been consider
ID and reported favorably with an
amendment by the Education commit
tee, and was precipitated by Martins
speech in support Of the motion.
He began by regretting that the
Democrats had not seen the necessity
of such things as the proposed investi-
cation during the twenty-six years
they Were in power. and thought it
came with poor grace from that side
at this time. He didn't think It right
or Just to the incoming officials who
had made the fight for these offices to
cut down the pay just as they were
about to 80 into them
Anderson replied
That lie Had No objection
to the resolution going to the finance
committee, but he wanted to know
W hat IL uyae 90 10
erea and hidueh away. He did not be-
| lieve the officers OF the government
should he a,owed to draw a lot Of
compensation In the way of fees not
contemplated by the law, and II made
no difference TO him whether the Off
GERS were Democrats or Republicans.
There had been no attempt to take
away the fees from the incoming Off
GERS. He simply wanted the matter
| Investigated to gee what was In the
reports Of the receipt by these officials
of unreasonable sums. II there was
| nothing in them, then the reports
would be set at rest II they were
| found to be true then q bill could be
! introduced that would mees ~
| Urgency. He had hoped the 49,
would not take a low polit ~ tom
but but would 70 ,.,i, be treated by all the wa
best calculated to conserve J
The Welfare of the People.
He severely arranged the majority
! for sending the resolution TO the
| wrong committee in the first instance,
| but could not see why, when that COM
mittee had reported it, with amend
| ments to which the Democrats had
no objection, it should now 90 sent TO
another committee. II looked like the
majority were not acting In good faith.
Smith, OF Ohio, took shy at the
matter. He said when he made tho
motion to refer the resolution to the
| committee on Education he did 10 UNI
! der the misapprehension that 1t was
the resolution to investigate the Unit
| versity; that there was preconcocted
arrangements about It. He referred
| TO 1895 when a majority OF Republi-
I cans voted to cut down the fees OF
! these officers one halH, and every Dem
! ocrat except one voted against e.: said
| the right OF the incoming officers TO
| the fees as they are now amounts al
| most TO vested right. Nobody was
| more anxious to have the right thing
done In this matter than he. for he
| had always been in faver OF abolish
! ing excessive fees.
| Martin took another turn at the dis
| cuss!on. attacking Anderson with great
spirit. He said he had known Alder
| son for twenty years as a leader OF HIS
| party.
AIdcrEon's Warm InterJection.
Alderson-"It the gentleman would
| allow me / will say never knea him
! in the capacity Of leader Of his party"
| Brannon followed Martin in the most
| scathing speech Of the day. He said
| for years no Republican platform could
| be found In West Virginia that did not
/ denounce the Democratic party for tho
! fee system and for allowing officials TO
/ draw such great sums Of money He
/ wanted the Republican brethren 70 bs
/ consistent low that they we're In pow
/ er. The proposition was now made 70
/ carry ont the very promises they had
/ been making for twenty-five years, and
/ he was surprised that they should not
/ be found loyal IN rs support The
/ gentlemen on the other side has talked
! about Democratic extravaganza. He
I called attention to the fact that the
| legislative reports Of the years when
| they we're In power were loaded down
! with legislation for the
/ Relief of D~fauItfnR sheriass
that a Republican legislature had
passed an act 70 relieve the Chesapeake
& Ohio road from the payment Of
taxes until time that would never
arrive lie told Of the corruption OF
the Grant regime there Mcintosh inter-
jected the declaration that Grant was
, a Democrat), ard said that riotous cor
ruption had been the accompaniment
Of Republican administration always.
The other side did not want politics
made Of these things now: they al
ways made them political when Demo-
Gratis were In power.
Reynolds followed Braunon. and
made a bitter speech also. He wanted
to remind the other side Of things they
seemed 70 have forgotten; that the Re-
puDllcans had voted To change these
things years ago. He had been In Ia
vor Of 1t then and would vote now TO
, make the change