The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-10-22

dom of all men, but i will leave Il to
them to say whether they believe they
were lighting for people lower than
dogs" heard George Byrne say this
in speech at Wheeling last night.
repudiatcd It and said TO George
Byrne. II am ashamed OF your ut
terance.''
Our Democratic friends say II they
are returned to power in West Virgin
la that they will disfranchise the Ne
gro. That is not fair to the white
man nor to the black man. II they
attenpt to do that they win also dis
franchise thousands OF white men in
West Virginia.
Democrats Pooling.
/ l have typewriter copy of u
speech Louis Bennett made at VIII
hanson night or so ago. In it he
said the Democrats, II elected to Of,
flee, would not disfranchise any white
men in West Virginia, but would so
write laws that the Acknowledgement
would apply only to the Negro. Ny
friends, the constitution of our state
says that we shall make no such class
legislation as that, The Democrats
are fooling you On that proposition.
know of some old men in this
state who fought and bled back in
the sixties who would be disfranchis-
ed IL the Democrats carry their pro-
gram out.
1 The Democrats have tried disfran-
chisIng the Negroes in the Southern
states. They say, Shall the people
rule?" I say to them, 60 back in
to your southern states and practice
what you preach In five of the
southern states, Florida, Gcorgia,
Mississippi. Louisiana and South Car
DINA, there were cast at the last
election in each OF them, $4,000 votes
less than were cast in West Virginia.
But those five southern statesg have
thirty-scven votes in the national
House of Representatives and West
Virginia has only five. And yet they
have the nerve to say Shall the peo-
ple ruler" Mr.. Glasscock illustrated
the Unequal representation OF the
| southern states in the electoral coll
lege.
The Tax Laws.
Bennett said in his speech that the
farmers of his country--1 suppose he
meant his state--are paying more
taxes now than they did under the
old tax laws. I would like to go be-
fore the people on that one issue
alone. / say to you that 1 stand as
a candidate for your governor fairly
and squarely in advocacy of the Re
publican tav reform laws. because
believe them to be better than the
old system. Farmers pay more taxes
now that they did under the old laws?
Do you believe that? Mr.. Bennett
says that you are paying more than
100000 now for support of your
state government. do not see
Fhow Bennett can say that. In 1904,
before the tax reform laws went into
effect the people paid state taxes on
thir real and personal property in this
state to the amount of $685. 900. In
the year 1907 they paid, in taxes for
the same property, more than
100000 or about half million dol
lars less. The people of Harrison
county. or perhaps some up in Lewis
county. may be able to figure out
that the farmer is paying out more
taxes now than he did under the old
laws, but I tell you we can't figure 1t
out that way over in Monongahela.
II 1t becomes necessary to revise
the tax laws, say the revision should
be done by its friend and not its en-
emies, just the same as with the tar
in.
As to Extravaganza.
/ Bennett says we have been extrav-
agant. l think that he forgets that
the state has grown considerably
since the Democrats had 1t. We have
a much larger population now than In
1896.
When we turned the state over to
the Democrats the minimum school
term was four months When we
took the state back from them in
1896 We found the minimum school
term the same. But we said that the
minimum school term should be six
months instead Of four months and
we also paid our school teachers sixty
per cent. more for their work than
the Democrats, and l want to say If
there Is anything | do stand for and
with both feet II Is for the free school
system of West Virginia. We have
taken good care of our boys and girls
and we will continue to do So
Bennett says that nearly all of the
state institutions We're founded by the
Democrats. Where he got that, L
don't know. My friends, they estab-
lished only seven--seven out Of twen-
ty-tive. OF course we are spending
more money. We founded ten state in
stitutions since We came back into
power. Take right here In Harrison
county. ! suppose Bennett would
abolish that Industrial Home for
Girls at Salem that we founded. But
tell YOU we will not do 1t for the
poor girls of West Virginia ought to
be cared for and it is our solemn
duty to look out for them.
Particulars Wanted.
| When Bennett talks about extray-
agancc I wish he would furnish a
bin of particulars. That is the trou-
BILE with the Democrats. They make
sweeping statement but fall to show
where their argument applies. They
give US only one particular, and 1
l az