Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-01-15
HON. J. N. CAMD En .

That Gen,leman-He Has No oheia
Connection With the Standard Oil CO.
History of the Camden Oil Co. Review
ed-What Mr.. Camden Has Done FOL
West Virginia
The Richie Democrat.
There seems to be an extraordlnaTy
effort making by the enemies OF MT
Camden TO injure his chances oil eiectlon
10 the United States Senate. We have
seldom seen a man OF his recognized
worth. hiyh character and generous im'
pulses more persistently pursued.
We understand that marked copies oi
certain newspapers containing attacks
upon him are systematically maiieu 10
the members OF the Legislature, with
the hope of poisoning their minds
against him. This insiduous system oil
attack is an insult to the intelligence
OF the members OF the legislature ana
and We are much mistaken II II does
not do Mr.. Camden more good than It
does him harm. Our people love truth
and fairness. And when they see II
published that he is Vice President oi
the Standard Oil Company, with saia'
nv of $4,000 year, which is to be
doubled il he is elected to the Senate,
is going step too far to impose on the
most credulous, and those who inspire
or write such stuff mistake the mater
ial of the West Virginia Legislature,
when they suppose it TO be susceptible
TO influences 80 thin.
II is well known that Mr.. Camden is
not an officer OF the Standard Oil Com
panv. He has repeatedly stated that he
has no official connection with that com
panv, and receives no salary from 1t.
lie has also stated that he never had
anv interest whatever in the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad.
As President OF the Camden Consoli'
dated Oil Company he has been OF great
benefit to the oil interest OF West Vlr-
ginis. Before that company was organ
lied, the business was in a most demor-
allied condition; nearly everyone con-
nected with it was financially embar-
rassed. and large number were in a
state oi bankruptcy, Failure after fall
ure had taken place, entaillng enormous
losses to the producers and the business
community, until the name OF being
connected with oil was fatal to ones
credit. 1t will be recollected by all that
as the failures increased how often the
business community was startled by the
report that the firm of J. n. Camden
< Co. was on the eve OF fall
ure and bankruptcy, and that
the First National Bank, of Parkers.
burg, of which he was President, would
yo down with him. These were almost
the daily reports that came out on the
railroad, and numerous customers re-
moved their accounts from the bank be-
lieying Mr.. Camden's firm would follow
in the wake and take the bank with 1t.
Under these trying circumstances Mr..
Camden showed the highest order oil
ability by forming the Camden Consoll-
dated Oil Company, uniting most, IL not
all, the refineries at Parkersburg, and
avoiding the competition that had
proved so disastrous. He then inaugu-
rated the system of paying cash to the
producer for crude oil, instead OF the
credit system which had caused so
many serious losses. And again, when
the transportation charges became ur-
reasonably high for bringing the oils
from wells to Parkersburg by railroad,
he took the lead in aiding to build aplpe
line to Pa,kersburg in opposition II the
railroad by which the transportation
charges were reduced nearly one-half.
The Camden Oil Co. has stood at all
times the buyer Of all the West Virginia
oils offered iOr sale, whether by friend
or foe, treating all alike, at regular and
uniform prices, ranging at nearl y double
the price received for Pennsylvania oils.
And il il a remarkable fact that not a
failure has tlken place in the oil busi-
ness Oi West Virginia since the organi-
zatiOn of the Camden Oil Co., in 1870.
While in the same period before its or
ganization not less than half a million
dollars had been lost by failures.
In addition to his oil interests Mr..
Camden has been the foremost and
steadfast friend of all improvements for
the benefit of his section. The Little
Kanawhaklack water Improvement, and
the various manufacturing interests Of
Parkersburg have been fostered nv him.
The narrow gauge railroad from Clsrks.
burg to Weston is the best evidence OF
what may be expected from him, II
placed in position to command the in
fluence necessary for development OH a
larger scale in our State.
That he has the qualifications and
ability TO make a creditable and useful
Senator, none who know him will deny.
That he is honest and faithful, his lie
and character have proved. The true
inwardness OF the attacks made upon
him is explained by the Sunday Leuder
when it says: at is the field TO beat
Camden" lie stands the leading candi-
date with possibly strength enough to
get the nomin Ition in caucus against the
field" The field is combining to pre-
vent a caucus nomination in order that
the Republican vote may count on joint
ballot for some OF the field against Mr.
Camden. We hope the members oil the
Legislature will not be deceived by these
devices. Mr.. Camden il not only the
choice Of the Demo, ratio party Of the
State, but OF the whole people OF the
State, and the Legislature will reflect
their will and DO the State substantial
service hy Clecting him.