Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-04-09
THE LEGISLATURE MOST IMPORTANT.

EDITOR REGIsTER-The member TAX
ing money for votes is not half so harm
full as the oily-tongusd, crafty 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 Legs
lature men who are thinking OF self-ad-
vancement, and are not thinking OF
what is best for the people. Such mon
avoid antagonizing grafters. When
man walks backwards, his foot-tracks
look like he was walking forward. 1t
is easy for a politician to make record
in the Legislature exactly contrary to
what he has done. Grafters always
want such men reelected. The man
most valuable in Legislature is one
who is not thinking about his own ad
vancement, but studies public ques-
ton To and out what is best for the PEG,
nile. and. after making up his mind, VIII
he aggressive for his opinion swlthout
consulting grafters. The tracks OF sucn
a man always show which way he is go
inr When such man is in the Legls-
lature. grafters do not try schemes.
No observing man can fail to see that
this trick of nominating for the Legjs-
lature, in April, instead OF Septem Der
is a device to prevent the nomination
of such man asIthel grand jury class
would select TO originate laws. All
such men as Rider, Morgan, Miley,
Strider, Heflebower and Roberts were
in favor of postponing nomination for
the Legislature, but the schemers want
ed to rush it before the thinking men
of the county had considered its i'm
portance. When a scheme is on foot
Offering millions Of profit, graftsrs make
plans far ahead. They first arrange to
elect few able lawyers who will study
the subject, and argue so plausloly az
to mislead ignorant members. Having
ensured the nomination Of their law
yers, the grafters next plot and scheme
to nominate honest men VINO are unac'
customed to profound study, or else are
too busy TO make original investigation.
These grafters have information about
all the honest brains in the State, and
they have all such men as Gibson and
Green blacklisted. scheme invarla-
bly goes through unless some such man
is in the Legislature, and never goes
through il there is. Few persons know
how taxes have increased. Indirect
taxation takes money from mao with
out his seeing it leaving him, but even a
fool can comprehend that he pays the
drug store tax when he buys physlc.
State and national indirect taxes amount
to more than $25 for each voter. In
other words, the man, without any prop
erty, working for one dollar day,
works more than twenty-five days a
year to pay his taxes. A Leglslature OF
honest brains would reduce State taxes
more than one-third. Nine voters In
ten lack sense TO appreciate how valua-
BILE 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 think
ing men of Jefferson to take such &C
tion as will induce either Gibson or
Green to consent to render this most
important public service. A paper ad-
dressed 10 both, and insisting that oOe
of them announces himself as for the
House Of Delegates, should be immedi-
ately circulated in every precinct. We
have no word of disparagement for Mr..
Kearfott. His tracks will always point
the way he is going, but he viii. say
himself that Green or Gibson would be
ten times more useful to taxpayers. We
are urging this matter because graftsrs
are shutting out such men In all the
other Democratic counties.
Senator Campbell proposed. to ap-
point a non-partiZan commission OF the
best men in this State to manage the
debt matter. Such commission would
not have cost anything, and would GER
tainly have limited our debt to the
amount Virginia spent in West Virginia
for roads, &C. But grafters had a
scheme to take $50, 900 out Of the treas
ury, and Kidd and Littlepage Joined
the Republican grafters to defeat, Camp
bells resolution. II taxpayers knew the
facts about this matter, no man who
did not vote for Campbell's resolution
could be renominated in any county.
Taxpayers should insist that candidates
Tor reelection publish how they voted.
Here is the question: Did you vote for
Campbell's non-partisan commission
resolution I Voters will probably find
that the members of the last Legisla-
ture who truckled to grafters will whis-
per explanations about their vote.
But why not put two lines in the news
paper and say that you did not vote for
it Why did not you speak publicly
for il! This matter shall be understood
by voters before the election.
The last article was mailed TO the Ad-
vocate at the same time it was mailed
to the Spirit and REGISTER. The AID
vocate did not print 1t.