Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-08-12

Believing that protection against
excessive taxation can be had only
through strict economy in public ex-
penditures. and economy, however,
that does not impair the efficiency
of our state institutions; and further
believing that the same business eff
cheney effective in the management of
the best regulated private corpora
tionS should prevail in our public in
stitutions and in our state govern
ment, we endorse the plan proposed
by our candidate for governor in the
pre-primary campaign of creating a
bipartisan commission of high-class
business men, with sufficient patriot
ism and public spirit to serve the
state without pay, who will make a
careful study of The states financial
condition and of the needs of the var.
ious state institutions, with the pur-
pose of aseertaining where waste may
be eliminated and better business
methods applied, and especially with
the purpose of abolishing all useless
Offices and saving to the people the
salaries Of such places, end of saving
tle cost Of extravagant salaries where
the same are paid. We pledge the
Democratic candidate for governor, if
elected, to the creation of such a
commission and likewise pledge HIM
and his associates On the state ticket
to tie carrying out, in good faith, Of
the program of such commission.
I'VE also believe that the best
method of insuring economical and in
telligent handling of the fiscal affairs
of the state is by a budget, carefully
prepared by the heads of the differ
ent departments of the state, in con-
sultation with an efficiency commits
make changes in the appropriation
recommended, limited to reduction
of estimated amounts, and we favor
such an improvement in our state
government.
Bipartisan Commissions.
1--WE believing that the spoils sys-
tenn by which boards and commissions
are appointed entirely from one par
ty, and thus made potential cogs in a
political machine, has reached a point
in this state where it is a grave men
ace to the liberties of citizens and
the security Of property Especially
Is this trua OF the Public Service
Commission welding autocratic power
over three hundred and twenty mil
lion dollars invested in public utili-
ties in this state, all the members of
which belong to one party, and are
removable by the Governor at his
pleasure, without appeal.
"Such things are incompatible with
free government, and are detrimental
to the welfare of the state by dis
couraging the investment of capital
IN enterprise that may become tie
helpless prey of political grafters and
dictators.
THE Democratic party declares its
purpose to make the Public Service
Commission and all other appointive
bodies bipartisan in their member
ship, and now pledges its candidate
for governor, in event OF his election,
20 make the same bipartisan, whether
the law now requires it or not, and
to select for such appointments only
men Of known integrity and special
fitness, who will lift and hold the
service far above partisan politics.
"The power should be taken from
the Governor to remove at will Pub
lie Service Commissioners and other
appointees who have been confirmed
by the Senate Such officials should
be independent Of executive infu-
ence, and secure in their positions,
except By process u impeachment for
cause, as in the case of judges.
Roads and Agriculture.
National aid for good roads has
lust been voted by Democratic Con
gress, and in the necessary readiust-
ment of our road laws to give our
state the beneht-Uf this government
road money. we pledge ourselves to
take the construction OF these roads,
that mean SO mu2a in the moral and
material welfare of West Virginia
out OF partisan control, so that it
shall never become new cog in any
political machine, or prize for poll
ticians to fight for and we favor a