The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-08
MOSS INTRODUCES
BILL TO PAY DEBT
And the Same is Referred to
Judiciary Committee to Be
Threshed Out There.

WASHINGTON, Dec. s-Represent-
alive Hunter H. Moss made signif-
cant the first day OF his second term
by Introducing bill which. II It
should pass, will relieve the state OF
West Virginia from the payment OF
the judgment entered against It by
the United States supreme court in
the so-called debt case-Virginia VS..
West Virginia.
The bill Is OF dozen typewriter
lines and provides an Appropriation OF
s13,500.000. "or SO much thereof IA
may be necessary for the purpose of
paying a certain Judgment" rendered
by the supreme court June IA. 1915.
for the sum Of $12,393,929.50 to-
gether with interest at the rate Of Ave
per cent from July. 1915.
The bill was referred to the
House judiciary committee, and It Is
before that committee that the case
will be threshed out thoroughly. and
the full meaning of the brief bill Of
fered will be brought out.
In explanation Of his bill. Judge
Moss at the request of the Telegram
dictated the following statement:
THE bill for the payment by the
United States Of the Judgment rem
dered by the court in favor Of tho
Commonwealth Of Virginia against
the state Of West Virginia introduced
by me today, Is fulfillment OF a pledge
made before my reelection to Con-
gross. The features Of the bill are:
"First-That 1t is introduced after
fixed definite sum has been named
by the court as constituting the
debt.
"second-It Is bill for the appro.
priation Of the actual money neces-
sary to pay the debt rather than a
mere resolution expressing the sentf-
ment Of Congress. ,ft
"Third-It is introduced on the
very first day possible after the
judgment was rendered. 81
"Fourth-Whatever may be the
opinion Of the people OF the state as
to the justice Of that judgment. or
whether there Is any process by which
1t can be enforced. there can be no
question among thinking people that
Us patriotic citizens we recognize the
Judgment Of the highest court OF. the
land. and that We will make an effort
to have that judgment satisfied In
some way. This amount, may be
greatly reduced by compromise. but
whatever the outcome Of this effort
to compromise may be, this bill will
be appropriate as 1t calls for the
payment Of only such money as will
satisfy the judgment Of the court.
"Fifth-The United States govern
ment. for whose benefit this penalty
has been inflicted upon West Virginia
for remaining loyal during the time
OF civil strife, should relieve GU.
state Of that penalty.
Ny argument on this proposition
will be somewhat different from that
Of others who have favored this meth
cd Of payment. will defer any
further comment until that argument
Is made by me before the judiciary
committee Of the House, to which the
bill has been referred"
When the Sixty-fourth Congress
convened Monday, there wasn't
an absentee in the West Virginia
delegation. and in the House, In the
avalanche Of bills that descended up
on that branch, no one Of the six rep
resentatives from the state need be
ashamed OF the numerical weakness
OF the budget Of bills he slid into the
hopper, no matter about the doubtful
merit Of some OF them. There
wer over two hundred bills
introduced by the delegation,
practically all of them private
pension claims. Cooper. of the Fifth
district. being a stranger to the con-
gressional game. was modest, very,
on his first day, being content to drop
In only one bill. and see what course
1t took. Having witnessed the modus
operandi. he has taken courage and
will dump into the hopper an arm
load Of bills which he has prepared.
Representative Sutherland dropped
in thirty odd bills. Littlepage half
dozen, the most important being the
re-introduction Of the Chiffon bill to
allow the state West Virginia to sue
the United States for an accounting
OF moneys held as trustee for the
thirteen original states. Nicely offer
ed over twenty-five bills: Moss six.
one to appropriate money Ia pay the
debt judgment; and Brown, not hay
Ing all his bills up, will have them
ready to plump into the basket soon.
He has over 100 to introduce.
Edward Cooper. of Bramwell, and
Adam B. Littlepage, of Charleston,
are the new members Of the delega-
tion. The former Is the only one
who has never had congressional ex-
perience. Littlepage having come
back after a two years. vacation.
Mr.. Cooper was taken in tow by his
colleagues and introduced right and
left. He made good impression and
was well received. No more interest
ed looked on from the gallery when
he was sworn in than Mrs. Cooper,
who was the center OF a party Of per-
sonal friends. Mrs. Moss and Mrs.
Brown were the only other wives of
West Virginia members present on
the opening day.
In the Senate. both West Virginia
senator's were In their seats when the
gayel fell. Senator Goff arrived Mon
day and was warmly greeted by