The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-18
SECOND DISTRICT
DEMOCRACY
WANTS TO M 81 Az Biz VAN
X LE ISSUE lh TIL CON RES
SIGNAL cAMF'AIe

SIGNAL CAMPAIGN,
/. with the posttty declina don Of Col.
Thomas b. Davis and the refusal Of
his brother, Uncle Henry Giassawas-
81 pleasant memory I'm the last pres
fdential campaign. to pen his safety
vaults TO promote col. McCffaN am
bftions for TIM Inited States Senate.
along comes wandsrer through the
political forests OF the Second Com
gressional district Of West Virginia
in the person OF the Hon. James ~
Mason. Of Jefferson county; with q
proposition on the old State debt
question that Is father remarkable:
at this juncture. SAYS the Pittsbnrg;
Gazette Times.
MIR. Mason proposes to inject g
whereas and three resolutions into
the Democratic congressional convsn-
ton Of the Second district when It
meets at Keyser, which. In effect, ac-
cuses the debt commissioners ap-
pointed by the legislature of Virgin.
ia, who have brought suit against
west Virginia for her share of the
obligations supposed to be due the.
Old Dominion, of graft. In one Of his
subdivisions OF resolution, spec;
fticatlon or he asks for an inter:
state inquiry as to whether said
Wall street syndicate has agreed to.
pay the members Of said (Virginfal
commission large fees for their ser.
vices in the matter After this init.
nation of grating on the part of the
virginia gentlemen the resolutions
declare that effort should be ex--
hausted" by the West Virginia legfs-
lature ITO continue said suit without
action till after the next Virginia leg
fslature. This is as clear as mud:
except to the Hon. James NJ. Mason.
whose sobriquet in old.tfms West Vir-
gfnla politics used to be "Buttermflk.
However. the Mason propaganda is in
terestfng from the fact that it has,
nothing under the sun to do with a
congressional convention. The debt
question is matter that lies wholly
within the powers and jurisdiction of
the legislatures of the two States and
is absolutely without the control of
Congress.
Harktng back to the time Virginia
arbitrarily issued what were called
s'west Virginia certificates" which
were supposed to represent West Vir-
gintas share of the debt of the old
state before the birth OF her war
born daughter, no one was more ac-
tive in behalf Of the Wall street SYM
dictate that bought those certificates
at cents ON the dollar than But
termflk' Mason. He was quitet So
Iicitous that West Virginia should
settle After years Of fruitless en-
deavor In this line Mr.. Mason sud-
denly ceased all interest. in the mat
ter. To this day It is, not known
whether the syndicate dropped him or
he shook the syndicate. With this
knowledge of Mr.. Mason's erratic
course 1T. will, be exceedingly inter
esting to watch the action on his
resolutions by the Second district
convention. Having no tangible is
sues on WHICH 10 80 peIpFS Inc PeoH
pie, is 1t possible that the West vir-
ginia Democracy has called on the
Rip Van Wrinkle of Jefferson county
to provide them with an abstract dis
traction that may mfslsad voters?
That is the only rational view Of the
situation.
So far as the troublous debt ques-
tion stands Virginia is now suing
West virginia for an accounting Of
obligations before the latter separat-
ed from the former. The Republican
party stands and has always stood
ready to pay that share when legally
adjusted. but refuses to abide by the
arbitrary settlement on West Virgin
ia of millions of dollars she in no
sense owes. The Democrats, when
in power in West Virginia. have by
resolution in Legislature taken the at
titude Of repudiatlonlsts. The Repub.
licans. on the other hand, have al
ways been willing to pay the honest
+ ==--=====7===