West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-08-24


proxies, which was adopted by
vote of 502 to 206. The adoption
OF this resolution secured to the
Ring complete control Senator
Faulkner was made chairman, and
Senator Kenna appointed to produce
the cut and dried resolutions which
had been carefully prepared to dis
tract attention from thereal Stateis-
sues in this canvass. The Office hold
ing brigade was present in force.
The Ring had only two objects to
accomplish. az TO ostracise every
man who had refused to betray
pledges to voters, and e. to defeat
Judges Woods and Johnson. The
Ring had its way and rode rough
shod to its purpose. There was in
finite confusion and noise. but the
Ring rode rough shod. Wood coun.
ty had instructed for Judge john
son, and yet Eve out of her twenty.
six votes violated their instructions
and voted against him. This viola
ton of instructions has caused no
comment in the papers. Had a del
egation instructed for Ring candi-
date betrayed its trust, there would
have been clamor enough to awake
the Seven Sleepers. The Ring rode
roush-shod. The crowd was amused
by many ballots for Attorney Gen
eral, an office for which the bosses
cared nothing, and with the exccp-
ton of the Supreme Court the ma
chine did not interfere-the Audi
tor, Treasurer and Superintendent
of Schools have no power to prevent
the plumber of the unorganized
masses. The platform is the usual
twaddle, and lodges every question
of State concern. Had we the space
to print it and make some comments;
had we space and time to analyze
these resolutions, they would nause-
ate every man who thinks. First,
there is the usual repetition Of the
corruption and follies inexperienced
under Republican Administrations,
and magniloquent recital Of what
Democratic President and Demo
cratic House have accomplished.
Then comes the endorsement Of
Cleveland; but the fact is carefully
suppressed that the machine politi-
clans were against his nomination
until intimidated by the popular
movement in his favor. Next fol
lows some platitudes about the tariff
without hint that Kenna and
almost every, one OF our present
managers were Sam Randall men
until the President forced the party
to take its stand against protection
and for the rights of the people.
Next come some misleading figures
to fool children into belief that
West Virginia is prosperous. When
fanatics cursed this State, those who
had sympathized with the Confed-
eracy were excluded from the polls.
To-day those who refuse to wear the
collar of the money power; those
who refuse to betray the masses;
those who refuse to violate pledges
given to voters, are ostracised by
the machine, and are more relent-
lessly ostracised than were Confed
crates by proscriptive legislation.
Senator Kenna tells us that in 1870
we had five railroads and 400 miles
of track, but to day we have twenty
two companies and 1887 miles. He
does not mention the coal agency OF
the G. & o., nor does he speak Of
the determinations and favoritism
which paralyzes legitimate industry
in this State; nor does he allude to
the circumstance that the railroad
lobby defeated in the last Legisla
ture a bill to secure equal facilities
to our local shippers. He says that
we produced 100000, tons of coal
and coke, but is silent about Wright's
letter and does not mention the reso-
lutions by the recent Miners Con-
vention which declares that the
wages of miners Are too low to en-
able them to live like civilized be-
ings. He is equally silent touching
the fact stated by Judge Morrow
that in a county like Marion no one
can name dozen farmers making
money. But the most interesting
feature of this platform is its hearty
endorsement of the administration
of Governor Wilson. This endorse
ment is significant, becauseitis pub
lie knowledge that the Ring have
done and is dong all it can to
hound Wilson down and to exclude
him from the public ear. The truth
is Wilson has tried to do his duty;
be has tried to protect the people
from the schemes of the money pow
er to plumber them; he has refused
to betray his public duties to gain
the support of the railroad lobby,
and although the Ring feels itself
strong enough to crush him, yet it
does not dare to suppress that en-
dorsement of Wilson which is in the
mouth of every thoughtful man in
this State.
We have presented picture of
the Huntington Convention as we see
it. We give the picture that was
seen by our correspondents who were
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