Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-05-20
HEART TO HEART
TALK WITH VOTERS
Editor Oil Review:

|
opinion as a free-born American
citizen.
People, it seems, have gone wild
over the big office, and lost sight
of the Prosecuting Attorney. I'll
be frank in this article, and give
the plain unvarnished facts as l
see them.
Allow me to ask On what
grounds does Ike Underwood base
his campaign for the office OF
Prosecuting Attorney! AT. the
hands of the honest people OF Ty-
Ter county Is it his past record as
attorney for the State on which
he hopes to win? Surely not!
Unfortunately, Tyler county
has had her share of worthless Of
ficials in the past, but | want to
say-and | am an old man and
have watched the Republican par
ty from infancy to vigorous man
hood-that l consider Ike Under
wood the poorest piece Of public
property Tyler county ever had.
| | have watched that fellow dur
ing court in his attempt to prose
cute a case, To see the other law
yers, lawyers of ability, just
"chew him up" and key twist
ing around like great big green
boy, unable to prosecute the
simplest case, is enough to make
the honest men Of Tyler county
blush to think that we, as intel
ligent voters. had delegated to
such a blockhead an important Of
| flee like this.
No doubt a number of our good
citizens were in the court room
at the time key was trying to
prosecute the slot machine case
from Sistersville. Bruce Hunt,
you will remember, was defending
these men. What did Hunt do
with him? Why he simply mop
ped up the floor with 1key. Ev-
cry man present at that time Will
have to admit that if the State
had had an attorney to represent
her, the result would have been
different Weak. absolutely weak.
Without a particle of ability as
an attorney, and no prospect OF
ever having any.
But his lack of legal talent is
not the worst feature of this case.
His little disregard of duty IS the
worst of all. Tyler county abounds
in crime which is not molested. II
man is Republican and has a
little influence he is at liberty to
do anything he pleases. Why,
right here in Stringtown, under
the very shadow of the churches,
in face Of Christian men and wom-
en-, and innocent children, in open
violation of the law, is running
we might say, "wide open," a
speak-easy. Yes, a dirty, filthy,
r)tten speak-easy. And what can
! e do? Ike won't prosecute him.
{ ertainly, he won't; do you know
ny? 1t is reported that the pro-
! 7 rietor of this joint said that he
had to be for key" Yes, OF
curse, he had to be for Ikey. If
!e wants to continue his busi-
ess he does. He's smart enough
0 know that if key goes he goes
, 90.
Now, isn't this a pretty state Of
fairs? Is it possible, l say is it
,eally possible that the honest
linking people of this county
must put up with this sort OF
thing7 Has it come to this, that
in order to be elected to a public
Office a man must protect crime
Shield the very thing that he pre-
tends to search out? After build
ing our churches, paying the
preachers, that our boys and girls
may live in a Christian atmos-
phere, we are confronted with this
j problem of how to protect them.
Here is the solution-the ballot.
We have for years paid a high
rate of tax to build our school
houses, pay our teachers. Why
all this expense? Most certainly
. we have some object in view. 1t
| is this: That our children may
prepare themselves to meet the
problems of life with education
and character such as we are able
IL g