Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-02-07
AUGUSTA CO. BILL WINS
Friends Of Measure Fave Small
Majority il House.
GOVERNORS STIRRING SPEECH
A Plea For a Railroad Commission BY Him
IS Given Glad Reception.

Charleston. VI. Va. Feb. 6.-The
Augusta County bid which has for it's
object the formation Of a new county
from territory taken from Marion,
Wetzel aud Mononralia counties. calae
up in the house. being reported favor
ably bv the committee which has had
1t in charge. The debate which ensuod
was the warmest of the session, the
ouuonents of tha measure charging
that the committee had heard only one
side OF tile question. A vote being
taken to reeommit resulted in defeat
for the opponents Of the bill, the vote
stauding3i for reconmital to 30 against
and the bill was passed To Its first read
ing. An effort will probably be made
to reconsider the proposition to recon-
nit. Tho measure III question las
caused more interest than any other
LEGISLATION the present session. with
the exception of the tax con MISSIONS
report, and the lobby for both sides
have been very active.
"A resolution was offered IN the sem
ate and adopted. calling upon West
Virginia's representatives in the Ma
tional Senate ana House to aid in M
holding the principles as laid down by
the Monroe doctrine. and do all In their
power to aid in putting the navy of
the nation in condition to resist foreign
aggression.
The senate passed a number Of bills.
among them a pure food measure A
resolution was adopted excluding the
lobby from the floor Of the house aud
limiting members to five minute
speeches.
Governor White COPIED with the
heaviest legal artillery the railroad
cofnorations could gather in tho State
and routed them. in the Judgement of
the large crowd that assembled in the
Senate chamber to hear discussed tie
appointment OF a railroad commission
before the joint House and Senate
Railroad Committees.
In Il plain. effective talk at the close
OF the shrewd addresses of half a doz-
en- railroad attorneys. including Reese
Blizzard, Edgar p. Rucker and Fl. G.
Simms, the Governor took the floor.
He said tho reasons for his recommen
dation for a railroad commission were
the result Of numerous complaints
from the people, shippers of coal and
other commodities, as well as from
one Of the most prominent citizens in
the State. a reference to United States
Senator Elkins.
Then the Governor went on to say
that If the railroad commission would
be futile, as claimed by the attorneys,
why did the railroads fear it and as
semble such a powerful legal array?
s'These trained advocates can make
black white and white black said
tie Governor. "but you can't deceive
the people with official facts. We are
in the dark in trying to assess the rail-
roads fairly. knowledge is power and
TIC bcob4c aiN thtltAcu W HH hnoW-
ledge that IA commission will make. "
Governor White discounted the
statements that the commissions ere
alton would impair railroad develop
ment. He cited reports of discrimi
their aunts, will trip the light fantas-
tic on the evening of February ID at
the legislative bali, which was last
given four years age.
1t is a peculiar fact that on that for
mer occasion there were only six menu
bers of both houses who could dance.
While there will be many times that
number this trip. for the male wall
flowers will be Yerv abundant.
Three weeks < the Legislature
was organized. and there is not very
much TO show for it, especially consld-
ering the claim that there wasn't time
this season to take up the State Tax
Commissions bills. 1t looks as if there
would have been time even mp to date
70 have passed on the main features of
tia. report. for the polecar law and
other trivial matters took . halliday
session at d time.
The statement was made in the
House that the total assessed valuation
nation by the Baltimore q Ohio against
connecting lines and produced other
information as to h%ardships inflicted
on shippers, aud said the legislature
shonld prevent injustice between tire
poor mai and the powerful corpora
tons.