Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-04-22

L.. Il huge boss He has arrived at
that stage where lle regards himself
grtater than his party aud be stays III
Congress. only because there is nothing
just now in sight bigger. His party il
growing tired of bis arrogance and con
ceit and some of tn abIest men of bis
party protested against his nomina-
ton. The following editorial as p9h
lished Id the Morgantown Post owned
and controlled by Hon. George c. Stur
g-s only the day before the eonNen-
tion.
Monongalia county by large ma
iolity in her District Conventions held
Saturday, the 9th iust.. declared her
want al confidence in A. q Day ton,
candidate ior reelection TO SIKH
term II Congress. While Mr. Dayton Is
frle nas st ent some money and whiskey
in Il e efortt to pack and control .the
CONVEX don, and the Abti-DAyton men
spent net cent of money and used
not single drink of whiskey, the lat
ter swept the County and sent ant
Dayton delegates to the Grafton Con-
vention. 1t is confidently believed that
clear majority will line up in the
Convention against him.
The opposition to Mr.. Dayton is wide
spread and is shown in the fact III at
only three counties out of fourteen in
the Second Congressional District in
strueted for him, though he tried to
get instructions in all.
While the Anti Dayton men had no
organ lzstiOn and no candidate around
whom TO rally and had to meet the
"machinc" composed of postmaste
aud had the County Committees and
the Congressional Committee all at
work and organized in his interest, yet
the strongest Republican counties,
Preston with nearly 10000 aud Mon
ongalia with 3 900 Republican voters)
either one giving majorisy as large
as his large t majority in the District,
have repudiatad him aud will contest
and protest against his nomination, as
the veal est that can be made, and as
sure 10 write defeat at the November
election. 1t would be almost fatal to
party success to renominate Mr.. Day
ton under the conditions existing in
this District. His most indicious friend
in this county admit that more dissats
faction and opposition exists to his
candidacy than ever aud that to nom
mate hlm is to write defeat.
The principal GROUNDS of Office ion
are MS epen and long al well known
hostility to the tax refarm, now an d
from the first Re, ublcan measore,
ard in Which, after Grip tling and min
imising it as much rs lie could as a
mem Der Of the tax committee he ac-
quiesces from necessity aud expediency
after having declared over his OVID
signature that the plan was vicious
unwlse and radically wrong and NO.
willing or from conviction.
Another objection is the fact that
he consorted with leading Democrats,
like Governor Fleming, who stole the
seat to which the voters Of Wet Viz
ginia had elected Gen Golf, the Rebel
Gen McCausland and others, and the
corporation attorneys in the pay Of
the B. and O. R. R. the Standard Oil
aud the Fairmont Coal Co. md like
interests hostile to every measure OF
tax reform and with them signed the
protest of rs kickers against tax re.
firm
Another is the official machine he
has Tried to create to perpetuate his
power. His postmasters have bees
busy in season and out OF season to
nominate and elect him in order that
they might be themselves Lept in Of
fee. At one convention the whole
vote of Monongalia county was cast
by one postmaster, SO Disguised were
the voters that no other delegs; e
would gs to the trouble and expense
OF attending.
The thing that most helped to turn
disgust and apathy into aggressive,
affirmative opposition was his deter
mination to mold snap csnve.tion at
the earliest date possible and with t; e
least notice or publicity for fear some
competitor for the nomination might
arise. and his su5Servient committee,
consisting oipostmastess and others
called the convention for April I2th,
just eighties days before the date thea
al-eady fixed by Preston county for
her Primaries and this they did with
iaH knowledge OF that date, and
EHrE.uS that the banner Republican
county Of the D strict would be dis