The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-05-22
AN 9th e CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT NEEDED. =

/ AN @ III Err CONSTITUTIONAL
AMEN pMEtl VI NEEDED.
The Vest y irgir ian tielieye that ~
lean point out a way BY which the:
people of tie State can he gery: ma
,Eterially benefted II may appear tol
them 10 be an extensive way at first
| sight, but on reflection they will see
that It's both reasonable and feasible,
and will favor its adoption. To be
brief, what we propose Is constltu..
ltlonal amendment that viii give to
each and every county in the State
1.-TWO State Senator's. There being
4 fifty:fiye countless we would therefore
have a State Senate consisting Otto,
members. Our present State Senate
consists OF but thirty members, This
number would be sufficient Sc com.
posed of the right kind of men, hut is
not with suchifellows as tile tMarshalls,
Montgomerys, Coles. Hills, Bakers,
Snyders. etc. AS II is, some follow
Ran stalnaker, others something or
somebody else, but the somebody IS
ofteneri than otherwise some kind OF
a lobbyist, hence the people receive
but little II any consideration. The
beer interests, whiskey interests, rail-;
way and other interests are generally
in control, or, with the aid Of fifteen
State Senators stop the wheels Of
legislation. II one corporation is OPP
posed to a certain measure all inter.
ests combine and defeat II, no matter
how important 1t may be TO the PEG.
pie. This situation Of affairs can be
relegated TO the rear by adopting the
plan we have indicated. But It may
be said that II the interests named
can control the present State Senate
Of thirty members they could also con
troll the larger body we have proposed
We will grant that they might do so
. but It would be apt to be quite ex
pensiye and become so irksome that
they would sooner or later abandon
{ their corrupt practices.
' The present House Of Delegates
! consists of Sc members, being so large
' 4 body that the paid agents or pro
/ fessional lobbyists rarely ever &c
about 1t. They conflne their opera
: lions wholly TO the smaller body-the
State Senate. If the latter contained
10 members 1t would look still more
uninviting than the House to tho
} aforesaid professional lobbyists, ant
we think many of them would go out
of business. The most OF then
4 would have to do so, rs they would be
; unable TO successfully manipulate Sc
large body. 1t would be too big fol
: them TO even make the attempt. Be
/ sides large majority of such a body
going directly from the people of til,
. counties, would doubtless be solid ant
substantial men-men who could no
{ be approached by the corruptionists-
= and the few WHO might be nominate,
!: and elected by StalMaker would b,
u too much In the minority TO be Of an,
service TO him. The probability Is
therefore, that under such regim,
}, Stalnaker himself would have TO e
:. out of business, seeing that he NJ
!. longer owned and controlled enough
= Senators to accomplish anything. Fl,
IS would so very soon no doubt at TIN
J request of his employer-the B. an,
II Gas 1t would not want to keep hin
t. simply as an ornament.
'r 1t may be argued that so large
j. State Senate as we suggest would b
nnwieldy and do nothing. We do nc
so look at it. The present State Ser
at atea the late session of the Legisl;
ed ture was. owing to SO many of II
1t members being owned by Stalnak,
lie and other lobbyists, of no account
1t. the people when 1t came to lesslatin
st, in their interest, whereas the DI
1t House was with them almost una,
"a mously on every question.
IS. The question of cost should not |
ed considered in connection with tn
matter. What the additional CO
would amount to would he me
he trifie. No extra clerks or attach
he would be required, and the enactme
III. of revenue or railroad commissi,
of bill might be worth more TO the pc
les pie than the.larger State Senate Won
I'm cost in the course of twenty years.
ep We regard this question as #bei
e es. @oooOO0ot0oo