Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-06-03

ced for the tremendous increase in the
expenses of our government. No great
improvements in our state institutions
have been made and no important
work of pubic concern for the benefit
of our state carried on to justify such
an increase in taxation.
I'VE find, too, from the records of
he state, that many thousand dollars
OF the taxpayers money is being paid
cut to men who were members of the
last Legislature, and in other ways be-
ing distributed to a multitude of Of
flee holders, whose political Influence
is desired to strengthen and perpet-
uate this great political organization.
If you Will compare your tax tick
cts for the last few years, you will
for some conception of the immense
amount Of money that it takes to run
this political machine. In 1911 the
state tax in this state to one cent up
oil the hundred dollars valuation. The
present administration has increased
that tax until it was last year fourteen
cents upon the hundred dollars valua-
ton.
This great increase in taation KS
but one symptom of the serious trou-
bic that afflicts us. By taxing the
people the revenue has been provid-
ed to finance this great political or
ganization, at the expense of the peo-
pie.
"At the last session of the legisla-
ture, provisions were inserted in the
Primary Election Law, absolutely
wiping off the ballot in this state, all
of the smaller political parties, there
by DISTINGUISHING approximately thir-
ty thousand voters of the state I
say DISTINGUISHING these voters, be-
cause If you take away from a man
the right to vote his sentiments, you
have taken away from him his right
to vote that form of government
which he believes best suited for his
happiness and the welfare of the
state.
"The next step in thu program, in
order to make secure its power, was
to strike at the Democratic strong
holds throughout the state, by chang
ing the charters of the cities con-
trolled by the Democrats, and en-
deavoring in this way to break down,
as far as possible, all opposition to
its complete control of the state"
The Senator dwelt at considerable
length of the evils of the registra-
ton law, making possible repeating
and all other evils from which regis
tration law should protect us. He
said.
Registration Law Amended
Having built the machine; having
provided the revenue at the expense
of the taxpayers, for its operation;
having removed all opposition, except
the opposition of the Democratic
party, and having struck at the strong
holds of the party, as l have shown
you, they went further, and in order
10 overcome the opposition that might
be engineered by these vicious laws,
through the outrageous method of
fraud and repeating of illegal voters
at the polls, they amended the regis
tration laws, passed in 1911,so as to
permit of registering voters on cleo
ton day. This means that our regis
tration law, so far as it afforded any
protection to the citizens of the state,
has been completely eliminated. 1t
means that the taxpayers of the
state must this year pay conservativ.
ely estimated, one hundred thousand
dollars for registration law which
means absolutely nothing. There can
be only one purpose of the registra-
ton law, and that is to protect the
citizens against being imposed upon
and deprived of their rights through
illegal and fraudulent voting. The
registration law of 1911, although but
a poor excuse of law at best, provid-
ed that the registration should be
closed certain number of days before
the election, and that only those whe
were registered should vote This
placed great handicap upon this
corrupt political organization in vot-
ing and in repeating the thousands of
shifting and floating men of our great
coal fields and industrial centers.
So that the change was made, as a.
bove shown, and now we must go
forth this year to do battle against
this great political organization. with