The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-20
MIR, SVnsHER

8NaEtGl
metit q capital m oarFfrSnspoTfafIon
and other public service facilities; The
~rosssessor thereof must be assured, fair
treatment and an adequate return.
While railroads and corporations
should have fair treatment, they must
be law abiding, do right, and serve the
public interest.
~ The Liquor Question.
The liquor questionable licensed
saloon-is another great and press.
Ing question before the people. AS
the libe~rty.loying American people
have solved successfully other great
questions that have come to them. 80
they will wisely solve this one. AS
has been well said, ours is a govern.
ment OF public opinion. / believe the
majority Of the people OF this State
are In favor Of local option-that is,
Oh having submitted ut stnted periods
TO the people In each neighborhood las
small as p%racticable) the question of
granting saloon license. For many
reasons this seems to me the most ef.
%fectire way to deal with this matter.
It keeps the question before the peo.
pie, leads to public discussions. right.
~ forms public sentiment, making
known to the executive officers Of
the government what the people want.
and gives them no excuse for failure
to enforce the law.
Primary Election Law.
Our laws regulating elections and
the nomination OF candidates for pul,.
lie Office need revision. The nomina.
ton Of candidates and their election
TO Office should be made as fair and
Tree from the charge of fraud as nos.
sible. This is very important. The
last legislature failed to pass the
measure before 1t for a State primary
election law. Public sentiment seems
divided. II the people want a prI.
mary election law they should have
1t, and | will carry out the sentiment
or the people on this question as EN-.
bodied in the next State Republican
platform. But whether we have this
Jaw or some other, certainly we should
regulate by proper provisions the nom.
nation of candidates whether mad.
by conventions or primary elections,
SO that 1t will be free from any allie.
cation Of corruption and frand.
Labor.
The rights and protection OF the
iaooring men In this country demand
and should receive n large share of
governmental attention. Labor is Mt
the foundation OF all our indus.
tries. the source Of national wealth.
1t Is all important to the stability
OF free institutions that the laboring
man be free. prosperous, c%ontented
and happy. and this can be the case
only when he is treated Justly and
fairly. know the conditions anil
needs OF laboring men by expert.
eHce as well as observation, and 7 will
do everything l can for their welfare
that is right.
Free Schools.
The educational system of this
State has made remarkable progress
during Republican rule. The annual
distributable school fund has grown
10 three quarters Of n million dol.
iars and the length Of the school
term has recently been increased from
five to six months, so that now every
person OF school age in the State has
the advantage of n minimum school
term OF six months. There is yet room
Tor Improvement. however, as too
much cannot be done for the educa.
lion OF the rising generation. The
boys and girls Of today are the men
and women of tomorrow, and the sur.
! est safeguard OF good government Is
an Intelligent citizenship, and the sur.
est way to secure an intelligent citi.
%enship Is to educate the people. !
believe that considering the ability re.
CURED and the Importance Of their
work no clnss of olr citizens are so
INnnrlt. NATL 80 -.