West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-12-19
OUR LAWS
Are They Intended 10 Protect and
Punish All Alike9
CORRESPONDENT ANSWERS CITIZEN
Has Some Objections to Latter's Article.
Was Not Explicit Enough Re-
gardirg Laws Violation.

ole paper under the nom de plume
OF Citizen touching a subject of rare
importance, and one that is worthy
OF the individual thought and atten.
tion OF every taxpayer in Preston
county. And they should concen
trate their thoughts on the ideas
conveyed 10y said article, as they are
OF much more importance to their
individual interest than those con.
cerning VINO shall be our next gov
ernor or President.
We wish to reci,e some objections
to the gentleman's article, VIZ: First,
He was rambling in thought and
sadly deficient in explicitness. Sec.
ond. 1t failed to enlighten the court
and the people regarding the viola.
tioa OF section IS Of chapter 80 of
the Code Of 1906 concerning finan-
cial statements as made by the ex.
town council OF Kingwood and the
county court cf. Preston county.
Third, Neither are we in sympathy
with the futility displayed by said
Citizen in argliing fact.
The people of Kingwood and Pres
ton county are wholly cognizSnt of
the axiom that the ex-town council
and the county court wantonly and
wiltully violated the above men
toned statute in making financial
statements, and that a presentation
of said violation was made TO the
grand jury at the December term Of
conrt cannot be denied. 1t is also
alleged tnat the grand jury on said
presentation found true bills of in
dictment against the said ex-town
council and the county court. But
IL seems those true bills were not
made up by the prosecuting attor.
ney in time to be reported by the
jury in the principal bunch of Iudict-
ments and that time was sought and
obtained from the court by the pros
ecuior for the completion of the in
dictments, and that the jury was
held Tor that purpose.
This covers the alleged transac.
ton except that the judge was soon
afterward called away on business,
since which time there has been
nothing gwen out by any of the
officials that would make the public
cognizant of the aforesaid allega.
tIons save the preponderance of
public opinion exOnerstes the Judge
from having any knowledge of the
character Of the indictments unre.
corded when he left the bench and
turned the business over to special
Judge.
These are the plain unvarnished
proceedings, and future develop
ments concerning these indictments
are anxIously looked for by the
PLAIN people, as they are very desir-
Gus TO know whether the law IS N
tended 20 protect and punish all
alike, or whether favOritism is to be
shown in its enforcement.
Jurisprudence is a very stubborn
classification Of words, and It re-
qu.rcs much gall and rascally de
yiseI ingenuity to successfully mis-
construe ii. a law without a penalty
is a public pestilenoe, and il men
holding positions OF honor and trust
are 20 be shredded from its all super
vising authority by chicanery or
evasion, It's a long step toward
anarchy and very detrimental TO the
safety Of our institutions. II is also
an abrasion on our glossy civliza
ton. Any government party, class,
or creed that lodges or escapes the
law by scheming or intrigue make
themselves objects of sbhorrence
and cor tempt. and their success will
be short lived.
Severe retribulion will come sure
and soon. They are always stand
ing on the horrible brink OF expos
ure and humiliation. The people
already know and will act, as those
persons we're legally indicted, il
they are not brought to trial and
fined, or punished in proportion to
the violation.
The last star Of the legal officials
in tharge will siuk beloS the hori-
zon and the people will indusiriously
urn their attention TO more conserva.
ivs specimens Of political manipd.
lat Believe us, we remain, yoars
as ever u we get q square deal,
THE PFOpfE