all depending upon them, will naturally fix themselves in the mind of the learner, and the study of our history and government will become easy, pleasant, and profitable. No questions, answers, reviews, summaries, or directions for the teacher will be found herein. The authors have not so poor an opinion of the teacher in the West Virginia schools as to suppose that he can not supply these according to the needs of his school. It is the pleasure of the authors to acknowledge the patient kindness extended to them by some of their friends in reading and criticising some portions of the manuscript. This service was performed by His Excellency Governor George W. Atkinson, former Governor A. B. Fleming, Honorable James C. McGrew, Frank Cox, Esq., Judge Okey Johnson, Professor St. George T. Brooke, Professor Charles H. Patterson, and Mr. John T. Harris, Clerk of the State Senate. In the preparation of this work a division of the labor was inevitable. Mr Maxwell wrote Chapters I-X, XII, XXII, and XXIII. Mr. Fast wrote Chapters XI, XIII-XXI, and XXIV-XLIII. But the two collaborators contibuted material for the whole and constantly aided, consulted, and checked the work of each other. Owing to the unclassified, unedited, and chaotic condition in which the sources for writing the history of the State and its institutions are found, it is more than the authors dare hope for, if error has not crept in somewhere. But when found they promise to take it out, not let it stand. They will regard it as an act of kindness in any reader, who may discover an error in any statement of fact, if he will point it out with the sources of his information, in order that the correction may be made in any future edition. Morgantown, 1901 THE AUTHORS. XXXV. The State: The Legislative Department.. 351 XXXVI. The State: The Executive Department |