The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-03-05
HOUSE MAJORITY
NOT N SYMPATHY
With GOVERNOR
Killed Budget Resolution
Which Cornwen Wanted
Badly.
WAS RANK PARTISA 4
Some History of What Went
on During the Regular
Session.

Especial Dispatch to West Nlrginlan)
CHARLESTON, W. Va, Marcel S.
The so-called bipartisan govern
ment of the State of West Virginia
by caucus rule of the majority of the
members of the House has resulted
in a parttsanship of an unusual kind.
The failure of the Democratic party
to serve the welfare of the state has
not been more apparent in any meas
ure than in the budget resolution
prepared by Governor-elect Cornwell
and offered by Delegate Wier, now
his private secretary, as non-parti-
san measure. That resolution, being
Number /, was offered early in the
session and found friends on both the
majority and minority sides of the
House.
On February it passed its first
reading without dissenting vote, and
on later day passed its second read
ing without objection. After that,
the Democrats of the House proposed
their three partisan measures relat-
ing to registration. primaries and
elections, and asked the minority to
consent to the advancement of the
Hills so that they could be passed by
the House and sent to the Senate
within the time limited by its rule,
The Democrats stating that the object
If these three measures was to fulfil
party promises.
On February Is, Delegate John
son, the majority floor leader,
brought up the partisan measures out
of their regular order and in viola
ton of the agreement made on the
floor between the majority and mi
nority leaders and the speaker, and
declared that no other legislation
would be permitted unless the three
bills and the resolution were passed
Us Democratic party pledges. Al the
same time, in the absence of Mr..
Weir, sponsor for the budget resoiu-
ton, the majority party also brought
up the budget resolution, and while
1t was under consideration Mr.. Weir
appeared and protested. The major
ity having compelled party action.
the minority members of the House
met in the only caucus held by them
during the regular or special sessions.
Concerning the treatment of the par
t'san stills ard the irterjection of the
resolution by the majority members,
and the making of a party measure
out of 1t, Mr.. Weir, in his report for
the press. says:
zone Of the delegates (Weir of
Randolph) voted no, though favora-
BILE to the bills, his vote being a pro-
test against taking the bills up out
OF their regular order ahead of the
budget resolution, which could not
be taken up out of order because of
isn agreement made by him with the
minority"
When the vote was being taken on
the election laws with which Dele
gate johnson threatened the death of
all legislation, Mr.. Weir said upon
the record: !"Mr. Speaker: While l
am il favor of this measure (Pri-
mary election law, yet, as protest
against taking the bill up out of its
regular order and giving it prece-
dence over the budget resolution, of
which l am the patron, must vote
no."
AS 4 result the bipartisan govern
ment OF the majority in caucus as
sembled," as they are accustomed to
say, the budget resolution and other
measures offered by both Republi-
cans and Democrats have been turn
ed into strictly partisan movements.
AS result the budget resolution was
lost by vote Of 4S to "a.
On latet day, Mr.. Weir appealed
to the minority members of the
House. saying that his resolution had
teen brought up without his consent
and in connection with three partisan
measures and made party foot
ball." and he asked that the minority
extend him the courtesy of recon-
sideration. Delegate John. Republi.
can floor leader. moved the reconsid-
Grafton of the vote, which carried;
but the resolution was lost on the