Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-12-11
SELECTIONS.
THE BOSSES FIGHT.

The Coal Oil newspapers of the
State are wrought up to the point Of
lunacy over an alleged scheme of
Senator Carr to effect coalition be-
tween the friends of Governor Will
son in the Legislature and the Re-
publican members Of that body, to
secure the election of Carr as Presi-
dent of the Senate, elect Governor
Wilson to the United States Senate,
thus creating a vacancy in the posi-
ton of Governor, which Carr would
succeed to by virtue of his position as
President of the Senate. We must
admit that this would he +" a con.
summation devoutly to be wished,o
if it could be realized. If it is de-
sired. by the people of this State to
defeat Camden and break the power
of the greatest of monopolies, this is
one solution of the problem. If it
is only choice between Democrats,
we certainly believe that Governor
Wilson would be preferable to Cam
den from Republican standpoint.
If it is the oily way that is left to us
to crush out the corrupting influences
of the Standard Oil monopoly, we
would be justified in endorsing it.
We have no doubt of the election of
a Republican Governor two years
hence. We have no doubt that the
power of Democracy is broken in
this State, and if we could by this
arrangement keep the Standard Oil
Company from another six years.
of life and corruption in this State
and in the Senate, it would seem to
be our duty to do it.
1t may be that Governor Wilson
has not been consulted in this mat
ter. The Standard Oil Company's
organs seem to he scared to death
about it at any rate. They appear to
feel that there is danger of the Gov
ernor considering the proposition.
They are all trying to crush Govern
or Wilson to the earth, yet they seem
to fear that he will not permit them
to do their work unchallenged.
They have his political death war
rant prepared and the executioneI
is ready to perform his task, yet
they seem to think the Governor has
no right to object. They have fear.
lessly proclaimed that the Govern
or's day ofgrace is at hand, that he
is politically dead and damned, yet
they howl and tear their hair, be-
cause there is rumor that he refuses
to die the death. 1t is with them a
question of spoils. They want the
next six years of Senatorial plumber.
There is no political honor or hon,
esty about their methods. They
thought they had succeeded with the
influence of money, in buying and
corrupting enough Of the next Leg
islature to defeat the ambitions of
Governor Wilson. This may be
their idea of politics, but it. isn't
Democratic. That is, if to be Dem
cratic one should be honest. No
one heard of Wilson buying any
votes for his friends in the next Leg
islature. Those who were elected as
Wilson men were elected honestly
and without bribery. They will
never desert Wilson for corrupt
corporation without politics. What
does the Standard Oil Company care
for the rank and file of the Demo-
cratic party? They only want power
for the advantage it will be to their
own interests. Is this sovereign
State of West Virginia to be run in
the interest of coal oil? Is this whole
government of the United States to
be absorbed by the Standard Oil
Company What allegiance does
the honest Representative of the
people owe to the Standard Oil Com
pany, that he must support and sus-
tain it, because its agents ere mas
querading under the cloak of De-
mocracy? The Standard Oil Com
pany is not the Democratic party,
neither are its agents representa-.
tives ofthe Democratic party. There
is no contest between Democratic
candidates for the United States
Senate. 1t is contest with Governor
Wilson or some other Democrat on
one side, and the Standard Oil Com