West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-11-14

ARGUS desires 10 call attention TO
and impress upon the people OF
Preston county. The Preston
County Journal has been making
specially of what Gov. Dawson
has done to the railroads in West
Virginia. At the recent'meeting
of the state board of trade, which
was held in the town Of Elkins,
Mr.. George Byrne introduced a set
of resolutions which drew the fire
and opposition of Gov. Dawson
and ex-Gov. White. The gist of
the Byrne resolutions was that the
board "use its influence to bring
about closer relations between the
railroads and the people"
Gov. Dawson took exceptions to
the adoption of the resolutions on
the ground that they might be in
terpreted that the state admins
tration was hostile to railroads.
So the governor injected few re-
marks to make it clear that he
was the friend of the railroads and
declared he was opposed to the 2.
cent fare law and would have
vetoed it had not the railroads
through their representatives de-
feated the railroad commission
law.
Here was-a public admission by
Gov. Dawson that he signed a
measure (the 2-cent fare on rail
roads, he was opposed to for the
sole reason that the railroad COM
mission law was defeated. In plain
language, had the Legislature
passed the railroad commission
law the governor would have We
toed the 2-cent fare law. Is this
not a black eye to the Journal,
which has been whooping and
yelling about what Gov. Dawson
has done to the railroads?
According to the testimony of
the governor his only reason for
signing the 2-cent law was to get
even with the railroads, because,
as he alleges, their representatives
in the legislature defeated the rail
road commission law.
What was this railroad commits
sion the governor took such deep
interest in? Simply a measure
which created high salaried offices
which gave the governor the
power to fill by appointment.
Thus he could have rewarded
some of his friends by appointing
them to lucrative positions which
the taxpayers would have been
called upon to foot the bill. A
most generous governor who has
the welfare of the people at heart
But because he was denied the
pleasure of appointing his friends
to profitable public Offices, which
would add to the burden of taxa
ton, he approved the 2-cent fare
law.
How do the governors reasons
for signing the 2.cent fare law
strike the average Preston county
taxpayer who takes an occasional
ride on the railroads? You see
the governor was willing that the
people continue to pay the Scent
fare providing they created the
railroad commission which would
enable the governor to add a few
more ofiice-holders to the list.
Does this look like the governor
is the bosom friend of the common
people? Does it tally with the
heartrending cries of the Journal
that the governor is the genuine
friend of the people and a railroad
Jack the Ripper?
We want the Republicans of
Preston county to get wise to the
shell game which the Journal is
playing on them. Ithas not, and
cannot give a logical reason why
the Republicans Of Preston county
should continue to support the
local ring and the state machine.
1t is simply the megaphone Of the
Office trust. II has nothing i'm
common with the rank and file of
the Republican party. 1t marches
under the Republican banner and
procloims its principles for self
preservation It would hoist the
flag Of any other political party if
1t happened to be the dispenser Of
the pics, and it had to forfeit its
pie or unfurl the flag Of the party