Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-28
JUDGE JOHN H. HOLT.
An Ideal Candidate for Governor.
What an Interior Correspondent
Thinks,

SUTTON, w. Va, February 26.
| To the Editor of the Register.
The ancient and once universally re-
! spected doctrine that we are and of right
ought to be free has ever been strictly adj
| hered to by good Democrats. In party mat
E! tiers they have recognized the people as
| the sovereign power. No combination of
political interests has or ever will mater
tally advance the personal or political inter-
ests of any man, or combination of men,
at the expense of the public good, if with
| in the power of the party to prevent it,
| 1t seeks with honest and untiring effort
| for those who are trustworthy and able
| to fight its battles, always looking with
| suspicion on hasty volunteers. 1t heaps
| honor upon whom honor is due. The in
evtable conclusions from the history of
| its formation and existence is that the I'M
worthy need not Apply. This is true both
| in respect to men and their measures; yet
I it presents an open field to its open friends
Perhaps at no time in the existence of
| the party has there been such universal
| demand for special painstaking in the Sc
| lection of its servants now; certainly not
| in the history of West Virginia. Events
produced and openly boasted of, by the
| Republican State machine are of such vol
! luminous weight, as of themselves to carry
| unmistakable conviction of the fact that
| continuity of this rule means loss of per-
| sonal and political liberty. In the few
| short years of Republican misrule in this
| State we have seen the Secretary of State
| set at naught the long established and I'M
| questioned law of the land and in open
and dangerous violation thereof, consti-
| tute himself the sole judge of who should
| sit in the State Legislature; we have seen
a State Senator whose election was never
| questioned, suspended, for the sole rea-
son that his vote would prevent the cleo
| ton of a machine Republican to the United
States Senate; we have seen the public
| expenditures increased to a degree that
| ought to appear to every taxpayer I'M
considerable; we have seen along with the
| extravaganza of those in charge of our
| public institutions, the unmistakable evil
dences of all sorts of scandal; we will yet
see that a million. dollar surplus turned
| over to the machine, when they assembled
| will resolve itself into good deficit be-
| fore the end of the year. These are only
| a few of the severe object lessons of Re
| publican rule, the open ones. There are
| others. Can there be wonder that any per-
| son interested in the welfare of the State
| should be alarmed?
| The relief must come through a return
| of the Democrats into power, and this
| fact we believe is recognized by many
| outside the party. This rule being true
| Democrats this year have important duties
| to perform Men must be named for office
who are able to meet the situation, remem-
| bering the ancient and respected doctrine,
the party naming the man. In Braxton
| hot Cd Of
| such men, and so selected, would receive
| more than ordinary support.
| Many of us hope that it will be the pleas
ure of the coming convention to nominate
| Hon. John H. Holt, of Huntington, for
Governor. Not particularly because Brax-
| ton county would be proud to contribute
a governor to the Saskatchewan it is an
honor that any county might have just
pride in-but because we recognize in him
! the able, honest and efficient qualities of
| the coming man. Others have been men,
toned and we see and appreciate their
! strong qualities.
| In Judge Holt, from our standpoint and
we believe we speak the sentiment of the
Democracy of the interior counties of the
| State, we would have a Governor whose
ability, honesty of purpose and integrity
|
! conditions, for an efficient and satisfactory
| executive. His name has never been asso-
ciated with any political clique or trick.
| His manhood and thorough Democracy
| place him above faction, and he has ever
maintained it to that extent. The poll
| ticians may differ, and may combine to de-
| feat him, because it is known and recog-
med by every person acquainted with
| Judge Holt that if he were elected by the
| people to be Governor, he would admins
| ter the duties of his office as he saw them,
! not as the politicians would likely under
| take to have him see them.
| AT this time no thorough Democrat
| should fail to heed the voice of his party,
and while we do not know Judge Hollis
| feelings on the subject, we believe if his
party nominated him he would serve it:
certainly he has never yet failed to respond
| to its call
| If the people Of West Virginia want a
| Governor who has the ability and courage
| to be Governor, unheped and unhindered
| by such influences as have lately debauch-
| ed the good name of West Virginia we
| suggest that Judge John H, Holt will fully
measure up to that standard. Y. x. X.
About the Size OF 1t.