Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-22
STRIKING SIMILARITY.

~ olmlLAhI
The Parkersburg Sentinel calls at
tention to the fact that the conditions
which brought about political revolu
ton i'll Maine, are strikingly similar
to those which exist here in West Vir.
ginia. The editorial is copied here
for it will repay reading. The partic
ular attention of thoughtful readers
is called to the comment OF the Sen.
tinel upon the fact that the State
officials are making a boast OF the in
creased amount of taxes they are col.
lecting. Just how well this boast will
appeal to the voters of the States re-
mains to be seen. The Sentineps
editorial follows:
Conditions in Maine have been sim
liar to those prevailing in West Vir.
gina as respects reckless extrava-
gance and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in state
government In fact, extravaganza in
the expenditure of public money. now
adays, seems to be the foundation
stones of republicanism. The New
York World aptly says:
Republican managers have been
careful to explain that the campaign
in Maine was made on state issues
in sense this is true But one of
the principal issues was republican ex
travagance, an issue that is nation
wide. The republican party is turned
out OF power in Maine largely because
1t wasted the public revenue, because
ii has misspent the money of the peo-
pie. What can the republicans of New
York say on such an issue, with the
state government now costing $40.
100000 a year? What can the repub
lican party in the country at large
say on that issue, with this years
appropriations by congress aggregat-
ing $1,09S, 947,1S4? With the national
government costing $3,567;6S5.66 for
every working day in the year,"
Every word OF the above applies
with equal force to republican rule in
West Virginia. 1t was only few days
ago that the auditor of this state in
a public speech made the curious
boast that the administration of West
Virginia in The last fiscal year had
raised s2,3OOOOO by taxation for state
purposes alone. This sum is within
few dollars Of being four times as
much as the last democratic admins
tratiOn managed to spend I'm four
years. The year Mr. Darst is so proud
of 1871 was taken every working
day from the taxpayers to keep the
state going Under the last demo.
cratic administration It cost less than
$4,000 a day to keep the state going.
These figures are more eloquent than
words.
There is another similarity between
Maine and Wcsc Virginia. Maine had
for years been dominated by cor.
rupt state machine which did what fl.
pleased and for whom it pleased. An
ofIiceholding oligarchy held the pub.
lie service as a private possession.
and none but the anointed could hope
for preferment Does not the descrip.
tion TT West Virginia?
Then Maine had Senator Hale. I'm
the state ne was the ruler Of the ma.
chine. In congre he busted himself
getting high tariff duties Cor pulp
paper and timber in which no is in
tcrested. West Virginia has her FL
kns and Scott Their relationship 10
state policies and 10 the tariff is the
same as Halc's except that instead Of
pulp and paper they have as their
personal possessions. coal steel and
glass to protect.
But Hale had sense enough ~ seek
the cyclone cellar.