The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-09
AN OPEN. .FRANks UTsaRED;HoTs
LETTER OF INTEREST IN
marion AND TAYLOR AS
WELLsAS MON NoNGALiA.
COL. r. FAST NOW OF PAsA-
DENA,sc CAL. HANDS OUT SOME
PLAIN ENGLISH ON SENA-
.TORIAL CANDIDATES.
GARRISON, GRANT AND MeDER-
EACH COME IN FOR a
SHARE OFzATTENTiON,W WlIH
a ROUND UP FAVORABLE
no McDERMOTT.
JTEL MARYLAND,

TO McDERMoIl.
: oTELz MARYLAND,
Pasadena, Cal,
April 20, 1904.
Lamar Powell, Farm ont w. Va:
Dear Sir: I am writing you line
ON the local political situation in the
Mononga1fa, Marion and Taylor SEN;
atorial. district Personally am out
{ of politics forever Ny i1l-health has.
completely removed me as a possible
political factor at home. If can
live Witf, Z to1erable degree of en-
joyment in the peace and quiet OF my
5 family, shall be quite content.5sBut
i I know so much of home politics, anu
@ssfhe weaknesses and fo1lies of some of
q those who have insisted on beingIead-
s4ers, that can not repress an interest
a the welfare, of my own State, and
particularly of my own county,
+ think know what forces, folllesE and
weaknesses of her enforced leader
ship has deprived Monongalia= OF rep
resentation in the State Senate Tor
nearly ten years with the exception
of four years that I filed the place.,
and has made the county the butt OF
:ridicuIe and a laughing stock in every
State, Congressional and
district, held during the last. Is or 20
years Why should a county that IS
4 rated as one of the heaviest majori-
ties among Republican counties be for
ever deprived of the power and lnf1u-
srence in conventions TO which her
large majorities entitle her? Can any
rational man, who knows anything OIL
the facts assign her want OF power.
and influence to ANYTHING else than
the lack of sagacity on the part OF her
poll .Ical leaders? What has arrayed
an tia gonism against Monongalia but
the follies of those who insisted on di-
ssrecting her course toward her neigh
Dor counties and others?
IN the present contest for State Sen
@ator, so far as Monongalia county IS
concerned tbut Monongalia's choice
does not determine the ultimate
choice of the convention), we are linz
tied to one of three men, Garrison,
Grant and McDermott. 1t may be tnat
neither one suits us. But there we
are. Which shall it be, and why - =;
Capt. Garrison is every inch an hon
he is too old; he is out of touch with
present day State politics; he, could
not at his age be a useful man in
either House of the Legislature.
Y Whatever good he may have done IN
the past his age, lack of acquaintance
lin the State at large, and being out
of touch with the ririle young ele-
Sment that has come into power in the
Republican party. since he practically
retired from politics, has united MIN
for efulness as a legislator at the
present There is no doubt that his
candidacy was brought about by
Grants ring friends, in the hope OF
subtracting votes from McDermott or
course Garrison would not be party
y to such an understanding. He would
be no man s candidate, and would
wear no mans collar. But Grant and
his ring know this, and the fact was
accom- plished by indirection and Gun
ming so as to deceive Garrison
But what of Grant? Small men not
Infrequently have large aspirations.
Grant comes from the large Republi-
can State OF Pennsylvania, where he
never held any Office, and never was
rated above a local or township poll
tician His admiring West Virginia
friends at last (much against his VIII
5ssof course) force him to accept from
Monongalia seat in the House OF
Delegates. Grant would have decllh'
ed this ONCE much as Caesar 5pusned
aside the crown, when it was oftered
4 him. But no sooner did his anatomy tony
touch one of those comfortable seats
IN the capitol than his soul was 4fll' hred
4 with an ambition to come up higher her
# Whereupon visions of being auditor,
N nth perquisftes OF horsande1ss nd # q 9
year lured him on for a tim q el1e hen
IL seemed that the road to the audi .l!t