Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-06-26
GOVERNOR ATKINSON
AS A HUnoRIsT.

". W. Atkinson LOT at least twenty /
FIVE years. During that time he has
occupied many positions Of honor and
trust and upon all occasions has most
honorably acquitted himself. whether
as member Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, at the bar, as an editor,
upon the political rostrum, in Meth
odist revival meeting, aSa biograph-
er, handling the bow Of his Stradi-
varius or hunting moonshiners, but
it remained for him as Chief Magis-
trate of the Mountain State to devel-
OPP into full fledged humorist.
1t is not our purpose to refer to his
recent meeting with the Governor of
Maryland, nor to the display made by
his staff at the Grant Monument ded-
ication, neither to the appointment OF
Richard Randolph Mcmahon, as
Regent of the University, man with
out permanent home in the State
and unknown even in the immediate
vicinity Of his reputed domicile. Nor
shall we enlarge to any considerable
extent upon his selection of that afa-
BILE political carricature, Hon. James
Demetrius Butt. as delegate to the
Gold Miners Convention at Denver,
Colo. 1t is true that incident, insig-
nifcant though it be, has evidently
afforded unlimited amusement TO our
muck beloved brethren, Morrow, Of
the Charles Town Advocate, and Sny-
der, of the Shepherdstown Register;
but the fact is they are SO thoroughly
silver plated that they would not
know joke from donkey, if they
were to meet one in a graveyard.
They have tried to be funny, but
like all their efforts in that respect,
the only witticism perceptible is that
which comes from their ignominious
failure to disclose the laugh which
they SO laboriously strove to inject
into remarks in relation thereto.
After the Governor discovered the
prediacment into which the mere rec
ognition OF Butt had gotten him, after
the Republican executive committee,
of Jefferson county, had met in sol
emn conclave and adopted resolutions
repudiating Butt, and after divers Re-
publicans, prominent and obscure,
had, with much earnestness, assured
His Excellency that he had made the
mistake of his life, the happy thought
struck him that he would appoint to
that same convention all those who
objected, and he proceeded to name
twenty leading Republicans and citi-
zens of Jefferson county as delegates.
With that act, it is said was coupled
the threat that he would likewise APP
point every other person, white or
black, male or female, who dissented.
Little did he dream of the task he
had undertaken and just there is
where the grim humor of the stu
alton confronted him. The kick is
general and universal throughout Jet
ferson and has invaded Berkeley, and
reports are that Sandy Hook and
Hagerstown, Md, have been COM
PEELED to establish guarantees to pre-
vent the spread of the malady among
the sturdy yoemen of Governor
Lowdnes domain.
If the deprecatory epidemic con-
tinues to grow, the Governor of Colo
RADIO will be compelled to call another
convention, and the State Printer will
have to order another supply Of
parchment on which to print commits
sions, and then large deficiency will
confront the next Legislature and the
Lord only knows where it will end.
In the meantime Butt is lost sight of
and already the Blue Ridge is echoing
with the cry, Where is Butt?" The
wild goats on Maryland Heights have
taken to the woods. Brother Haines
is striving to rouse the Spirit of Jeffer-
son; and there is talk Of turning the
Shenandoah River through Smokers
Gap, all because the Governor strove
to initiate Bob Burdette.