The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-05-10
Wednesday, May 10, 1911.
The SLIPPERY BILL DAWSON
FICTION

Close observers at Charleston claim to
discern the fine hand OF slippery BIZ
Dawson In the calling OF the legislature
In extra session for the passage OF a pri-
mary election Law. and the uncertainty
10 growing regaI ding the enactment OF
the measure as at present proposed I'M
der the provisions OF the Cooper bill.
IL Is claimed that either by design or
accident the bill Is calculated 70 estab-
Iish n form FOR making nominations by
Doth parties under control OF the Repub-
ltcan machine. Il being empowered to
name the election officers and designate
the time and place for the vote. The
complications that have arisen and will
continue to arise during the next ten
days Will cause all Democratic members
OF the legislature to pause and give deep
thought TO the matter before acting
weston Democrat.
All, ha, slippery Bill Dawson"
again. Glance over the pages OF the
average Democratic newspaper in
West Virginia controlled by the Wat
son-Chilton combine. and slippery
Bill Dawson" is about the first thing
to catch your eye. slippery Bill"
has been denounced through columns
or vituperation; streams OF vitriol
have been poured upon his head.
Nearly every crime in the calendar
bENh NAaA HNA atdAnEA NlUls anu
rhJefest Of all is the offense Of sup
porting a primary election law. Natu-
rally the organs OF the Watson Chiffon
combine are apt to take fright al the
suggestion OF law that will limit the
activity Of the check book and insure
a reasonably fair expression OF popu-
lar opinion. II Mr.. Watson Is not to
stay in the Senatorial fight. where will
the chief sustenance come from?
There is reason in their alarm. There
is method in their madness. II will be
a sad day indeed for these organs
When the Watson check book closes
up and the ink in the fountain pen re-
fuses TO flow. but hasn't slippery Bill
Dawson" been rather overdone as an
issue in the primary election fight?
Where and how does "BiH Dawson"
become factor? Where and how Is
a primary election law to he framed
that will be applied more strenuously
TO men of one party than 10 those Of
another? In what respect does the
proposed primary legislation differ
from the legislation that now controls
our regular elections. and what honest
and just complaint has there been
against the integrity and fairness OF
our regular elections?
AS a matter OF fact. there is no lust
argument against decent and hon
est primary law. a law that will in.
sure 20 our primary elections the sane
fifty and protection OF the courts. Men
who have a selfish purpose IN corrupt
primaries. in debauching omeials. in
stufhng ballot boxes. and generally in
those methods that are used 10 defeat
free expression OF popular will. seek
60 create a bugbear with which 10
frighten the tlmid. How unjust and
how criminal this ia 20 every one who
r. familiar With W. " o. Dawson
knows. W ". o. Dawson has no more
interest in the proposed primary legis.
istion than any one OF some two hun.
dred thousand other men IN West Wiz.
ginia. He has far less direct interest
than ". r. Chiffon and c. W. Watson.
They are the men who trombIe IN
their boots when they hear of meas
ures designed 20 insure honest and de.
cent primaries for public omcae
They arc the men who have been