The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-02-04
BACK TO COMMITTEE
Augusta County Bill Will be
Reconsidered.
Reasons for Not Passing It-Plainly
Unconstitutional allows People no
Opportunity to Vote Upon the Bill
For the County Seat-Aliows Whis-
key License in Clay and Battelle.

I
For the County Seat-Allows Whis-
key License in Clay and Battelle.
A minority report has been made
on the Augusta county bill, which
was reported iavorably by the com
mittee. and it has been reported
back for reconsideration.
1t will now be consi Tered when
some representatives of this and
Marion counties, who know some
thing of law and the constitution
will he there to show the nnconsti-
nationality of the bill for new
county On this subject, the law
makers and the newspapers of the
state seem to have been grossly
ignorant.
The Warrington boomers, loaded
with lobbyists, plenty of ready cash
and lot of dusty, rusty, musty sec
ond hand petitions stormed the leg
islature and tried to force the bill
through before its opponents were
wide awake. And they came dan
gerousIy near doing it. 1t is assert
ed that they actually took down the
petitions that were used to secure
the passage of similar bill few
years ago. the identical petitions,
containing the names of people now
dead, and others moved away, who
are not interested TO The amount of
one farthing in the AUGUSTA county
proposition. The delegations from
Marion and Monongalia counties
are at the state capitol today, and
will have chance to present the
facts before the committee on it's re
consideration of the measure.
As TO the constitutional provision
governing the ease, the following is
quoted from section s, Article 8 OF
the state:
No new county shall hereafter be
formed Ia this State with an area of
less than four hundred square miles;
nor wilt a population OF less han
six thousand; nor shall any county,
From which a neg comfy, or part
thereof shall be taken, be reduced
in area below tonr hundred square
m,les, nor in population below six
six Thousand. Nor shall a-new coun-
W be formed without the consent of
the voters residing within the boun-
diaries of the proposed new county,
and voting on the question
Iris is enough, of itself to show
that no member of the legislature
can respect his oath to support the
constitution, and vote in favor of the
bill for new county.
But beside this, there are numer-
Gus requirements of the state stat.
utes that are entirely ignored in the
proposition as set forth in the bill
for the county of Augusta. The
statute requires survey to be made,
census enumeration to he taken, a
vote of the legal voters resident in
the territory proposed to be erected
into the new county, and petition
to the Legislature stating that these
facts have been ascertained.
So far as can be learned, none of
these provisions have been complied
with Ivy the Warrington enthusi-
asts.
The auditors report. which would
be more likely to err in giving area
too large than too small gives the
area OF Monongaiia county at $50
square miles, Marion 45l and Wet
eel at $500 This is an average Of
only 1872 square miles to the county,
so there would not be an acre availa-
bic for the formation of new coun-
W, if the average is takel. Taking
simply the surplus of Marion county
only 81 square miles could be claim
ed without violating the constitu-
ton.
There are other features of the
measure that would probably be OBJ
jectionaole to the citizens of Battellc
and Clay district.
Without an opportunity to vote
upon the proposition, they would be
turned over to license court. which
they have had no voice in selecting.
Blacksmith, and probably other
towns in the western part of the
county would most likely be licensed
for selling whiskey.
The people OF Monongalia would
be forcibly separated from county
free from debt, and annexed to one
starti~g out with big debt, and
with others to be contracted at once
for the building of court house and
jail and, Establishing institutions for
the poor and destitute. Being in
county with licensed county seat,
they would naturally be expected to
have greater expenses for criminal
prosecutions than we have in this
county, where the necessary expense
for this cause is very light.
These are some of the reasons,
which will be urged upon the leg,s
lature to show them the boom for
Augusta county is chiefly centered
in Warrington, which of course
would be benefited by being made a
county seat. We shall see what the
committee will do with the facts he
fore them.