Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-02-14
A BILL FOR DISPENSARY|
introduced in enate-Copy Of
South Carolina Law.
SOME INTERESTING READING
About the High handed Effort of Taz-dodgers
to Shut Off Tax Bill Consideration.

to Shut Oft lax Bill consideration
Mr.. Kidd IN onday morning intro
duced in the senate the bill providing
for the establishment Of a state dis.
rensary ter tire selling Of all xmas
of intoxi ting beverages md abol-
ishing tt 14efent system Of becns-
Ed saloors. mae bill II o copy q
the law now ID force III South Carroll
pa witl snch changes as are necessary
to conform to conditions in this state.
senator Kidd stated That he had con-
fdenee in It's passing the legislature,
and said one Of bis reasons was that
it would not diminish the reveDuo as
other prohibitorv measures DO. The
constitutional rule was dispensed with
and the bill was read and advanced to
second feadine at once.
On motion Of Cornwell, the senate
bill providing for nominating all cam
didates for public Office was made n
special order for today.
The inside history of the high-hand-
ed effort Of interested parties in the
senate TO slut Off consideration of the
tax bills makes intensely interesting
reading. Tt shows to what desperate
extremes tho tax lodging corporations
and their friends and employees in the
senate are willing to so and may we'll
arouse the indignation Of citizens gene
orally, and especially Of Republicans
who are jealous Of the good name OF
their party. It has been Governor
White S desire from the start to get
the Republican majority OF the legis-
lature to agree upon q program rela-
tive to the tax bills, and carry it out.
To that end, after the bills were intro
duced. Governor White, Secretary Daw
o and other prominent Republicans
circulated a call for a conference of
the Republican members of the legis-
lature to be held Oh Thursday, Janu-
ary 3lst. This call was very generally
agreed to by the Republicans in the
house of delegates, it was not designed
10 he a caueus but simply q conference,
n which all Republicans could express
their views.
THE CONFERENCE BLOCKED.
The representatives Of corporations
and special interests in the senate at
once took alarm. Ten Republicans OF
the senate headed by the president of
the senate Hon. Clark w. Nav, the
chairman of the finance committee.
the Hon. Ira Robinson. and e. o. Col
cord refused to agree to a conference.
In other words they refused to meet
their republican brethren and even
discuss with them measures of the
greatest Importance to the people Of
West Virginia. Instead of that they
determined to prevent any conference
and discussion Of the tax bills. ard
they acted through the finance CON-
mirtee of which Robinson is chairman.
Colcord promptly introduced a resolu-
tion to consider the tax bills, 1t was
Immediately referred to the finance
committee aud on Thursday, the day
preceding the day on which the con
ference was asked for, the senate fl
nance committee met to consider the
Colcord resolution. 1t is significant of
the spirit in which the meeting was
held, that while tax dodgers had am
pie notice that it was to be a public
meeting. and had time to bring Judge
Blizzard. of P~arkerbsurg aud, Wesley
MQllohan, OF Charleston is armed tC
the teeth against the bills, Governo
White. the head OF the Republican
state administration, and the man who
more than all others has been til;
champion Of the bills. had less thar
an hours notice of the meeting. Some
say that White had only ten minutes
nc ce.
TIE MEETING.
s auv rataE the utc-fiIu won't ahead