The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-11
STATE sPIS4s5As



Conway on His 5arty.
The fascinating pasttme 81 discef-
sring where the State Democracy
mot holding i boards The
Hon conowa . m the dts
tinguished ahthoElties competent
lgfye expert testimony to the mteili
Egence humble Vision seems To-
have dlagnosed his parys compliant
lcorrectIy He of alI others has lad
the courage 10 q public inter
View THAI the Democratic party In
West Virginia IS d corporation pawn
to be moved about on the chess boafd
a The sweet win OF corporation attor-
neys and other Representatives OF.
vested interests
Here are his own words
sgThe safe8and san element domin-
ates the Democratic party and the pnp
lty management has fallen into the
hands of representative of the vest
ed interests, who have been debating
party policies and nominations. You
cannot attend a committee meetlne
or a convention but what is CONTROL.
ed by employed representatives OF
this class
Take the Campaign of 1904, when.
the important question OF tax reform
was the issue. The Democrats did mot
assumed position On this question IN.
their platform. They simply tyiewel
with alarm deplored and regretted
any attempt made toward tax reform:
id n character. When we carefully
consider the attitude Of the Democrats.
in the last campaign it was nothing
more than a personal TRADE on NJ.
Dawson. with no expression whatever
on the important question of tax re-.
form"
Asked for his panacea, Mr.. Como
way suggested first that his party get
rid OF ahangers-on and paid represen-
tatives'f of the corporations, other.
wise 1t did not deserve and could insl
expect public confidence. Further, IN.
his lengthy interview, he crfticfses the
true and actual value assessment as
applied to mineral lands as falling to
come up to their commercial value.
but he has no sympathy with that
standard for this class of property,
contending speculatiyely that It would
nut a prohibftive tax. upon certain
tracts which might no be worked, as
in the a of coal, for two or three
generations, and which in this event
with the interest compounded upon
the lax payments, would become too
costly to AFFORD dividends on their re-
mote operation. Therefore, Mr.. Como.
a fayors the production tax ON coal,
oil and gas, originally suggested by the
tax commission, and takes issue with.
the claimsthat such a tax would be I'M
constitutional, by rscitinE the old Re
publican argument that the mainten@
ance Of miners hospitals and mine In
spectors made the coal business eligt-
bic for license relatively with the hq-
uor business.
MI. Conoway Is oneo I the aEgrsss-
i've young Democrats OF Fairmont and
the point in his frank talk is his struc-
lures on the corporate domination of
his party whereby It is kept colorless
and negative on all questions of pub
lie interest. That Mr.. Conoway is SO
called at this day, and was not when
one of the Democracy's principal
stunpers in the 1904 campaign, does
not detract from the force Of his pres
ent views.
AS contirmatory Of the fact that the
Republican, have to fight the great
corporations when they are fighting
the nominal Democracy this express
sion from a Democrat OF Democrats
is significant. Colonel Conoway n
Colonel o'Brfen may be scofed by a
certain element in their party. but !
years to come the honest sentiment
of the rank and hfe will pay them fit
ting tribute.-Wheeling Intelligencer.
g.. gEA