Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-03-13
GOVERNOR ATKINSON
Inaugurated as Executive OF the
State Of West Virginia
at Charleston.
AN INTERESTING OCCASION.
The First Republican Governor in
Twenty-Five Years.

twenty-five lcdIo.
CHARLESTON, w. VA, March A.
For the first time in twenty-five years
West Virginia now has republican
Governor. At noon today, in the
presence of hundreds Of people, Hon.
George Wesley Atkinson took the oath
of office as chief executive Of the State
on the steps of the capitol building,
Governor MacCorkle, Democrat, re.
firing. The oath was administered in
the presence of the State Supreme
Court by Justice McWhorter, the only
Republican memberof the court. Then
followed the inaugural address OF Gov
ernor Atkinson, which was well de-
livered, and elected frequent applause.
In the afternoon there was a grand
parade OF Republican clubs, in which
thousands participated, led by the
Elkins Cadets. Governor Atkinson
reviewed the procession from a stand
in the Capitol grounds, where he re-
ceived the salutes of the clubs.
In the evening there was brilliant
pyrotechnic display. A reception was
held in the hall of the House Of Dele
gates, beginning at 9 and ending at
1890. The receiving line included
Governor Atkinson and daughter, the
Judges of the Supreme Court, assisted
by half dozen prominent citizens
and their wives of c .arleston. Be
ginning at 1890 there was brilliant
ball in the Senate chamber.
GOV. ATKINsoN's INAUGURAL.
Governor Atkinson spoke as follows
"Fellow- Citizens Of West Virginia
To the political party to which have
the honor to belong, and, ] trust, tc
all the people OF our State, this is an
suspicious occasion. For twenty-siS
years the Democratic party has hao
exclusive control of our State govern
lncrt. In a republic it is. not best
that any political party should be kept
in power too long. / do not mean tc
convey the idea that continued power
necessarily brings about dishonesty
in the management Of public affairs
but do mean to say that any party,
when too long in authority, necesssr-
lily becomes opinionated and, drops in
to ruts from which it cannot easily
extricate itself. To get into the habit
of thinking only in one particular
channel, in acting one way and doing
everything in the self-same manner
is disastrous to any individual or class
of individuals and to government,
State or national, as we'll.
"a government is simply an aggre-
CATION of individuals, and whatever
affects an individual citizen affects the
government in the same manner and
in the same degree. Running in
grooves will stunt, fosSiliZe and neces
sarily render any individual lopsided
The same is true OF any organized
body of men and of State also. A
1opsided one-idead man is by nc
means an ideal citizen. even if he is
not dangerous to the public veal, and
the same is true of lopsided political
party. Hence, say-and l do not
desire to be considered as rejecting
upon our Democratic friends, who, foi
for more than a quarter of century,
have had exclusive control of oui
State government-tha it is far bet
ter for all our people, as we'll as inf
nitely better for the State itself, that
we haye, politically speaking, after
this long lapse ofyears, hung our gate
on the other post. l am confidently
sure that we will lose nothing. and
trust that all of us, both Republicans
and Democrats, will profit by the
change.
I'm West Virginia we have the ele-
ments of great State. Her natural
advantages are perhaps superior tc
those of any other State in the Union.
1t behooves us, therefore, as good
citizens, without regard to our poll.
teal creeds or party affiliations oil
predictions, to do everything in oui
power to forward her interests and tc
encourage her development, that we
may enable her to reach the place that
a benefcent Providence intended hei
to occupy-the forefront of the great
States Of the American republic II
shall be my purpose in this patriotic
work to use my utmost endeavors tc
bring her vast resources to the atten
ton of men of enterprise and wealth
=. A. otLo- Ctotas Of tho TT,,to,, aud r.