Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-28
THE MACHINE INTELLIGENCE.

THE MAGHlN
The Intelligencer of Saturday morn
ing once more and at considerable
length, announced its allegiance to the
political machine now controlling the
Republican party, in Wheeling, Ohio
county and West Virginia, and in do
ing SO expressed it's contempt for and
impotence with that large and grow
ing element of its party dissatisfied
and disguised with the regime now in
control The Intelligencer even went
further, and served notice that dissen-
tients would hereafter get scant court
esy in its columns. It's voice in the
future as in the past, will be for the
regular and orderly" convention, and
even though that Convention bepadded,
manipulated, dominated and intiIni-
dated by bosses, or improperly consti-
tuted, those inclined to file a protest
will be classed as party malcontents
and denied so far as the Intelligencer
is concerned, opportunity for explana-
ton, appeal to the public sentiment of
the party, or other justice or redress.
In other words, Republicans who are
not in sympathy with the machine
must nevertheless, swallow their med
icine whether they like it or not, and
a few very eminent men are now hav-
ing the dose held to their lips. If they
object they are creating dissention and
dissatisfaction, disturbing the har
mony of the party, and generally max
ing things unpleasant The Intelligent
GERS notice is. virtually, IF you don't
agree to the machine method and
abide by the result you can go over to
the Democracy, or go home, or go to
Hades. You cannot air your wrongs
through our columns" This is an en-
tirely fair statement, for Saturday the
Intelligencer said:
These gentlemen have been fit to seek
Democratic sympathy, and exploit their
alleged grievances to the Democratic
press to the discredit of the fair name Of
West Virginia Republicanism. AS they
nave chosen their friends, let them go to
them for aid and comfort
The Intelligencer follows the above
remark with this further statement:
THE Intelligencer has always been will
ing to give a hearing to any legitimate
complaints of the unjust treatment of any
republican, but it most aSsuredly objects
10 becoming a sewer for bitter invective
and Vindictive epithet applied by one Re-
publican to another. Soiled linen of that
character cannot be washed out ana
cried through these columns.
The first clause of the first sentence
is VIGOROUSLY untrue If the Intelli-
gencer was willing to give a hearing"
to the men Of its own party who do
not or cannot agree with it, there
would be no occasion for these gentle
men to use the Democratic or indie
pendent press as mediums for publ
city. But it virtually closes its coll
umns to protestants while winking at
injustice and unfairness, and the re-
suit is letters and kilograms to nom
Republican journals The Braxton
county injustice to Judge John A.
Campbell, the job put up on Romeo H.
Freer, and other like events may be
cited in proof. A very notable case
right in this county was the refusal of
the Intelligencer to print the card of
the Progressive Club, every member a
life long Republican, or to chronicle
as a news event the proceedings of the
meeting of the body or the facts of the
following district meeting in Clay.
The Intelligencer and the machine
leaders hid from its readers all the
details of this local matter from the
original turning down of Scott Taylor
at the postoffice on. Regular" ''or-
derly!" ''proper!" That's the Intelli-
gencer.
AS to the Intelligencer's fear that it
may become a sewer" it may only
be remarked that it is difficult to spoil
bad egg. 1t has long been the
drain-pipe for VIGOROUSLY unscrupu-
lous and constituencies political ma
chine, the manipulations of which stop
at nothing to attain desired ends. 1t is
hand in glove with a clique of office
holders who dominate the party in the
State by sheer force. Free speech is
denied in Conventions and free ex-
preston of views in Republican pa
pers. Plots and schemes and the gross
est unfairness are the weapons used
by the dominent element. And to all
appeals for square deal comes the re-
ply: you are creating trouble in the
party and destroying the harmony we
desire to perpetuate."
How do fair-minded Republicans like
this accurate portrayal of the situa-
ton?
TAYLOR and Finley, the Indianapolis