Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-08-28
Our ch.rl<.,on Let.er.

VIII provide for the nomination Of all
candidates for office at elections held
under the protection Of such law. And
thereby hangs . very consideranletaIe.
The republicansihad been for several
years promising TO enact such law,
and when the legislature met in the
winter Of 1907 Delegate Cooper, Of
Wood county took from his pocket a
carefully prepared bill, embodying the
proyisionsinecessary TO carry out the
promise. AT fiTstl ii looked as If the
bill would pass with very little oppo-
sition; but the opposition grew strong
er as time went on, aud it was FINELY
defeated. c The opponents of that bill
made stheirllfight against 1t on the
ground that it.would turn the couH
ties cfsthe black belt over to negro
domination. Evans, of.Mingo, Stroth-
er, Of Mcdowell, 1.-THE delegates from
Mercer and Raleigh andn Fayette and
some of those from Kanawha declared
that the enactment of such law
would ienable the negroes in those
counties to nom mate members of their
own race for the various offices and
from the. date ofiits passage none of
the present members would ever again
be seen III the legislature. In other
wo rds, they could.cheat tho negro in
convention and in spite of the negro
voters had the majoritylin the repub.
llcan party In most of these counties,
could aame. white candidates for the
ofiiees. But with a primary, where a
negro vote would. count as much as
white cote this could. not be done, and
the, negroes would nominate the can
didates as well as elect the officers
Now this means that, while these gem
tlemen. were willing to have tho ne
gro vste in the general election, and
help to elect officers against the will
OF the majority of the swhite people Of
theistate, they were unwilling to have
voice in the choosing OF candidates In
hissown party, These same people are
opposed to disfranchising Che negro
at the election, but they keep him dis
franchised In their party councils.
The democrats believe man who is
not to have share IN naming his party
ticket Is not fit to have share in elect
ing that ticket. =. For that reason they
believe the ballot should be taken
away from the negro. THE republicans
also believe the same thing but haven {
the honesty to say SO.
The democratic platform strikes out
from the shoulder on the question OF
an employers liability law. The labor
or ganizatlon have been trying very
hard for several years to secure the
passage of such law--one that would
be just and equitable to both employer
and employe, sbut have not been sble
to get the republican legislatures 10 do
anything along that line. For several
sessions committees and attorneys
have been kept here at considerable
expense to the labor organizations but
always with the same result nothing
doing.
One winter Frank Nesbit OF w heeling
now circuit judge, was in Charleston
during the entire legislative session,
striving to get something done to re-
lieve the present condition, but with
out avail. The bill was either never re-
ported from the senate committee, or
else was held 30 long that when 1t was
reported there was not time enough
left in which to get consideration for 1t
Ifthe Iaboring msn who were here
working for the passage Of that meas
ute and those whs were working al
b ONE to furnish money to carry on the
work~he re, had known how to yet at
the thing properly they might have
turned the trick. The big board bills Of
the. men who checked off these bills
werel paid BY railroad and other cor.
p oratioas interested in keeping things
. they were and are One hotel bill,
amounting to about $500 was paid at
the end Of one session for prominent
member of the senats committee that
strangled the employers liability bill
at that particular session. Rotten?
Why, theaVest Virginia legislatures
Of the past several years sme1. to
heaven and beyond-if there is any
further county,
4 The tax commissioners office is rap
idly growing into what the democrats
have all the time said il would become
the chief part Of the state machine.
There il SO much elasticity about that
oifice that there Is always room for
one more" CRATER, no mattsr how
crowded II may seem before he gets IN
4 sam Montgomery is the latest ac.
QUESTION to the collection Of political
freaks housed under its roof. Sam, you
will remember, was one Of the most