Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-08-31

charleston. w. Va. August 31.--
light with respect to the proposed
amendement to Article OF the
stat constitution. That article pro-
ides that only persons entitled to
vote in this state may be elected
or appointed TO office in it, The
amendment prosposed strikes out
the word appointed, leaving the ar
ticle to refer only TO those persons
who are elected TO office. III this
amendment is agreed TO the gov
ernor may appoint 10 any office TO
be filled by appointment. anybody
whom he may desire to appoint. re-
gardless of age, sex or place of res
idence. IL is hardly probable that
the amendment was offered in the
interest. OF citizens of Ohio, but
from the number OF men who have
broken into office after short res
idence In West irginia ii would
seem that il might have been so
proposed. At any rate. II it Is
agreed to by the people, IL will not
be necessary thereafter for Ohio
people to move into West irginia
and take chances of getting into of
flee; they can wait until they have
been appointed ind then move, or
stay in Ohio, just as they prefer.
State Expense Grows
Here is the way in which the ex-
penses of the state government have
been mounting up. MacCorkle's adj
ministration OF four years cost the
people $2,694,2S0; Atkinson's cost
$3,6S7,711; Whites cost $5,223,3O9
Dawson's is costing-the appropria-
tions having already been made
$5,900,000. Steadily they go up
and ever up. not by small degrees.
but by leaps and bounds. The
states population has not doubled
in thirty years, but the expenses of
its administration has more than
doubled in twelve years. 1t is not
all incompetency OF administration
that has brought this about. Some
of 1t comes from downright dishon-
esty that wilfully takes money from
the state treasury and devotes ii to
privae uses. In other words, steal
ing
Why should the voters of West
Virginia keep in office a gang OF
grafters and taxeaters who make
their government cost SO much
more each year, and yet who add
nothing to the wealth. the happi-
ness or the prosperity OF the peo-
pie? The way to stop all this ex-
travagance. this corrupt use of the
money of the taxpayers. is to sweep
out the gang that is responsible for
1t, and put in their places a clean
honest. upright Democratic admin
istration.
The Republican Row
The antics of the Swisher Repub-
licans are highly amusing to the
disinterested onlookers. The crowd
having regularity" as it's shibbo-
leth, DULLES and bullyrags the weak
kneed in the faith and tells the con-
didates of the party what they must
and what they must not do. The
Scherr folks, declaring themselves
to be acting from purely patriotic
motives in the interest of fair play,
square deal and majority rule in
the Republican party, do all they
can to strengthen not only their
own ticket but the national ticket
as well. They have invited all the
nominees for congress, for supreme
judges and for electors to allow
their names to be placed on the
Scherr ticket. the idea being to get
all the otes possible for every re-
publican nominee but Swisher the
machine candidate. It looks to an
ordinary observer like the Swisher
people arc acting the part OF the
dog in the manger-if Swisher cant
be elected they don't want to see
any Republican elected.
Tnere Is still much talk about
getting both Swisher and Scherr TO
come down. so that third man
can be placed on the ticket. healing
the factional sores and bringing sue
cess to the party. but at present
the chances OF success along that
line seem more remote than before
Swlsher will not come off on any
account, and Scherr will not come
down unless Swisher does. and
there you are. The men talked OF
to take tho place in case these gen
tlemen should quit are Natha Gon.
James L. Caldwell and James Fl.
Huling. It is not believed that Cor
would quitthe federal bench for any
such purpose. Hullng would not
be acceptable to either side as
candidate. and II nominated would
not add any strength to the ticket
Caldwell seems the most likely man
and would probably be most ac-
ceptable TO the general run Of the
party. But there are two things
standing in the way Of any such
compromise. They are Charles w.
Swisher and Arthur G. Scherr. And
they arc immovab1a