Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-13

IN e6lQL 11Q6peuQeul.1 \AtSPu9sASosA'S
The Board of Directors OF the Hospl-
til came here last week, and on Tues
day gave out the names OF the folioW-
ing ofacers, most Of them having been
slated by Governor Atkinson:
superintendent, DR.. w, E. Stathers;
assistants, Drs. Mark Perry, Lorilla =.
Bullard and r. H. Fetty; matron, Mrs.
~. v. McIntire; clerk, Z. L. topping,
treasurer, D. M. Bailey; drugglst, =.
B. MisKimmon. DR.. George snyder,
Hon. George G.. Cole and Mrs. M. L.
Howe, who for two years nave neia tue
positions of assistant superintendent
treasurer and matron reSpectiveiy, ,
against whom there were no cnases
or intimations of incompetency, ana all
of whom were active aspirants TOT re-
election, were turned down because
Lewis and Monongalia, the counSies
which they represented, were declueuiy
opposed to Governor Atkinson 1or
United States Senator. and because
Senator Cole, in obedience to the PLAIN
demands of his constituents, had voted
for Judge Golf as often as the caucus
halloted. Mrs. Howe's county was also
pronounced Golf county.
The punishment which Governor At
kinson seeks to infiict warrants the
statement that opposition to his per-
sonal ambition On the part of any per-
son holding Office in this State, is a
more heinous offense in his opinion
than any other possible crime.
For the sole reason that Senator Cole
was an outSpOken advocate OF Con ana
not Atkinson, that DR.. Snyder had per-
sonal friends who were for Con as
against Atkinson, and that the repre-
sentation in the Legislature from Mrs.
Howe's county was for Golf instead OF
Atkinson, the Governor deems 1t his
duty to fix the board adversely to these
people, against whom there were no
charges of characterization, unfalthful-
ness, incompetency or immortality,
while at the same time he sees to 1T in
person that the same board is liked
to retain the superintendent, against
whom there were widespread rumorS
of the grossest mmorality-rumors OF
which Governor Atkinson had been
fully appraised and which, because they
were made against a personal support
er in his recent aspirations, he didn't
want aired or investigated.
The desire for revenge runs counter
to the dictates of common political
Judgment in the matter of Dr. Snyder's
ousting. Personally, we have no
charges to make against his successor,
nor at this time, against any other hos
pital officials. But the political side OF
the deal is a proper subject for out
spoken discussion. DR.. Fetty is the
son-in-law of Captain Crook, the DEM
Ocratic director for this county, whom
the Governor has selected to be his
personal local representative in the
county, strange as it may seem that
Republican Governor would make this
kind of a selection. DR.. Fetty support
ed Capt. Crook as against w. l.. Dun
nington, Republican, for the Legisla-
ture last fall. If Huntington had re-
ceived the votes of the eleven Repub-
lican voters in the county who. in and
adjacent to DR.. Fetty's precinct, were
induced to vote against him and for
Crook, his majority over Crook would
have been SO large that even the re-
turns made on the recount by the
County Court of Webster county would
not have deprived Huntington of his
seat and he, instead of Talbot, would
have gone to the Legislature. having
majority of 10 on the recount. In such
an event, instead of the House of Del
egates having been Democratic by a
majority of one, it would have been Re
publican by one majority, and thus all
the trouble between the two parties
over that question, all disputes as to
what party should elect United States
Senator and all the inglorious adver-
lei v1o xxrl,i oh, hn of n
would have been averted. But because
vengeance was his, the Governor de-
liberately rewarded the man whose
party infidelity was responsible for it
all, knowing at the same time that the
facts were as above recited, because his
attention had been called to them. But
he also knew that Huntington, If he
had been seated, would have supported
Golf instead of Atkinson.
And let it be remembered that the
Republican members, Hyer, Hardman
and Sterling, voted for DR.. Snyder's
retention, while the three Democrats,
Crooks, Gibson and Kellar, together
with perennial candidate Ben Meighen,
Republican, and Miller, who was ap-
pointed and served as a director under
Governor MacCorkle as a Democrat,
was reappointed by Governor Atkinson
as Democrat, served until Republi-
can Senate for reasons turned him
down, was again appointed after the
Senate adjourned and couldn't get at
him again for two years, as Republi
can, and who, although of doubtful
political persuasion, may at present
safely be called an A&kinsonite-thi
block Of five elected Governor Atkin-
sons man. =.
But the elimination of the Cover
nor's efforts to get even was reached
in the unceremonious deposing of Mrs.
M. L. Howe, the matron. Mrs. Howe
is one of those big Drained, practical
business women She would have been
an ornament to the corps of officials Of
any such institution. But Mrs. Howe
had offended by coming here from
tounty whose people venerate the
name of Golf. Her State Senator and
her county Delegate voted for Golf as
against Atkinson for United States Sen-
ator. For this offense she must go. 1t
mattered not that she had performed
her duties without a fault, that she
was thoroughly well qualified woman.
that in her private life she was pure
and spotless, that she was a widow and
. Republican, she must be punished, and
the revengeful Governor had no hest