The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-30
COMMITTEE MEETINGS AT
THE PEN.


II the convicted bribe takers and
the one yet to be tried are all sent to
Moundsville to serve their time. II will
be an easy matter 10 call n committee
meeting any day as the five members
have Is assignments on standing com.
mlttees OF the House Of Delegates and
the Senate. Senator Smith leads the
list with nine committee assignments,
Rhodes comes second with six. Duff
five. Asbury five and Hill with three.
With five committeeman serving
time and with the possibility that
they will always be present there
should be little difficulty in securing
quorum on short notice.
S. U. G. Rhodes, arch conspirator OF
the bride takers, Is chairman OF the
committee on the penitentiary and
Smith and Hill are both members OF
this important committee.
II the warden wants an appropria-
ton at any time he could have "SUG"
call committee meeting and with the
recommendation OF Smith and Hill he
ought 10 keep things coming pretty
much his way as far as appropriations
are concerned. This is a convenience
that the warden has never before been
provided with. There is only one 9th.
er State that has been so favored and
10 nhtn ho ~
the Penitentiary committee is serv.
ing time for accepting bride while 4
member Of the Legislature. Reforms
have to start some place and It may
be that within the course OF a few
years the progressive States OF the
West where so many new movements
originate. will be copying after West
Virginia and Ohio and the policy OF
having some members of the various
standing committees OF the several
State legislatures in the penitentiary
may become general In all the States.
The advantage OF always knowing
where to find = committeeman when
his services are needed is apparent as
1t so often happens they can not be 10.
Gated when allowed the privileges of
the State houses and are permitted to
travel the unbridled paths and dubious
alleys of the capital city. when an i'm.
portant committee meeting 1t called.
The law-making bodies have always
been delayed by dilitory committees
which are slow In taking action upon
legislation referred to them.
As an Illustration OF how the plan
OF keeping members OF standing com
mittees in confinement would
work let a practical example be
taken and suppose a bill be in
troduced in the legislature provld
ing that convicts who have also
served time" in the legislature be Civ
en- three holidays week with full pay
and that they be permitted to make a
| visit back home to their constituents
once a month. the bill could be for
warded down to Moundsville to "SUG
and OF course with a certain amount
OF lobbying and by the use Of plenty
| of "Oats" "SUG" could be induced to
call In the other members OF the pen
/, itentiary committee and have the bill
reported back with the recommends
ton THAT 1t Do Pass" This is hal
the battle for new legislation. If {
bill gets backset in the committee
room It rarely ever comes out OF L!
stupor. and is left to molder in the 81
lent recesses OF a dusty pigeon holt
for the rest OF eternity unless vitalit.
and hot air are pumped into It from
the floor OF the assembly by som'
Demosthenes from the tall and I'm
cut" where the "whangdoodle" reign
eth and sends forth the walls OF ;
down.trodden constituency with sucl
volumn and force that the committe,
Is forced to reverse itself or have thu
bill crammed down its Legislative
throat. figuratively and parliamentar
lily speaking.
i Senator Smith Is also on the com
mittee on Privileges and Elections
and so is Asbury, and report from
this committee would no doubt real
something after this fashion: you
committee on Privileges and Elec
tons begs leave to report, 10 use tn,
vernacular Of our vulgar and uncul
tured constituency. that there Is moth
ing doing We have taken full ad
vantages Of all the privileges OF Get
ting. Rich.Quick' that the recent cleo
tion Of United States Senator afford
ed, a privilege which has been severe
ly condemned, we know. by the pub
lie, and the verdict acquiesced in b!
twelve OF the most contrary men Ii
Webster county. All OF which you
committee respectfully reports. Dom
at Moundsville, W. Va, in the count!
OF Marshall, State Of West Virginia
this the blank day OF blank. blankety
Z "a.