The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-10-23
Silly ADDRESS

In their attempt to prove extrava-
gance on the part of the Republican
party. and that the new tax laws
were the products of that alleged ex-
travagance to make up for defcien-
cies. the Democratic. state committee
in its Address to the Voters of the
State promulgates the following
silly statement:
4'AlI our magnificent state insti-
buttons. excep the capital annex, the
Huntington asylum and a few other
buildings of minor Importance and
small cost, had been substantial. !
completed when the Democratic par
ty passed out of power. During the
long period of Democratic ascendency
the fiscal affairs of the state We're
administered so wisely and econom-
icalIy that 1t never became necessary
to resort to the subterfuge of estab-
fishing a new tax system"
Any school boy who has kept up
his knowledge of the history of his
native state for the last twelve years
of the, eminent progress it has made
under Republican rule can point out
the /gIaring fallacies of this Demo
cratic declaration. There was no
"subterfuge'' in the enactment of the
tax reform laws. They were meas
ures of decency and saving to the
Taxpayers of the state. The Demo-
cratic party during its long rule in
West Virginia did nothing for the
small property and home owner; in
fact the large part of the burden was
carried by him and the vast agricul-
tural Interests in this state.
. -. tsH11
our magnificent state institutions. eX-
cept the capital annex, the Hunting
ton asylum and a few other build
ings of minor importance and small
cost had been Substantially complet-
ed when the Democratic party passed
out of power makes the stupidity of
this phraseology apparent. Its in
tent is to deceive. in conveying the
Impression to the people that during
twelve years of Republican rule no
new. institutions were erected, and
that the party spent the income from
taxes in extravaganza. In REPUTATION
of this attempt at deception the fol-
lowing facts are spread for consump-
tion: This state is a larger COM
monwealth than ii was when the last
Democratic governor departed from
the chief executives Office In March.
1897, both in population and the
character of the demands made on
the philanthropic and charitable in
stitutions. The increased demands
upon the State have been met by the
progressive policy of the Republican
party. From the formation of the
state, until 1871, the Republican par
ty was in power. During that per-
iod the following public institutions
were established: The Deal, Dumb
and Blind Asylum, the Weston H.
sane Asylum, the State University,
three normal schools. Huntington.
West Liberty and FairmonD. and the
State penitentiary at Moundsville.
During the last eleven years of Re-
publican administra ton the following
additional public institutions were es-
tahlished: The Keyser Preparatory
School, three miners hospitals, CFair-
mont. McKendree and Welch). the
West Virginia Asylum at Huntington,
the Capital Annex at Charleston. the
Bluefield Colored Institute for which
$4,000 had, been previously appro-
priated, Girls Industrial Home at
Salem and the Colored Orphans
Home at Huntington. A State HUI
name Society has also been founded.
During the quarter of century OF
Democratic control. seven new in
stitutions were esta blished. namely,
the Boys Reform School, three Nor
NAL schools. CGIenville, Athens and
Shepherdstown). the Second Hos
pital for the Insane at Spencer. the
preparatory school at Montgomery,
and the West Virginia Colored Insti-
tute. The capital building at Char
lesion was also erected.
Eighteen years of Republican adj
ministration created more than twice
as many state institutions as twenty
five years of Democratic administra-
ton.
After this illuminating exposition
of the true state of affairs it seems
that the only thing left for the Dem
ocratic party to do in West Virginia
would be to turn turtle" and for
ever end its miserably misrepresent-
ing existence.