Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-07-02
national legislation.

ident, the vice.presidenL the Speak
er and the men who decide the des-
tines of the Republican party through
their influence on legislation and
what have they done FOR West yir-
ginia?
They have been powerful members
Iof Congress whose accomplishments
are now iweIlknown and which the
Republican papers are calling the
most remarkable in the way of bene-
icial legislation we have ever had.
But, aside from obtaining a few small
pensions for Civil War veterans,
some appropriations FOR public build
ings and the appropriations for the
Ohio River, which in the regular or
der of improving that stream from
the head downward had to come at
this time, what legislation have they
been in whole or in part responsible
for which will prove of benefit to
their constituents?
Has any act OF Congress or of any
| West Virginia member of Congress re-
suited in the raising OF q single sal
airy in the state2 Has any act OF
theirs given the slightest downward
tendency 10 the prices of the neces-
stiles OF life? Has the general con-
| dition OF the people been improved
In any way by any act of Congress
or it's West Virginia members?
Party pledges are said to have
been fulfilled by the present Congress
Probably no party pledge had as
much to do with the election OF Presi.
dent Taft and his Republican Congress
than the pledge to reduce the cost OF
| living by a reduction of the tariff. The
nearest the present Congress has
come to doing this was to declare,
through the committee appointed In
conformity with Senator Elkins' res
o~lution, to investigate the caus OF
the increased cost OF living, that the
tariff has nothing 10 do with the IN
creased cost of living, thus trying to
excuse its failure to reduce the tariff
duties against which the people pro
tested in the last campaign until they
have deceived into believing the Re-
publican platform promises would be
carried out.
Is there a man in West Virginia
who feels that his wages have beer
raised or his cost OF living reduced
by the Payne.Aldrich tariff act?
Take the railroad rate bill, the
GROWING feature of the adminlstra
tons program. and what part did the
West Virginians play in Its enactment
Almost every beneficial clause OF the
new law was pr~lnto the bill by the
Insurgents and Democrats combined
over the opposition and the vote o.
every West virginian In Congress
And whether the measure Ia to prove
of any benefit at all will depend large
ly upon whether It will stand the tesi
of constitutionality, of which some
Unconstitutional lawyers have expressed
~igrave doubts. --~@sAn<W ~ sK1v
The postal savings bank bill author
izes-and to authorize in this sense
means to direct-the removal OF thir
ty per cent OF the deposits of the PEG
pie in these repositories TO Wal
street, while in emergencies the
: government may withdraw all the de
posits. Daring the panic Of 1907
West Virginia scarcely felt the scare
ity Of money. But suppose the gov
eminent should in time of some sub
sequent panic remove all the depos
It's in the postal savings banks Of the
state to assist Wall street. would not
BANKRUPTCY stare in the face many q
man who never felt the hard times
Of 1907? ~-As AtxtT
The West Virginia delegation went
on record as favoring the postal saw
ings bank bin, TO authorize the re
moval OF the peoples earnings from
the state, for the benefit OF the big
bankers OF the country, who are to be
given the use of it at a rate OF two
and a fourth per cent.
West Virginia Is not benefited by
the authorization Of a $4,000, 900
bond issue for the reclamation OF far
western lands, the construction OF
two battleships at a cost OF many
million dollars. and the admission OF
Arizona and New Mexico to the Tn
ion.
The creation OF a bureau of mines
and mining under the department Of
the interior should be productive OF
much good to the people of the min
ing sections of the state. And the
West Virginia members supported
the bill creating this bureau.
Any member Of Congress with a
frank can scatter seeds and literature
through his district. The government
allows each member a clerk . that
any member can write letters to his
constituents. But that Ia not all a
Representative or a Senator is for.
II Is suggested that the voters OF
West Virginia go over the records
Of their Representatives in both the
houses of congress and consider care
fully of how much value their serv-