Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-11-04

Next tuesday, The voters of this dis.
trict will be called upon to elect rep
resentative to the lower house OF tbe
n KIT Congress and he will be either
w. G.. Brown or George G. StuTgiss as
the former is the democratic and the
latter the republican candidate. Mr..
Sturgiss has been representing this dis
trIct for four years and bis record has
not been satisfactory to the people.
For years the republican party has
been kept in power by the beneficiares
of the protective tariff whose schedules
have been dictated by the trusts and
| of course was in no instance in the in
terest of the people. The load has be-
| come SO heavy that the people, lead ~
such brilliant republican statesmen rs
LaFollette, Cummins, Deliver, Brs
tow ct al. have revolttd MI. Sturgiss
may have had desire to serve his
people but he was either too blindly
partisan or was too dull TO read the
sign of the times aud cast every vote
during those two terms in the interest
of the trusts.
Last summer when such able Tepub-
ct al joined with the democrats TO
break down the tyranny of Cannon he
stood by Cannon aud gave every vote
to Cannonism. He little dreamed that
he had hundreds of insurgents in his
own district and now when he is
| brought face to face with these men he
is trying to deceive them by calling
himself progressive. His record
brands him n Cannon standpatter
and tie voters cant be mislead They
! know he is a wolf in Sleeps clothing
| The only product CT his district which
could be said needed protection is ,coa,
and hat he voted to place on the fee
list. rhere can perhaps be no strong
err indictment brought against the
standpat republican machine than the
gross extravaganza which has been
| applied to the administration of the
government and yet Mr. Sturgiss al
ways showed readiness to vote for an
appropriation
Mr., Sturgiss during his career in
Congress introduced but one bill that
became law and that was fora post
office building at bis home town, Nor
gantown and in that he was vot
log money into his own pocket. The
law will not permit mem Der of Con-
gress TO sell any property to the gov
erpment but Mr.. Sturglss was not TO
be thwarted in bis design of unload
ing his house in which he lived or
Uncle Sam so he conveyed ii 10 the
bank in which he was interested and
then had the bs nix sell it TO our
Uncle Sammy at $4,000 and has since
aud lis still living in it at the nominal
rent of one dollar per year. This is de-
uounced b. many of his home people
as an evasive of the law and as graft
and is losing him many votes.
No progressive republican can re-
gard himself as bound tovote for Stur-
-
tioket He has no claim on them in
! the matter of being regular for he him.
self set them the example by refusing
to vote for Judge a. q. Dayto when
lie last ran.
He has never Gone one thing to serve
/ the people of Berkeley county but
spent Ii his time in doing the bidding
of Cannon whose DOL he has been He
does not deserve the support of the re-
publicans of this county and he is not
going TO get their votes. In the only
appointment be made in Berkeley
county, that of postmaster, he encOur-
aged numerous good deserving party
men who never held an office but had
borne the burden aud heat of the day
while he knew all the time that he has
traded away the office To keep his
brother-in-law in a good soft job, for a
republican who has succeeded in hold
ing office almost continuously ever
since he was voter.
/ The republicans f the district have
decided to defeat Sturgiss there
are going to be republican votes enough
east against him 10 accomplish that
cad and it is up to the democrats o do
their part. This is the chance to win
! a great victory aud every democrat
should go out and join these honest,
fearless republicans and defeat this
man who has misrepressnted us for
the past four years.
The democrats of Berkeley county
can well afford TO take a DAY of and
lend a hand in this good work. II
is battle of .the people against the
trusts aud special interests which mr.
Sturgiss is SO willing to serve.