Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-09-01
NO. 81.

Between 600 and 700 delegates were
present. The great mass of the con-
vention were strikers for the Ring
and stool-pigeons for men who use
party machinery to prevent popu-
lar choice and to thwart the public
will. Many good citizens were pres
ent, but without organization and in
hopeless minority. 1t would be an
interesting and useful Investigation
to discover and expose how many of
the delegates found money for their
personal expenses. Such an investi-
CATION would educate the masses as
to how they are governed and as to
| how they are plucked. The body OF
the party has delusion that con-
vention is continuance to obtain an
expression of the wishes ofthe major
| ity, and this delusion is effectually
dispelled. The scheme ofour modern
bosses is to have a convention that
will carry out |" n slate" When the
purpose is to obtain fair expression
of opinion, every effort is made to as
semble as many representative men
as possible. Comparatively few of
our most trusted citizens can spare
the time and expense to attend con-
vention. Hence, If delegate be APP
pointed to a convention which he can
not attend, he selects some orher citi-
zen of similar views who will vote as
he would to act as a proxy. This
tends to insure a full expression of
opinion, and at every convention
which has been held in this State,
"a.
tion or hesitation. But the machine
felt itself strong enough to crush OPP
position. 1t felt itself strong enough
to establish at Huntington new doc
trine and a new rule. An unseen
hand had long been busy to defeat the
old judges. The money power had
determined to get rid of men who re-
fused to wear its collar. A new trap
was invented to catch the unwary
masses. Local strikers in various
counties were instructed to disarm
suspicion by nominating as delegates
a large proportion of first class citi-
zens, but to be careful to select such
men as would not attend the Conven-
ton with the exception of henchmen
who could be relied upon to obey the
orders of their masters. When the
convention met the trap was sprung.
Deputy United States Dissatisfaction
ney Watts reported resolution to
exclude proxies, which was adopted
by q vote of SOP to BOG. 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 distract atten-
tion from the real State issues in this
canvass. The office-holding brigade
was present in force. The Ring had
I its way and rode rough-shod to its
purpose. There was infinite confus-
ion and noise, but the Ring rode
rough-shod. Wood county had In
structed for Judge Johnson, and yet
five out of her twenty-six votes viola
ted their instructions and voted
against him. This violation of in
structions has caused no comment in
the papers. Had a delegation instruc-
ted for Ring Candidate betrayed its
trust, there would have been clamor
enough to awake the Seven Sleepers.
The Ring rode rough-shod. The crowd
was amused by many ballots for At
torney- General, an Office for which
the bosses cared nothing, and with
the exception of the Supreme Court
the machine did not interfere. The
Auditor, Treasurer and Superinten-
dent of Schools have no power to pre-
vent 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 I;
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 cor
ruption and follies we experienced
under Republican administrations,
and magniloquent recital of what a
Democratic President and a Democra-
tic House have accomplished. Then
comes the endorsement of Cleveland |;
but the fact is carefully suppressed
that the machine politicians were
against his nomination. 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 Pres
ident forced the party to take its
stand against protection. Next come
some misleading figures to fool child
rem into belief that West Virginia
is prosperous. To-day, those who re-
fuse to wear the collar of the money
power; those who refuse to betray
the masses those who refuse to vio-
late pledges given to voters, are os-
| traciZed by the machine, and are
more relentlessly ostraciZed than
were Confederates by proscriptive
! legislation. Senator Kenna tells US
that in 1870 we had five railroads and
440 miles of track, but to day we have
twenty-five companies and 1887 miles.
He does not mention the coal agency
OF the C. & o., nor does he speak Of
the Determinations and favoritism
which paralyzes legitimate industry
in this State; nor does he allude to
the circumstances that the railroad
lobby defeated in the last Legislature
bill to secure equal facilities to our
shippers. He says that we produced
1900, 900 tons of coal and coke, but is
silent about Wright's letter and does
not mention the resolutions by the
recent Miners Convention which de-
clares that the wages of miners are
too low to enable them to live like
civilized beings. 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 inter
esting feature of this platform is its
hearty endorsement Of the admins
tration of Governor Wilson. This
endorsement is significant, because it
is public knowledge that the Ring
have done and is doing all it can to
hound Wilson down and to exclude
him from the public ear. The truth
- Il L = 4 l.