The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-01-28
TuEsDAY. JANUARY Is, 1sO8.
Governor Dawson,s Bread.


In the course of a lengthy political.
TRADE against Governor Dawson and
his administration and particularly
against his recent utterance concern
ing the gubernatorlal situation, the
Parkersburg Dispatch News says:
When, with his family. he broke
and ate his daily bread, did he re-
member that it was in response to-
party's call that put 1t on his table?"
Such a question is unfair to
Governor Dawson. Does the Dis
patch-News believe that our chief
executive is one so lacking in man
hood and energy and ability as to
starye himself and his family unless
he has, by the grace of the Repub-
lican party, some political office from
which to derive his living income?
How does the Dispatch-News know
but what the governor buys his bread
with money earned in the self same
occupation represented by itself?
The salary of the present governor
of West Virginia is not beyond his
capacities by any means, nor is it an
excessive compensation for the work,
the weighty responsibilities and the
assiduous application the Office i'm
poses and which he has performed
and bourne with efficiency. In civil
life Governor Dawson could undoubt-
eddy earn enough money by his eff
forts to keep bread on his table and
the wolf from the door.
Governor Dawson has inaugurated
and carried out reforms for the peo-
pie of this state by the side of which
his monetary compensation is dis
paraging. He has been good gov
ernor and an able one, nor can the
Dispatch-News show where he has
not been acting conscientfously for
the best interests of the people Of
the commonwealth in the fulfillment
of the duties of his high office.
In private life Governor Dawson
may exercise the undeniable prerog-
alive of his citizenship and he may
state, and certainly he has the right
to state, his political preferences in
doing so. But Governor Dawson's
privately expressed opinion was not
an official act 1t did not concern
the administration of his Office nor
present state affairs. He spoke of
the future, not of the present, of the
time when he shall be no more than
a citizen in private life and with his
fellow citizens exercise his right to
participate in civic affairs as they do.
When w. N. o. Dawson was made
governor his citizenship was not tax
en- from him.
The State has been fortunate in
securing Governor Dawson's services
as is shown by the progress it has
made in acquiring better government
during his administration and there
is no doubt that he could earn more
money, if he were expending his
energies and abilities in another d.
rection. He has earned his daily
bread as governor and is entitled to
break and eat it in peace. And be-
cause others cast covetous and
hungry eyes toward the bread of his
table, when they have plenty to eat
is no reason that he should turn the
public pantry over to them. Let
those who would succeed him show
that they can earn the gubernatorial
bread as Governor Dawson has done
and let not the idea prevail, through
Misrepresentation. that the pantry
of the executive mansion at Charles
ton is a charity larder established
merely for the relief of the fame
hungry and political needy.