Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1903-03-03
Hide Face In Shame.


gate Blizzard.
Charleston. February 2I.--A sudden
change in the sentiment of Delegates Biz
gard and Ellis on the bill providing for
the creation Of railroad commissioner
caused sensational speech by Mr.. Wet
eel of Jefferson county this afternoon.
Friday Blizzard and Ellis made anarchis-
tic speeches against railroad corporations
and advocated passage of this bill. To-
day they both took an opposite stand. and
after voting for a number OF ammend-
ments one of which was to make the
state pay the expenses and salary of the
commissioner, Mr.. Blizzard said the bill
was now nothing but tattered rag i'm
potent in carrying out the purpose for
which it was intended. and moved that
the enacting clause be struck out.
Mr., Wetzel, who had been defending
the measure right along, rose and fairly
burned the Fayette man with his scath-
ing sarcasm. Pointing at him the finger
of scorn he said, You have been instru-
mental in making this bill the impotent
rag that it is. You have voted for all the
amendments that have been offered and
now you want to kill the measure that
yesterday you defended. If were in
your position l would hide my face in
shame from the public. / would be
ashamed to come before the public for
position.
Mr.. Speaker, " interrupted Blizzard,
his face red and putting with rage.
II yield to the very honorable gentle
man." said Wetzel, with pronounced
irony in his voice, and he sat down amid
applause.
The motion to strike out the enacting
clause was put to vote. and lost by tie
vote of 2S to IS. The Democrats stood
together for the bill. which is an admin
lstratIop measure. and w. NJ. o. Dawson,
who was standing by. remarked that they
showed great political wisdom.
The Charleston Gazette, in its report
OF this affair, says
Under the operation OF the previous
question the house got to roll call on
the motion to reconsider the vote by
which the chair was sustained in the af-
ternoon. AS the roll call proceeded var
ious Republican members took the oppor.
tunity to explain their votes and then the
Democrats took hand in the same game
Finally the name of Mr.. Wetzel was
reached, and in explaining his vote he
made one the most powerful arguments
heard on the floor of the house during the
session. He scorched the majority fol
its treatment of the speaker, to whom hs
paid the highest tribute for his tairnes:
and impartiality, and fairly blisterec
Gregory, Cunningham and the other mar
row-minded gang for their miserable par
tisanry that would override the rules the,
had made for their own government
to humiliate the speaker whom they hat
chosen to preside over them. Finally tn,
blightlng sarcasm got through the hid
of the creature in the chair and he began
to try to get the speaker off the floor. TIL,
sergeant-at-arms was ordered to max,
Mr.. Wetzel take his seat. but numbe
of the Democrats gathered about the gen
! tleman from Jefferson and SO entertaine,
the sergeant-at-arms that he could no
break through them to execute the com
mand, Ellis jumped up two or tire
times and grinning like monkey, yelle,
at the speaker to make the gentlemal
take his seat. and was told to shut up AM
sit down. Mr., Wetzel, as cool as GU
cumber, went on with his terrific arraign
ment, peeling hides and breaking bone
at every sentence, while the rabble on th
other side yelled and hooted aroun,
him. y