Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-03-09
Mr.. Wilkinson's Expla-
nation Before the
Book Board is Held
Up in the Light.
Martinsharg. March :. 1aa1

in the Citizens National Aanl. Waere
the book board was ii session. on The
10th. instant President litter was al.
dressing The board, and ia his remarks
be expressed the hope that after hav-
ing had week ia Witch Is deliberate
over the business before us, we would
be able TO finish up our work ID nm
agreeable way and Ia a manner that
would be satisfactory to ali.
After Mr pitzer sat down. one Of
the members made some remarks in
reference "a the article. which had
appeared III The Evening World. RI.
aeciug upon the book board. signed
by A TAXPAYER Another member
said there we're reports in circulation
that the agonts Of CHM & Co. had
made some offers which were Intended
20 Influence some of the members
% tho book board
{ said that tho agents og Giun ii
GO had nude no offer 70 me. not oven
o eiear but that Mr. Wilkinson. agent
lar the American Book Co., had uiada
Yeral offers aud then stated bis
.rr0aositiaps which he had made 10
ne that day In connection with this
statement ! said did not know
whether he intended 20 divide the
three hundred dollars among the pan.
ple or whether he meat to place ii IN
p.y hands TO divide up, or to do as I
pleased With IL Mr. Tabler remarked,
in ioeoso manner. maybe he intends
It to be divided among the members
at The Look board,
A short while before we adjourned
FOR dinner, a member OF the board
WHO Is personal enemy OF lhne
had occasion TO leave the room and
after we adjourned and went cut OF
the room, | saw Mr. Wilkinson and
he said 4 have been informed, (mis-
informed he should have said,) that
you misrepresented me in there /
have been told that YOU said | offered
10 give YOU money, | didn't ofrer to
give money directly to you
said, | stated your offers just as
you stated them 10 me. suppose he
thought he would try to bluf, as the
attempt to bribe, as ! understood It to
be- had not turned ont as he had
hoped 4, would lie asked permission
70 appear before the board, after ain.
ner. 20 make an explanation, and AZ
one objected
He came before the board and sta
ted the FIRST proposition which he had
made TO me IN regard 10 giving books,
and said that he had made the sane
offer TO Mr. Tabler Aud then asked
him TO explain to the board what he
meant by the $3.50 and $500 PROPOSE.
tons which he had made TO me that
day. Now, all OF you pay particular
attention to what he said, and tell me,
/ If you can catch on, just what he
meant By these offers. He said IN
substance, pointing Ia one member
OF the board, "You understand your
business" and then pointing to an,
other he said, you understand your
business, and | understand my bust.
ness, il did not, | would not be be-
fore you this evening. If choose to
10 give away $3.50 or 5000. worth Of
books, whose business is it2" said
( Mr.. Wilkinson If you mean that the
people are 10 share In this $500, bene-
/ ft which you offered. how or in what
way do you intend 1t to reach them?
He retorted, Through the dealers
board and made these offers, instead
OF making them to me, il might be
that you would now have the con.
tract for the readers. il}y this
meant that IL he had placed before the
board this $500 offer in writing, TO be
considered with other offers which
he had made to the board, and with
his price list. which he had filed with
us. with the understanding that $500
would be deducted from the price Of
the readers TO be shipped to Berkeley
county, next fall. If he should secure
the contract, and if he had agreed
with us that all these offers and prom
ises, which he made to us, should be
embodied in the contract, | am not
prepared to say just what action the
board would have taken In this mat
teri He said. Il am worth $4,000
and beyond the mountains. where
am well known, my word Is as good as
my bond He then made some alu-
sion to his political career, By saying
that he had Travelled up and down the
valleys and over the hills and noun
tains of our state, doing what he
could fcr the success Of the demoera-I
tic party. and intlmated that because
he had done this, the republicans here
had dragged politics into the book
a..