Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-07-01

To the Editor of the NEW DOMINION;
A communication appeared in
your valuable paper on June 18th
which has excited no little comment.
1t leaves our people still unsatisfied
And here we might stop and ask
the question, will the people ever be
satisfied? No, not until they get
their rights by the triumph Of JUS.
tice and equality. For these their
fathers willingly gayeup their lives.
Is is any wonder then that the sons
of-patriots grow restless as hide
pendance Day approaches Shifting
on the passing breezes the advance
guard Of the glorious 4th with its
attendant fire crackers and grand
hunks of liberty, is 1t any wonder
that our people should elamor for
freedom and openly declare that
their native city shall yet be free2
But far above the din and confusion
of the hour we hear the guard on
! the watch tower Of plutocraey cry,
stay, there Williams, your anarchistic
ideas will undermine the very foun-
dations of wealth; you will ruin In
vestments; you are public enemy:
you oppose capital No, thousand
times no, we oppose not capital but
greed. The one we welcome. the
other we execrate. Many have sale
that the corporation asking for
fifty year franchise without offering
it's products at reasonable rates
should be rebuked by being refused
any franchise Remembering past
and present wrongs and fearing for
worse in the future our citizens
have been advocating severe and
drastic measures. Very often we
fear these sentiments proceed from
impulse and hate and not from
reason. Granting that we pay too
much for some of our luxuries let
us remember that two wrongs never
make right. Capital must have
it's reward.
Let us not forget the fact that in
1888 our present city was sleepy
village. Sentiment was opposed to
with suspicion and public spirit was
yet to be born. About this time
Moses came out of the North. His
arrival was timely. The town ac-
cepted his mission and doctrines. Ger
tain home people put up their money
and helped the stranger to organize
the Morgantown 3. & I. Co. These
people bought land, graded streets,
located factories and thus produced
modern Morgantown. AS the promo
tiers and fathers of oar city we delight
to do them honor For ten years they
have been writing history that will
forever link their names with one Of
the foremost cities of our State. We
remember with gratitude their flnan-
cial risks and sacrifices and are proud
of the fact that when our history is
written and the honor roll is complete
their names will head the list.
But eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty. Our city is cognizant Of this
fact and while it may is about TO de-
mand new declaration OF independ-
ence 1t believes the time has come
for public ownership Of our light, our
gas and our water. We believe we
have done our duty by capital, that
we have paid full value for all benefits
received to date and more. We be-
lieve that if high rate must be paid
for our water, that after paying the
expenses of the plant the surplus
should go to filling the Golfers of our
depleted treasury. We are told that
the gas and water company have no
right To extend their lines in the sub.
urbs. Then why not apply for sew
en- year franchise in these districts?
Again the same article says that
whatever cheapens production cheap
ems the product to the consumer.
Will our people get cheaper water If
they grant fifty year franchise?
Crates will regulate themselves. y
Since when? Does oil regulate its
own price? How about the Standard
Oil Company? mo one is compelled
to patronize the corporations. ;"
Neither are they compelled to eat but
they must either eat or do worse.
1.-THE two corporations are owned or
controlled 10y our own citizens CD
6 and will always be amenable to pub
lie opinion" Then why not listen to
the public now when it says in stem
torian tones "No long franchises
ssShall we be afraid to trust our public
servants whom we may create and re-
move at our pleasure?" No, neither
are we afraid to trust the people, but
we are afraid to trust the peoples
rights for so years in the hands of
anybody but themselves. The people
will have their rights in years and
they are capable of taking care of
them.
1t is human to make mistakes.
We think mistake was made when
some of our citizens forgot that it is
possible to lose their friends by at
tempting to use them too much; like