The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-09-23

..r,.,.,ssssssssss.ss sA'sss,s'.'Es4'4'ss.'s.
The county Mail, edited by Mr..
camden Sommers, formerly a
nemocratic candidate for State
Auditor and one of the leaders of
This party, repudiates the plat
form adopted by the Harrison
county Democrats, saying tive
probably gotten up ito secure
|,te votes of preiudiced and I'M
thinking electors-a mass of rot
sinking of demagogery-unf unfair
unjust and untrue"
The following extracts from
Mr.. sommers' editorials in the
hast issue of the Mail presents his
view Of the resolutions:
The second resolution de-
uounces a private citizen, our
worthy townsman R. 7. Lowndes,
a a soulless corporation. trying
N steal $50, 600 from his fellow
,;.;,ors of Harrison county. This
$4,000 was voted to the road
be represents by the people OF
the county. The Nail is opposed
in principle to the voting of pub
lie moneys for any such purposes,
but the people voted it, and Mr..
Lowndes is only taking proper
and legal steps to protect for his
company any interests it may
yet have in the bonds given to it
BY the people. The Mail don't
think his company has any in-
terest left. It thinks that the
bonds we're forfeited long ago:
hut Mi. Lowndes thinks other
wise and has the right to test
that question in q court Of justice.
he will be compelled to abide by
line decision of the legal tribunal
10 which he appeals, but he has
no right to be accused Of ..flch-
Ing and a resolution to that eff
feet by the Democratic party is a
disgrace to the intelligence OF its
members and a decent sense OF
right and justice"
THE attack upon General Golf
and his associates in reference TO
the Elk Creek bridge is a bit of
aemagogery, pure and simple
The county court, the only public
power in the county which could
do so, was asked to build a pub
lie, county bridge to the new de,
pot, upon the most important
thoroughtare in the county-we
repeat atpon the most important
@orougltare "a. the county. Iney
failed to do so, and private cltl-
zens, with no other alternative
built the bridge. They built it as
a private investment. They
would have been financial fools
10 have built it otherwise. They
built itfor the purpose of making
it a toll bridge. By actual count,
it was ascertained, that on a SIN
gle day, shortly after it was
opened to the public. twenty-five
hundred and seventy-six people
and vehicles passed over it. AT
a five cent toll, this patronage
would have afforded the owners
otthe bridge an annual income OF
81, 22275o at a one cent toll it
would auount to Ss,245.62, and
that upon an investment of Sl6,-
Coo, the cost of the bridge. The
Nail, at the time, declared that
the people ought not to be COM
PEELED to pay this tribute to a cor
poration that the people ought
to own the highways through
tue county, and that the only So
lution of the situation was, for
the county to buy the structure,
and make it free. The court did
buy the bridge at a bargain
sl2,o0O-and a syndicate can be
formed in a half an hour to take
i off their hands at $4,000, if a
!ranshise can be secured making
ia tolLbridge. THIS HUE AND
CRY ABOUT THE COUNTY BEING
aoRBED BY THE BRIDGE COM.
pANH is ALL ROT. This howl
about the bridge enhancing prl-
sate property is the wall OF the
oemagogue. A dozen bridges
are built throughout the county