West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-02-23
And How The Republicans SQusilsd
on an lnItSllgitlon.
EFFORTS BEIHG HlDE
To Amend The New Tax Laws to
Prevent Increasing The Taxos
and Proving Democratic
Claims 10 That Eject.

the Hampshire Review, explains a.
follows how tho Republicans In The
Legislature covered up a full inves.
ugation OF their deal with the Stan
dard OIL Company and also tells Of
the desperate efforts Of the admins
tration to amend the new tax laws
to keep from increasing the taxes
and proving the Democratic conten.
tion to that effect.
"There has been rather interest.
ing times IN the Legislature during
the past week, growing out of the
investigation of the committee ere.
ated by Cornwells resolution 10
probe the Standard oil deal with thc
Republican leaders prior to the elec.
ton. The committee has had a
number of persons on the stand, in.
cluding Elliott, who wrote the
famous letter. He admitted that il
was a genuine letter and that he
wrote 1t, but claimed he did not
know anything about the deal be-
tween Mr.. Dawson and the Standard
Oil Company. Neither did John
Worthington, who SAID he was SUI
perintendcnt of the South Pennsyl-
yania Oil Company, but claimed
that he did not know whether the
South Pennsylvania Company was a
branch of the Standard. Things
went along all right in the COM
mittee until the Democratic mem
bers submitted a request that Sena.
tors Elkins and Scott and Chairman
Northcott, of the Republican State
Committee he summoned and then
1t was that the disagreement came.
The Republican members refused to
allow these gentlemen to he sum
moned, deciding that no one be
summoned except those who were
mentioned in the letter. Thereupon
the Democratic members OF the In
vestigation committee drew up and
signed a report to the two Houses
OF the Legislature, setting up the
facts that the parties named were
material witnesses; reciting the fact
that the committee, or a majority OF
it, refused to summon them and
asked the Legislature for authority
TO do so. In the House the speaker
who was prominently mentioned in
the Elliott letter as in the alleged
deal, refused to allow the resolution
to be even considered. in the Sen.
ate when it was offered a motion
vas made by Republican Senator
to lay the report on The table. This
precipltated a violent discussion
Most Of the Republican members
favored laying the report on the
table and argued that nothing would
come of the investigation and the
sooner it was stopped the better.
They practically confessed that .hey
did not want the two United States
Senators to testify This will better
be understood when il is recalled
that according to current rumor
Senator Elkins was the man who
made the deal with the StandardOn
Company. The Democratic Sena-
tors fought with all their power
against suppressing the investigation
and we're supported in their position
by two Republicans, Senators Cole
and Marshall. On the vote several
Republican Senators voted with the
Democrats and few others lodged,
but enough we're mustered oy The
administration crowd to lay the bill
on the table and thus practically
kill and suppress the investigation. "
TIT
"Our Republican friends arc
making frantic efforts, in the Legis.
ialurc, to so amend the new tax laws
that the increase in taxes predicted
by The Democrats, during the past
campaign, will not come true.
"That would be very commenda-
bic, provided they went at it in a
proper and legitimate way, by econ.
omizing and reducing expenditures.
However that is not their method.
They propose to 90 on, creating new
Offices and expending more money.
in so far as State expenditures arc
concerned, than ever before, but al
The same time they propose to Grip
pic and handicap the progress Of the
counties and the school boards, in
the administration Of their local az.
fairs. They are passing bills limit.
ing the amount Of money which can
be collected for county as well a.