Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-10-30

party.
Itmight not be amIss at this roint
to state that the real cause for the res
ent political'condltiou prevailing IN our
state st this time had its origin in !
1894 when the present United States
Senator, Stephen b. Elfins, FIRST be-
csme an active force in West Virginia /
state politics, and which activity was /
brought about by his desire to occupy
seat in the United States Senate,
through the lavish and corrupt use Of
his great wealth and at the same
time laying the foundation for the up
building and the creation Of a corrupt
political machine, he introduced iato
the body polite Of our state the germ
Of political rotteRness which was null
tiplied and festered with the poison to
such an extent that the very existence
of the party in our state Is threatened.
Tie growth of this machine was ex-
tremeiy slow, however, until the elee.
ton of A. b. White TO the Office Of
Governor in 1900, but from that time
on II went by leaps and bounds until
practically all the appointive offices,
both state and federal were illled by
the corrupt, dishonest and suhseryient
tools of the machine noliticians and
most Of said appointees willingly be-
came part Of that machine. After
having filed the appointive offices
with their political heneh an, the
machine politicians turned their al
tention to the elective offices believing
them selves sufficiently strong to con-
troi the nominations through theco
operation Of their corrupt and packed
state central eomn ittee was composed
| largely of the very men they had ;
cured places for either in the state or
federal service. The composition ofthat
committee IL as follows:
| Elliott Northcott, u s. District
Attorney for the Southern district Of
West Virginia,
| 2. Hugh Ike shost, postmasterat
Blueiield.
! 3.s. G. .Denham, postmaster at
! Clarksburg.
| 4. Or. $. NJ Steele, superintendent
of the Weston insane asylum
| 5. Charles d. Elliott. U. i. Marshal
for the Northern district Il West Viz
glnia.
/ s. Charles ?. Light, member o + the
slate board Of agriculture, close per-
sonal friend Of Postmaster Clohan Ia
Martinsburg.
4 Z. @. a. Petty, late postmaster At
! Charleston, and who was removed
from that office by the President for
| his attempt to commit namelers
crime upon one oftbe female employees
Of bis office, the case being so well es-
tabIished no investigation vas ever at
tempted or demar ded.
4 s. Sarluel Dixon, Fayette county
coal baron, who came over aud joined
the machine after an accident had oe.
Cured in one of hts mines, costing the
lives of some twenfy-eight Of his em-
plUyes, owing to what Governor Daw.
son stated III his message to the Icgis-
lation in 1907, was violation of tie
state Laws in running his mines. 1t
has been openly charged time and
again, and has never been attempted
to De denied that he had the promis e
OF the state administration to be shield
ed andsprotected in the unlawful man
ner in which be was conducting his
mining enterprises, for his support
aud assistance as a member of the
state central committee. AS an evil
dence of that fact, it is only necessary
to recite that nearly two years ago
committee was appointed to investi.
gate the explosions in Mr.. Dixon's
mines, ans that committee has not
yet made its report.
0. The next number We desire to
call attention to is .Namelessn Noel,
| man Of color, known through the state
as 'sam Dixoas coIored man
| 10 w. e. GIasscock, collector Of the
internal revenue Of The state.
II. w. w. Wayte, a defanIting ex-
sheriff Of Mcdowell county.
Il. Earl Martin.
10. A. r. Staliings.
a. q ii. Watkins
| Is. Fl G. woodward, member or
Congres s, chairman.
I
16. Amos Bright, member Of the
board Of directors Of the Weston in
sane asylum
The last four named are believed to
have been absolutely fair, and as Gr
as known, neither cue Of them took
anything for or against Mr. Swisher OF