West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-06-11
A SAMPLE OF REPUBLICAN UNITY
IN PRESTON COUNTY.

and all on account Of the way in
which Bro. Dawson, of the Journal,
deceived the brethren in the late
election. The anti-Dawson element
of the Republican party were lead
to believe that the Halfbreeds (the
Dawsonites) had surrendered to the
Stalwarts, (the anti-Dawsonites),
and hereafter they were to work
hand in hand to defeat a common
enemy. But the contest for Coun-
ty Superintendent teaches them a
different lesson, and to say they are
mad but family expresses the situa-
ton, as the following interview will
show.
The ARGUS reporter fell into
conversation with one Of Valley
Districts most active and promi-
nent Republican politicians a few
days ago, who, during the converse
ton, astonished the ARGUS man by
asking him, "Can you tell me why
you newspaper men have said moth
ing about the way Bill Dawson and
his gang treated us in the school
election ~
The ARGUS man observed the
Valley District politician growing
red in the face as he laid special
emphasis upon the words "Bill
Dawson and gang" and it occurred
to him that he would have the
V. ID. L. z. to unbosom himself Of
his pent-up wrath, so the ARGUS
reporter replied that the ARGUS was
not IN possession Of the facts con-
corning the workings Of the late
campaign, as it was generally sup
posed that politics were brushed
aside and the men allowed to run
upon their merit. However, the
ARGUS suggested the gentleman
from Valley give him the facts and
the ARGUS would take pleasure in
publishing the part Mr.. Dawson
and his friends played in the late
campaign to defeat Mr.. Freeland.
"Well," said the Valley man, .'to
begin with, we had agreed to bury
the Ratchet, smoke the pipe of
peace, let by cones be by-gones and
go in and lick thunder out of YOU
Democrats. To show that the
Stal warts were sincere in this, we
up In Valley supported Gus Conley
for Superintendent. while we recog-
nized him as Dawson's man. So
far as we could see there was mono
of the old fight being rehashed in
the Journal and Era, and even the
ARGUS kept quiet. OF course the
intimate friends of Conley and
Freeland were extolling the virtues
and abilities of their favorites, but
apart from this nothing was being
said that would Indicate that Con-
ley was the candidate Of the Half
breeds and that Freeland belonged
to the Stalwarts. This strength
ened the belief among the Stalwarts
and true blue Republicans that the
Halfbreeds really meant to bury the
past. But imagine our astonish-
ment few days after the election
wien we were shown a copy of the
Journal with its ungentlemanly at
tack upon Freeland and calling
upon its heeleTs to defeat Freeland
because he belonged to that faction
OF the Republican party which had
refused to accept Dawson's leader.
ship and bow the knee to Baal.
Dawson had not the courage or
manliness to make the fight on that
issue against FreelaDd so we could
reply to him, but he waits until a
few days before the election and
makes his attack, knowing well that
the Stalwarts would not see the
Journal, as they DO not take it. but
he would reach the Halfbreeds and
accomplish his ends. That he sue
ceeded no one will deny, out it is
something he cannot repeat and the
Stalwarts will not forget"
at this point Of the conversation
Valley Districts favorite son was
warming up to his subject, and it
was evident that he felt that Bro.
Dawson had deceived the Stalwarts
most shamefully, so we ventured to
ask, "What has the Era been doing
all this time that it has not exposed
the Journ1ps trick ?'
"Doing doing : - shouted tho