Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-03-05
State legislature.

&
hours.
The Senate committee appointed to
investigate the charges made by lheo-
dore Alvord, legislative agent Ct the
Anti-saloon League, that $4,000 had
been used to defeat the submission OF
the prohibition amendment last year
and that million had, would or
could be raised to defeat the amend
ment again, submitted its repo 1T
The members OF the COM
imitt,ee were Senators England, Grimes
and Littlepage.
| While the report does not find that
any Senator at the special
session sold his vote, 1t does
state that money was raised aad used
to defeat the amendment. Whether
in counsel fees, literature and the like
or in the purchase Of votes it does not
state. 1t also finds that some of those
who passed as strong temperance work
ers we're playing the Jekyll and Hyde
act, not saying In the report that II
was Alvord to whom they referred,
but evidently meaning him.
! IL 10 further found that AIvord had
no certain knowledge as a basis for his
statements, but that his Information
was based on hearsay The committee
was not able to ascertain just how
much money had been raised by the
liquor people Foreign liquor people
also contributed to the anti-prohibi-
ton fund There is no evid ence to
show that any Senator of either the
present session or the session Of 1908
was influenced by the use of money.
The committee raps the liquor inter
ests when it says that If money was
act used to purchase votes, 1t was not
because Of any conscientious scrupIes
on the part Of some OF the liquor men.
II Is charged IN the report that
member of the Judic airy 20 mittee,
who was also member Of the Aivord
committee, was approached and offer
ed $4,000 10 kill the prohibition amend
ment In committee and 81, 900 for his
vote on the floor.
The committee does not mention
any names In the connection, but II
was known SO feral weeks ago that
Senator Grimes said such a PROPOSE
ton had been made to him, and. be 1t
said to his credit, he had promptly
spurned the offer.
The committee gently insinuated
that the House was not as virtuous as
the Senate and that the antiprohition-
lists had found that certain members Of
the House were open to. bribery--so
much so that two members Of the last
House, the committee was informed,
had openly made overtures for money
for their votes, but, says the report,
one Of these two had denied any
knowledge Of that.
George Byrne, the newspaper man,
is condemned by the committee for
his refusal 10 divulge certain informa-
! ton which would have been inyalu-
able To the investigators.
! Just before the senate took recess
Friday the Committee on Privileges
and Electors submitted its report.
finding Joe L. Smith, Democrat, elect
ed by eight votes. The Senate viii
likely sustain the committee. Both
houses spent almost the entire day
grinding away at appropriation bills.
The West Virginia supreme Court
handed down a decision late Fri
day in the Byrne habeas corpus
proceedings, holding that the Senate
was within its rights In sending Byrne
TO jail TO contempt Of the Senate
The most important measure. passed
by the legislature was the appropria-
tionbiIl. This record broke alliprevious
records. 1t carries abouts million dol
lars more than any other appropria-
ton bill ever passed by any legislature
in the state. The provisions made 10 r
tnetwo years sum up nearly four mill
lions. The bill carries 5000 per year
for the Kings Daughters hospitalof
this city and two other items which
the people are especially Interested in
are tue ramsey monument at Shep-
herdstown 5000 and for carrying cut
the provisions of the law relating to
the determination Of the San Jose
scals, $4,000 for each year or $4,000
F, for the tive years.
The principal items Of the bill are az
fellows:
Salaries of state officers *65 10000
judicial department 234 $4,000
General expenses and
teachers salaries ia nor
nal schools 145 10000
Marshall College $4,000. 80
Fairmont Normal 13,5O0.oO