Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-03-16
Walker to the state Senate

the State Senate from this distr let?
There are two principal reasons at
least why the Eastern Panhandle
should choose men of exceptional
ability and integrity. In the first
place the Eastern Panhandle is nu-
merically weak as compared with the
broad expanse ofterritory of the noun
tains with its untold wealth its energy
and young blood. These potent infu-
ences are not slow on all occasions to
assert their power and legislate in
their own interests, but the great and
overtowering reason at this time why
the Democracy Of the Eastern Panhan-
die as well as throughout the entire
State should send their best men to the
legislature is that the state was never
so menaced with danger to the COM
mon people as 1t Is at the present time.
The people under the false cry Of tax
reform were led blindly to adopt pol
icy that must under the very nature
of things prove burden to the peo-
pie and be bene fetal to corporations.
There are other reasons why the very
best men Of the party should be select
ed as the standard bearers. There are a
great many honest Republicans, who
have been deceived in Dawson's prom
ises. They have seen the duplicity and
deception. They realize the danger, They
are opening their eyes, too. The fact is
that their house is on fire and they look
to the Democratic party as their only
refuge from the flames. They can
only be inspi red by good, competent.
trust worthy men who have their coun-
try's interest at heart. Vital questions
will come before the legislature this
winter. Measures looking to the re-
striction of the railroads and other cor
porate interest s, the taxing of1coal, oil,
and gas as 1t isproduced and shipped
out of the state. The two cent mileage
rate, constitutional questions, the Vir-
ginia litigation, all must be carefully
considered. Can these things be IN
trusted to Republican Legislature?
Dawson said the senate was influenced
by the trusts, he had to appeal to Sen
ator Tlilman, to extricate the state,
from the grasp Of the corporations and
why should the people hesitate to go to
the Democratic party for relief. Taxa
ton in its various forms has Been
question Of vital interest to the people
from the earliest organizations of the
clans that formed the rudest 20 vern-
ments of man down the ages to the lat
est assembly of the paid emissaries of
the corporations that was beautifully
portrayed through the Elliott--Daw-
son controversy, last winter. The peo-
pie should not so soon forget the infiu-
ence that was at work at the State cap
itol which the majors letter laid bare.
If the laws enacted by the Legislature
under the leadership Of w. M. o. Daw-
son and the powerful corporations that
dictated his policy, if West Virginia Is
| redeemed, if reason and justice is TO
take the place Of bribery and fanaticism
it will have to be done by the Demo-
cratic party. There never was time in
the history Of the state fraught with
greater interest and greater perils and
that.appeals more directly and with
greater force to the Democracy than tn
present. Who could in this emergency
represent the district with more ability
than the Hon. Stuart w. Walker? In
the late senate we had John J. Corn
well from this district and grandly and
nobly he stood like stone wall against
an army Of despoilers and in his
we want a man Of equal ability.
There may be local interest and preju-
dices in the district but these should
not stand in the way Of the patriotic
duty Of the party. There IL tine when
imaginary interests, local divisions,
and local pride should gave way to the
greater interest Of the party and the in
terest which confront the whole peo-
pie in this coming battle that will be
fought. Let the Democracy Of the East
ern Panhandle as well as throughout
the state stand together some man, let
or not under estimate the ability, ener-
gy and resourcefulness of Its adver-
saries in the darkest night, in the most
perilous storm, in the fiercest batsle let
us select as our leaders, men Of ability
ex perlence and integrity.
Citizen.
-----------o So