West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-12-02
THE COURTHOUSE QUESTION.
Citizen Claims People OF kina~ood
Had No Voice In Matter.
KiNowoop, Dec. |.

S'"""S 'Sop'o ot NinSWood
Had No Voice In Matter.
Editor Argus.
While your correspondent has no desire
TO stir up blood over the proposed NJ.
location OF the county capital We would
call the attention OF your Guscman cor
respondent to the fact that the citizens of
kingwood, with the exception of the ma.
chine, had nothing whatever 10 do with
the movement to build new courthouse.
Tho facts arc that largo per cent Of our
people were as much opposed to the unau-
thorized procedure as In our Guscman
friend, We with himself and the masses
of the people of Preston county are only
expected TO do the shouting and voting
necessary 10 hold the machine in power
They do the rest, thank you.
We want 10 inform your correspondent
that the members of the machine do not
all live and do business i'm Kingwood 10y
any means. Terra Alta furnishes a largo
and hcartlcss contingent Even good old
Pleasant is not immune. At least two OF
the chiefs hail from Pleasant, who were
in n position To manipulate the court
house proposition, and did manipulate IL
to the extent that they were finally turned
down by the court
While I'm the main we are charitable
enough 90 say we do not believe our court
is corrupt, we do say that they allowed
themselves TO bo caught on the string OF
those whose every act in the drama II
viewed 10y the people as corrupt, and
| rightly SO. Tho land purchase will go
down into history rs questionable affair,
both as 20 legality and honesty of pur-
pose, upon the part of the vendors, both
Of whom have been honored with the
confidence of the people. When Joe Can
non told Doc Pratt that this was the
damncdcst corrupt government in the
world lac came near telling the TRUTH but
should have added that lac (Cannon) was
the corruptost man i'm America.
But what's the use of talking wholesale
corruption when il IL visible every day
right under our noses and we continue
from year 10 year TO vote the perpetrators
into Office mt the dictaton of blood
sucking political machine, whose greed
for Office and plumber placed the heaviest
burden in taxation upon us of any county
in the state, and Kingwood district the
heaviest in the county, rs she has been
forced 10 hand up $40, 900 TO railroad
corporation, from which other districts
were immune, while the schools Of the
district have been robbed Of their equita-
ble share OF the funds at the instance of
same monopoly who now attempt to build
courthouse on their own motion with
out the advice or consent of the people.
Why does our Pleasant district friend
charge Kingwood with being responsible
for what is going on2 When we are un-
able 10 help ourselves IL is unfair 90 ex-
pcct ms to help others. Every district in
the county las representative ON the
court. Go after the men you have hon
ored with Office, my friends The trouble
lies in them and not the town Of Kingwood.
But what has this all TO do with the
location Of courthousc2 Not thing in
the world. IL matters not where thee court,
house is located the machine and grafters
will get there, and don't you forget it.
There is but one thing OF much import
ancc to bc discussed and that is the loca-
ton. The people are not interested in
the volume OF business town is doing.
Town matters are like county--it Is not
best for either 10 bite Off more than they
can chew, so that the question 10 bc set
tied some time in the future is, where is
the location that will prove the most
available for the greatest number OF our
people? II it be Terra Alta, vote it there.
II il be Rowlcsburg, Tunnelton, or New
burg, vote IL there. II IL be Kingwood,
vote IL here, and above all, don't vote on
tho supposition that removal of the
county seat will remove the evils that we
are complaining Of. II we arc 90 have a
cleaner government than we have had VIC
must elect cleaner and better qualified
men 10 administer IL than We have been
clectng We can't do this If We allow n
designing and corrupt machine 30 name
our men. We must perform that duty
ourselves at the polls fearessly and hon
cstly and we will have performed a sa-
cred duty 10 our country and ourselves.
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