Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1908-04-07
The Legislature rIost Important.

The member taking money fer votes is
not half SO harmful as the oily tongue, Graf
ty politician who is silent when grafters in
his own party have schemes to get money
out of the state treasury. Our laws are as
they are because we send to the legislature
men who are thinking of self advancement,
and are not thinking of what is best for the
people. Such men avoid antagonizing
grafters. When man walks backwards,
his foot tracks look like he was walking
forward. 1t is easy for politician to make
record in the legislature exactly contrary
to what he has done. Grafters always wish
such men reelected. The man most valua-
BILE in a legislature is one who is not think
ing about his own advancement, but who
studies public question to find out what
is best for the people. and, after making up
his mind. will be aggressive for his opinion
without consulting grafters The tracks of
such man always show which way he Is
going. When such man is in the leglsla-
ture grafters do not try schemes. No OBJ
serving man can fail to see that this trick of
nominating for the legislature in April. in
stead of September. is device to prevent
the nomination of such man as the grand
jury class would select to originate laws. All
such men as Rider. Morgan. Miley, Strider,
Hefebower and Roberts were in favor of
postponing nomination for the legislature,
but the schemers wanted to rush it before
the thinking men of the county had con-
az 10 -
on foot Offering millions of profit, grafters
make plans far ahead They first arrange to
elect few able lawyers who will study the
subject, and argue SO plausibly as to mislead
ignorant members. Having ensured the
nomination of their lawyers. the grafters
next plot end scheme to nominate honest
men who are unaccustomed to profound
study. or else are too busy to make original
investigation. These grafters have infor-
nation about all the honest brains in the
State. and they have all such men as Gibson
and Green blacklisted. A scheme invariab-
ly goes through unless some such man is in
the legislature. and never goes through if
there is. Few persons know how taxes have
increased. Indirect taxation takes money
from man without his seeing it leaving
him. but even a fool can comprehend that
he pays the drug store tax when he buys
physic. State and national indirect taxes
amount to more than $25 for each voter. In
other words, the man without any property,
working foi one dollar day. works more
than than twenty-five days year to pay his
Toy A lQOt al ofnr nf Aro. Il
reduce state taxes more than one-third
Nine voters in ten lack sense to appreciate
how valuable Green or Gibson would be in
this next legislature. but ignorance always
follows intelligence in a matter like this, and
there is yet time for the thinking men of
Jefferson to take such action as will induce
either Gibson or Green to consent to render
this most important public service paper
addressed to them both, and insisting that
one of them announce himself for the
house of delegates, should be immediately
circulated in every precinct. " e have no
word of disparagement for Mr.. Kearfott,
His tracks will always point the way be is
going, but he viii say himself that Green or
Gibson would be ten times more useful to
taxpayers. We are urging this matter be-
cause grafters are shutting out such men in
all the other democratic counties. Senator
Campbell proposed to appoint non-pa.ti-
san commission of the best men in this
state to manage the debt matter. Such a
commission would not have cost anything.
and would certainly have limited our debt
to the amount Virginia spent in West yir
ginia for roads, &c. But grafters had
scheme to take $50, 600 out of the treasury
and Kidd and Littlepage joined the Repub
lican grafters to defeat CampbelPs resolu-
ton. If taxpayers knew the facts about this
matter no man who did not vote for Camp
bells resolution could be renominated in
any county. Taxpayers should insist that
candidates for reelection publish how they
voted Here is the question. Did you vote
for Campbell's non-partisan commission
resolution ? Voters will probably find that
the members of the last legislature who
truckled to grafters will whisper explana-
tons about their vote. But why not put
two lines in the newspaper and say, that
you did not vote for it. Why did not you
speak publicly for 1t? This matter shall be
understood by voters before the election.
The last article was mailed to the Advocate
at the same time it was mailed to the Spirit
and Register. The Advocate did not print