The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-10-13

.lUlVL WHO
nual saving to the State BY the Re.
publicans, based on the services REM
dered, Of $2S.70O.
The Democrats had for a law library
the Code and the Acts of West Yir-
ginia and Bouvlers Law Dictionary;
the Republicans now have well
equipped legal department with an up
to-date law library of over 1920 vol
umes, the property OF the State.
This is not all: The Democratic
attorneys general, with practically no
official duties to perform, as shown by
their reports. did not collect the debts
due the State from delinquent Off
GERS, but Democratic legislatures ap.
propriated large sums Of money to pay
Democratic agents and attorneys"
for these services. See Acts OF 1872.
pages 0 ard So: Acts of 1916, page
200; Acts of 1885, pages go and 65;
Acts of 1890. page 12T; Acts of 1891.
page 1855; Acts OF 1893, pages 1876 and
20S. The present Attorney General
has performed all of these services, in
connection with his other duties, and
through litigation has collected and
paid into the State Treasury during
the two fiscal years ending September
80, 1910, the following amounts:
Suit of State v. Acme Box
Co. ct al.................S 2,s01.0 90
Suit of State v. Amelia Col
Iierv IN at al II Ten 90
State " Aetna Construction
Co. ct al. .............. 4,701.49
State v. Williamson's Admr. 100000
s2o,s71.s7
In addition to the above there has
been collected by litigation represent
ed by this department in connection
with the Tax Commissioner, but paid
direct to the sheriffs, the following:
Three Bank Cases in Federal
Court ................... $ll, 02l.96
Bank V. Du1kle. mandamus. >
Sup. CT. of App, (approxi-
mately) ........,..,..... 100000
sl6,o21.s6
Grand total collected for the
two years ...............S3 6, $685.
A sum largely in excess of the
amount appropriated for the support
Of this department.
Under Democratic laws the Attor-
ney General received all fees of the
Office. Under Republican laws all
fees of the office are turned into the
State Treasury. Under Democratic
administrations the Attorney General
was not required to reside at the scat
of government but remained at home
and attended to his general law prac-
tice. Under the present administra-
tion he is required to reside at the
seat of government and his entire
time taken up with official duties per.
tanning to his office. New duties and
more labor have been added to this
department by recent legislation.
Such. for instance. as the law Of 1909
reorganizing this department, the
state board of health law as amended,
the pharmacy law as amended, the
mining laws as amended, the new
school law, etc.
During Governor MacCorkle's adj
ministration the Attorney general had
only once case in the Supreme Court
of the United States,-the Maryland
Boundary case referred to above, and
was assisted by special counsel. The
Attorney General under this admfnis5
tration. in two years of his term. has
llitigated and is litigatiag eight cases
in that court, and all of them without
assistance. except the Maryland
Boundary and the Virginia Debt cases.
In all of these eight cases, grave and
important constitutional questions are
involved, and the cases are OF great
Importance to the peoplI These
cases alone have required the closest
application and paintaking toll on the
part of the Attorney General.
unjustified Democratic. criticism has
been directed at the Attorney General
because Hon. George +. Price was al
lowed $4,000 at the last session of the
Legislature for his services in the
Maryland Boundary case. Senator
Price was employed by a Democratic
governor to assist Democratic At
torney General, and has been contin-
ued as special counsel in that case for
the eighteen years it has been pend
ing, and was paid $4,000 by the legis-
lature of 1S94-5, during Governor
MacCorkle's Democratic adminfstra.
tion. 1t was proper Senator Price
should be continued in the case until
its close and to be paid for his SER
vices, for such services have been eff
flcient; but 1t remained for the pres.
ent Attorney General to appear before
the United States Supreme Court to
move for an early hearing OF the case.
which was granted, and the case
pushed to speedy and successful
termination, thus cutting of further
appropriations for special counsel.
1t has been publicly stated by Dem
ocrats ignorant of the subject. that
Hon William NJ. O. Dawson is an as
sistant to the Attorney General. The
records disclose this to be untrue.
Governor Dawson was employed by
the Board of Public Works as special
counsel in the Virginia Debt suit
alone. He is no more an assistant in
the attorney generals office than the
law firm Of Mollohan, McClintic &
Matthews, of Charleston, Hon. Charles
2. Hogg, of Morgantown, and Hon.
John G. Spooner, of New York City, or
was Hon. John G. Carlisle. of Wash
tngton City. before his death. who