Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-29
TEST WAS DOG FALL
Dawson and Insurgent Factions
in West Virginia.
NEITHER SIDE VICTORIOUS
Hot Fight Over the Levying Power
Of the County Courts.
SPEECH ON RAILROAD LOBBY
Unusual Strength Developed by the
Temperance REPRESENTATION
= Of Constitution.
SPEECH ON RAILROAD LOBBY

CHARLESTON, w. Va, January 90
| The first test Of strength on LEGISLATION be.
tween the administration forces and the
insurgents In the senate came yesterday
and resulted in a dog fall The bill to limit
the levying power of county courts to &c
cents on the 500 valuation for general
purposes. and 10 cents for paying debts
was prepared by the state tax commission
er, and is special administration measure.
when 1t came up the insurgent senators
primed themselves for a fight determined
to have trial of strength with the opposi-
ton. Senator Blue moved to amend the
bill so as to make the limit 80 cents instead
of 80 cents. After some discussion the
amendment was agreed to, and the insur-
gents drew first blood Then Mr.. Bailey
moved to amend by striking out the pro-
vision for the state tax commissioner to
visit the various counties and oversee the
ievies. Mr.. Blue switched to the admins
tration side on this, and it was lost by
a vote of IL to II. There were seven
absentees, and as the position of some of
them is not very well known, 1t cannot be
said with accuracy how the senate stands.
Talk on Lobby.
Senator Campbell made breezy talk on
the lobby. Rising to a privileged question.
he wanted to know what had become of
his Jim crow bill and his bills to create
railroad commission and fix a maximum
rate OF cents a mile for passenger travel
He was loath to think the measures were
being held In committee by the power of
the lobby, but, remembering the fate of
similar measures introduced by him on
former occasions, he feared that might be
the case. He then launched out into fiery
arraignment of the railroad lobby which
he denounced in scathing terms.
Members of the committee on railroads
assured him and the senate that the bills
had been delayed simply because the COM
mittee wanted to give all interests the
purpose would be held last night, tonight
and Wednesday night.
Campbell's resolution to amend the con-
stitution to provide for the initiative and
to 4. 49, ,,.a--e5sss--.5,-r, :.
The State Institutions.
The house was surprised by the report
of the judiciary committee, which en-
braced favorable action on the Bland
amendment to prohibit the manufacture
and sale of intoxicating liquors in the
state. 1t had not been supposed that the
measure would get so far even as a favor
able committee report and the. fact that
1t has done SO brings the liquor interests
up standing. The argument of the COM
mittee is that the question of prohibition
has not been submitted to the voters Of
the state for almost thirty years, and that
the people have a right to vote on it if
they wish to do so. Such strong represent
tations have been made that they feel
that the voters would like another oppor-
tunity to register their WILL and they at
least wanted the whole house to act on
the matter. a.
In the house the joint resolution to in
vestigate the state institutions was refer
red to the judiciary committee. Its author
Mr. Kuykendall, opposed that disposition
of it, ana insisted that 1t be adopted, but
the majority said nay, and the reference
was made.
Parsons joint resolution to raise a COM
mission to prepare a revision of the con-
stitution was debated at some length, and
finally Indefinitely postponed.
The bill limiting the fees of county clerks
for recording deeds and making transfers
on assessors books to a dollar and a quar-
ter was ordered to a third reading. The
friends of the county clerks made hard
fight, but lost out on several test votes.
Resolutions were adopted in memory of
James 3. Fox of Marion county, a MEM
Der of the last house, since deceased, and
Col ]. B. Peyton, for more than thirty
years connected with the house in a cleri-
cal capacity. who died since the last ses-
sion.