Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-03-09
Hon J. J. Cornwall Replies.
To the Editor Of the Register.

thi'AiS tA"et ViSah vi your city on
Tuesday last, wherein am referred To
as "the creature" of the b. & o. Rail-
road and Fairmont Coal Com pahy and
eo-conspirator in the crime with one
Randolph Staluaker, an alleged em-
ploye of the former named corpora
ton.
| have not the time, would not ask
the space, and have not the inclination
to enter an extended denial of thNe
accusations. As | have said before,
people ere not so much interested in
persons as in public questions, unless
1t he the persons who are charged with
responsibilities which they refuse TO
assume. The statements that am the
creature great or small. of any cor
poration, big or lit tie, is so absurd, un
just and false that | shall not further
discuss it. want TO add, in passing.
though, that l wo uld deem It no more
discreditable to be connected with a
corporation that was taking dollars
from the pockets of the people than to
be connected with newspaper trust
whose chief business seems to he to
stab characters and assassinate repu-
tations, likewise no more disgraceful
o'have my name connected with an
agent of one of these corporations than
with a newspaper trust proprietor
whose reputation is so unsavory that
he could not be elected member of a
club composed of gentleman in his
own city. | had not intended
to lie personal, but these remarks
are necessitated under the circum-
stances.
The Fairmont Coal Company, let it
be understood, whose creature this
trust organ says am, but with which
nave never had any connection or as
ISOLATION, either directly or indirectl,
either with 1t, its agents, officers or EN-
ployes, which, and which ii is alleged
by the same p2per, is owned and con-
trolled by the B. Il o. Railroad Conn
pany, and III favor of which the same
paper alleges the railroad discrininates
as against independent operators. is a
product, child, if you please, of the
Dawson corporation law, which this
trust organ praises SO highly and de-
nounees me for opposing. Let it be UNI
derstood that without that Dawson cor
poration law there could have been no
Falrmont Coal Company, or other gi-
gantic concern CT its kind, in this State
these people have, by their unwise
legislation. made possible. yea pro
duced the very things Of which.ythey
now complain. Does the public not
understand that? Can they obscure
these facts by personal assaults on those
who call public attention TO their short
comings?
When thiefprepsres to pick peck
ct In crowd he jostles his victim or
MS pals start pretended fight nearby
When BURGLAR decides to raid rich
establishment, closely guarded, he not
lnfrequently starts fire in another
square 10 attract attention away from
the point of attack, and it is upon the
same principle, and born and bred of
the cunning, that the machine organs
are making their present noise, and
That the morning trust organ makes
its personal assault on me.
II the conditions in this State are
such that further legislation IS needed
to give shippers square deal and
compel the railroads to do justice by
the public, then | am in favor of it
ana Will support unhesitatingly any
legislation that is necessary, however
stringent and radical it may be, pro-
Vided 1t is designed for the public good
ana not for machine purposes; but to
surrender or refuse to fight and cry for
reinforeements is certainly cowardly,
to say the least. That is exactly what
is proposed.
The statute we have was, under a
Democratic Governor, sufficient TO in
sure justice and fair dealing, but an
parently new conditions have evolved
out OF the Republican amendments to
our corporation laws. now ask only
that honest efforts be made TO enforce
our present statutes before the people
and the State be put to the expense Of
an extra session Of the Legislature. /
believe that with grim determination
pehind them to enforce them, they
would still be sufficient to prevent dis
elimination of any kind or character,
Has the Republican party turned
ropulistic that it desires to take from
the courts of the State the inherited
power and authority to enforce laws
and fix penalties and centralize them
in executive hands? Or is there some
/ particular machine reason 70. this re-
verssl of policy?