West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-07-15
PENSION POLITICS.

lhe hungry PATRIOTS, who are
hunting for Mckinley prosperity
IN this county, are determined to
ave as much OF it as possible with
out reg'rd to law, custom,
decency or any other attribute Of
good government, Fake the Pen
sion Board at this place for an IL
lustration. During the recent adj
ministration it has been composed
OF two Democrats and one Repub-
llcan, and tho latter has also been
member Of the Republican Com
mittee all the time, but still the
Democrats left him on and never
made an effort to turn him Off, but
kept the Board as non partisan as
possible. In fact, it has been un-
dersto0d for some time that Pension
Boards were under the Civil Ser
vice, but this makes no difference
TO the machine in this county, and
just as soon as they could agree on
their men, they have had Il straight
out Republican Board appoin ted
for this county, composed of Drs.
}. +. Michaes, of Fellowsville, U.
w. Showalter, of Independence,
and James A. Graham, OF King
wood, displacing Drs. James II.
Manown, of King wood, s. NJ. Scott,
of Terra Alta, and NJ. II. Powell,
of Tunnelton. DR.. Mrchaels is an
old soldier and was endorsed by the
Soldiers Reunion at Terra Alta,
but the other two are young men
born since the war. The law IN
the case requires physician to
have been practicing at least five
years before he is eligible, and this
cuts out DR.. Graham, who has only
been practicing one year, but that
makes no difference 10 the powers
that be now, and they turn down
an old veteran of the Union army
like DR.. Manown, who was practic-
ing medicine and fighting for his
country long before his successor
was born. This shows how much
the Republican party cares for the
old soldier. 1t proves that 1T is
simply his vote they want, and
when they can't get that he can 90
to the devil.
DIR. S. A. Pratt, Of this place,
was an applicant for a position on
the Board, but because he chose to
exercise the rights OF "a freeman and
voted for VIM. G.. Brown for Con.
gress last fall, and don't care who
knows it, the bosses made a special
fight against him, and Senator
Morley made two or three special
trips to Washington to fight Pratt s
appointment. Worley is very bitter
at Mr. Brown because he is trying
to collect an honest and long over
due debt from him. Some Of the
bosses went to Pratt and told him
that if he would deny voting for
Brown, they would endorse him for
the place. This made the genial
Doctor so mad that he cussed the
whole gang and told them TO
go to hi with the place, and that he
wouldn't have it at all il he had to
be liar and hypocrite to get it.
The Grand Army Post here held
special meeting some time ago to
endorse a new Board aud had the
largest attendance they ever had,
and by a solid vote declared their
preference for their old comrades,
DR.. J. IL. Manown and DR.. j. f..
Michaels, and for DR.. Pratt for the
other member. Other Posts in the
county and long petitions of the old
soldiers endorsed DR.. Manown, but
this made no difference to the
bosses, be was guilty Of being a
Democrat, and h,s services to his
country and experience as a physi-
clan and surgeon counted for moth
ing in machine politics. Senator
Morley was also specially bitter in
his opposition to Manown, simply
because there is petty feul of
some kind bet veen his family and
the Doctors, and he sworo that Ma.
nown should be fired, no difference
II he was an old soldier, and even il
the old vets did want him on the
Board, that cut no ice with him.
Personally We have no objection
whatever TO any OF the new Board
and take pleasure iu noting thcit
promotion, and The solid Republ-
can appointment suits us exactly