Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-03-25

NbAAtAt HNANAtA "a AK ANAAAhAt anu SUI
preme flldges. They and the en-
ployes of their Offices draw salaries
aggregating St6SSS5 per aunum Add
this to the amount paid out in the
appointive places and we have the
grand otai OF $7l3,905 Add to this
the S64,1O0 paid the employees of the
legislature, and we have salaries fol
the year reaching S773 sos, which is
St05.000 more than the total coar
o. the government when the ADM
istmtion was democratic And TN,
total number OF people now or til
payroll reaches over 1900.
Now this means that there are ,
500 people throughout the state draw
ing money from the state treasurs
most of them were chosen for Their
places because of their ability ar
the abb ~ OF their friends TO hlnd,a
votes at the times and places Vote
are needed. Think what tremendous
power that puts into the hands ol
the man vino appointments their ap,
pointmeut, without whose consent
most OF them would not be appoint
ed. or be allowed to hold on after
appointment. Yet we are told with
some degree Of yehmence that no po-
iitical machine has been built If one
active official booster for each op-
thousand OF population In the state
doesn't constitute political machine
how many does It take to make a
machines
| might go on at much greater
length. This is not all, or nearly all
the specific instances which am
able to point out. For fear OF firing
you, | shall not 20 further at this
time. But ] promise. IT, the foregoing
are not sufficient to satisfy those who
have demanded specifications ! shall
take great pleasure in pointing out
others
think I have pointed out places
IN which money has been spent IN
a pronigaie and eNtrayaRant manner.
and At the same time how a politt-
cal machine has been constructed.
now wish 60 call your attention. brief
ly TO the way in which the expendl
lures of the state government as d
whole have grown since the republic
cans came into power twenty years
ago.
The administration of the state
government under William A. Mac.
CorRle, fhe last democratic governor,
totalled, for the full four years So
69f280. George w. Atkinson sue
ceeded him. and.~the cost OF his al.
ministration $3,6s1 TO Then came
A. -. Whit and his administration
cost S5,223, 309 w M O. Dawson fol-
lowed, and his administration cost
the taxpayers Of the state $6501 100
William -. Glasseock came next with
expenditures reaching s6.913, S79
and now We have Henry - Hatfield.
for whose administration the legisla-
lures have appropriated $1l,726.367
BY comparison the administration OF
Governor Hatfield will cost four and
a quarter times that of Governor
MacCorkie; three and a fourth times
that Of Governor Atkinson; two and
quarter times that Of Governor
White; almost twice that Of Cover
nor Dawson. and one and two.hrds
times that Of Governor Glasscoek.
These fgrres are taken from the rec.
ord. They are official There can be
no doubt Of their correctness.
In my further statement to the
public | said that the public revenues
were being largely devoted TO the
upbuilding of powerful and danger
ous political machine, and that the
tax laws passed by the Legislature al
1915 were designed 10 raise more than
q million dollars year IN excess OF
the legitimate requirements Of the
state government. | was challenged
to furnish specifications ana proof Of
the statement ! leave It to you to
say whether | have done so-wheth-
en- ! have proved my case.
The true proyine of government
consists in holding The balances of
Justice properly between man ana
man, so that each may follow in
peace and safety the path which. un-
der the unseen guidance OF an over
ruling providence he is best fitted
to pursue. II Is not the part Of gov
crnment To make men rich or poor,
bu simply to SO adjust their relations
each with the other that every one
shall have the fullest measure OF his
natural rights that may be exercised
without cncroachlng upon the rights
Of his fellows. For a government 10
Cypress the people living under 1t by
means Of taxes uniustly laid or un.
fairly gathered, is for it to desert the
functions given it to perform and join
those forces it was meant to curb.
Whii0 a member of the senate
became aware Of many OF these mat
ters to which | have called your at
tention, and determined then to oD.
pose with all my might the perpe-
tration OF such Outrages upon the peo-
ple-the wasteful expenditure OF the
revenues then already provided and
the passage Of new measures TO af
ford more revenues for such illegit-
imate uses.
IN common with the other demo
cratic members OF the senate, and
with certain high-minded and patriot
ic republican members OF that body.
made that fight in the senate. We
we're finally beaten by the agencies