Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1908-05-12
A STATEMENT FROM SENATOR
CAMPBELL.
CHARLES Town, w. VA. NAV 6.

\
tion that he has not.
In reply to bis disclaimer that he is
not being supported by the liquor in
terests, | suggest that he publicly
this week, over his signature, define
bis position on legislation affecting
these people explicitly. Will he vote
for county local option law? Will
he vote to submit a prohibition amend
ment?
He further makes the claim that ht
will carry Berkeley, Hampshire anC
Morgan solid, but the Democrat,
voters of these counties will have
something different to say about thai
when the opportunity offers.
The Berkeley County Executive
Committee has called mass meet
ing" to elect Senatorial delegates, on
May 16, at the Court House in Mar
tinsburg, plan suspiciously like the
notorious pink ticket" meeting
which disfranchiSed half the county
when another Jefferson county mar
was candidate few years ago. A
strong protest from Democrats who
stand for fair play having been made
to the County Committee against this
procedure and demand made that
the election of Senatorial delegates be
postponed until they can be voted fol
at the county primaries, the same in
fluences which are insidiously at work
in the district to Stifle the voice OF
the people, has spurred the Senatorial
Committee into action. 1t was sud.
denly convened in Martinsburg on yes
terdav to fix a time and place fol
holding the convention. Learning
accidentally of the movement, | de-
cided to be present and to be heard,
which, however, was not on the pro,
gram. A friendly member, Mr.. Lo.
gan B. Shut, of Jefferson county
sent his proxy to Berkeley Democrat
who stood for square deal, but be
was promptly excluded on the ground
that the Committee would recognize
no proxies. | am, therefore, unable
to state what the Committee did In
secret session. After asking to be
heard, and nearly an hours wait,
was allowed ten minutes in which tC
address the Committee and protest
against any unusual action being TAX
en- this year, stating that all l asked
was that the convention be held al
about the same time as in the past,
generally in September, stating that
there was no reason nor excuse for do
ing otherwise, and that any departure
from this time honored Democratic
custom would be unjust to the people
and to some of the candidates, anC
therefore, unDemocratic and indefen
sble. The result was that they fixec
the time for holding the convention
the unprecedentedly early date o.
Nav 20, two weeks from today ano
four days after Berkeley and Morgan
have had their meetings. The motive
is selfevident, but | have sufficient
faith in the anti-machine Democrats
of the district to believe that they
will not tolerate this deliberate at
tempt to trample their rights under
foot. The incentive will be made
plain publicly in the near future.
Learning that in my absence a ru
| NOR has been circulated that, in tn,
Legislature, / voted against taxing
oil and gas, beg to say that this il
absolutely false. Facts are stubborn
| things, and the official record, tn,
Journal of the Senate, proves conclu
sively that | have always advocated
and voted for tax on coal, oil ant
gas. During the extra session of 100
when the Compromise Bills, drawn a
the Washington Conference" wer,
taken up, l moved that ia lieu of con
sidering them, the Senate take up ant
consider the bills prepared by the Ia,
| Commission, including those taxinl
coal, oil and gas, and also voted Il
pass them. In 1907 bill was offeret
proposing a license tax on gas only
the amount proposed being prohibi
tory, and presumably intended to pre-
vent expectation from the gas belt, a
stated by Democratic Senators liy
| ing in that section and who voted 70
it on that account, to less favored sec
lions like our own, as is now being
done. Our Board of Trade had pre-
viously taken this position, as statet
in the Senate at that time. object
ed and voted against it for these rea
sons and for the further reasons tina
oil and coal were not included.
stated in debate that If this were don
and the tax proposed by the Tax Com
mission we're adopted, that | woul'
vote for it, but this was declined.
In 1908 / offered the following sub
stitute to resolution proposing a.
amendment prohibiting the exporta
tion of gas, making it include coal
oil and gas: Except upon the pay
ment to the State of the production
|, tax proposed by the Tax Commission
in it's final report to the Legislature
Now, as to the rotation theory
Did the Berkeley machine" insist O
Morgan's turn two years ago, or oil
it enter into an agreement then t
consummate deal now? Ii rotation
applies to one Office, doesn't it to all
In this judicial district a Democra
5 cannot be elected without Jefferson
majority, Berkeley being debatabl
and Morgan heavily Republican
Since the War Jefferson has Away
had to-elect the nominee, and ha
mot had the Judgeship until 0
I Senator Faulkner's election to the [
S. Senate, Judge Beckwith, Of Jeffe
son, was named to fill the unexpire
! term, and it was naturally expects
that he would be accorded the nom
! nation for the next term by acclami
ttion. Berkeley and Morgan combine