Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-29
A QUIET, ORDERLY LOBBY
WORKING At CHARLESTON.
oLD-TIME LoUD-TALKING, oBTRU.
SIVE, NOTWITHSTANDING PUR-
SUADERS ARE ABSENT,
THE LAUGHLIN LIQUOR BILL.
SOME SHAMEFUL EXAMPLES OF re.
PUBLICAN REDISTRICT-
ING METHODS.
Specia! 10 the Register

/ N41arNI@Eo1 ON, w. Va, January Is.
The fact that there is not much fuss
being made by the lobby here now
must not be taken as evidence that
there is not much lobby present.
There are many interests represented
before this Legislature by special
agents, but they are for the most part
agents of judgment and discretion. and
not the old fashioned, loud-talking. self
obtrusiye, all pervasive lobbyists.
Lobbyists, spending money freely,
opening wine and trying to indirectly
buy votes for or against their meas
ures. The men now entrusted with the
work are takers, reasoners, persuad-
ers, making no show of the possession
of money.
The Wheeling people who are here
to oppose the Laughlin license bill are
putting in quiet but effective work.
The strongest argument they have
with the ordinary member is that to
put the licensing power in the hands
of the circuit judge is TO make license
or anti-license the chief issue in the
election of an officer whose election
should depend on character, ability
and general fitness for the high office.
It will drag the judgship down into
the mire and fifth of the lowest kind
of a political scramble. and rob the
| ind al ,f,n . e
illness is left it in this degenerate
political day.
Fhe Trouble With the Public Printer
about furnishing the journals and bills
for the two houses has strengthened
the State printing house idea, and il
has grown from a mere suggestion into
a demand. 1t will require the best
efforts of Dawson and the others who
are interested in the Mail-Tribune
Company to keep the plan from being
ADOPTED and an appropriation made
therefor.
BY the way, from the present out
look the Legislature will not only fail
and refuse, though frequently asked so
to do. to clip the fees of the overfed
Secretary Of State, but, If all signs do
not prove false, will actually enact one
measure at least TO add to them. A
bill is already on the Senate calendar
| providing more fees for that func-
tionary, and the most outrageous fees,
too 1t takes nerve to suggest any
thing of that kind at this stage of the
proceedings, but nerve is Colonel and
Aide-de-Camp Dawson's long suit, and
he is going to make it win out.
| The University question seems to
have retired from business as an is
sue. The MorgantUWn contingent
aroused a great deal of interest here
at the first OF the session, and it SEEM
ed they simply couldn't stand it If Ray
mond wasn't thrown out instanter, but
they seem to have grown cold in the
fight and now have not so much to
say as formerly. This and
The Fnct That They Flfckered
when it come to showdown on the
question Of investigating the affairs Of
the school, has duled the keen edge OF
the interest entertained by others, and
the matter has about dropped out OF
the conversation Of members.
The action OF these gentlement has
been peculiar to say the least They
have said enough about Raymond to
and the question is. are things as
they say, and so bad they do not want
the people generally to know the
truth, or have they been slandering
Raymond, and fear 10 have an invesn-
cation lest that fact should be estab-
lished Whichever horn of the diem!
ma they may choose must prove en-
barrassing It Is stated now, by those
In position to know and without any
reservation whatever, that when Mr..
Sturgiss left here the other day for
Morgantown. he gave his assurance
that he would at once secure Ray
mond's resignation, and his guarantee
that 1t should be accepted within
sixty days.
Meantime the plan to reorganize
the boards at all the State institutions
IL going on, and the chances are that
there will be more than one change
in management before the year rolls
away As stated before. Governor
elect White has no reason to love
4 Sturgies. and that gentlemans name
Will not be on the roll Of regents sent
to the Senate for confirmation.
Ulfh Raymond Gone,
and Sturgiss out, the University will
stand show to become a great and
good school. though the fact that
White has determined 70 work all the
boards in the interest Of his candi-
idacy for the United States Senate
makes il doubtful If he looks as much
after the real interest Of any OF them
as he should However, he can hard
ly do worse in the case Of the Uniyer-
sity.
II Is thought now by the truly wise
that the bill introduced by Mr.. Laugh
lin to tax oil production one cent a
barrel and gas one-half cent a thou
sand feet will sleep in the pigeon
holes Of the finance committee to
which it was referred. However. the
patron may take a notion To have II
hauled out. and be has the influence
to do il. The State is going to be
badly in need Of revenue 10 meet the
demands made upon il By the treasury
raiders, and the Republicans will be
willing 40 Skin Corporations
even for the purpose Of raising the
dough TO spend. There is going to be
the biggest hole In the West Virginia
treasury after the raiders get through
with II that was ever seen.
Question-As the Pan-American en-