Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-08-29
Our Washington Letter.

Elections, which has had the contested
election case of Rankin Wiley against
James A. Hughes under consideration,
have joined in condemnation OF the po-
litical methods employed BY DIR. n. S.
Hatfield, Republican and Bull Moose
nominee for Governor and the general
political conditions in the fifth congress
sional district. The Committee, which
consists OF six Democrats and three Re-
publicans has presented unanimous re-
port to Congress which was adopted by
the House of Representatives without
objection on the part of any one. This
means that there was not Republican in
the entire House of Representatives who
disagreed with the report made by the
Committee. This report, referring to
DR.. Hatfield, who is now the nominee OF
two political parties for Governor OF West
Virginia, but is supporting only one CAN
didate for President, says:
1.-The testimony shows that this same
DR.. Hatfield was very active in the actual
conduct of the election in Mcdowell
County, and the refusal to appoint DEM
ocratic challengers raises strong pre-
sumption that the conduct of the election
was to be neither fair nor honest"
This is not partisan charge made by
Democrats but is the official report unan-
imously concurred in by Democrats and
Republicans alike after more than year
of investigation and after the hearing OF
witnesses whose testimony made nearly
thousand pages. And his official con-
duct was such as to cause Republicans to
say that there was ground for presump-
ton that the election, of which he had
charge in his county was to be "neithef
fair nor honest"
The same Committee roundly criticized
conditions in Mingo County, which is
one OF the few counties ia the southern
end OF the State which are always relied
upon to give Republican maiolities in
State elections. Regarding this county
the Committee of both Democrats and
Republicans said:
"During the course OF the argument
| Mingo county was eliminated as factor
in this case by the admission OF counsel
| for the contestee that fraud was committed
| in that county in the interest OF the con-
testee, and that it was so fragrant and
outrageous that the returns from the nine
precincts where the frauds were perpe-
trated ought to be excluded in counting
| the vote for the contestant and conteStee.
But the fraud and corruption was OF such
a serious character that the committee
deems its duty to refer to the conditions
in the nine precincts as disclosed by the
testimony and admissions of counsel"
Within the last few days John D. Arch
bold, President OF the Standard Oil Com
pany, has stated under oath TO Senate
Committee which has been investigating
campaign subscriptions that his company
was given credit by leading West Virginia
Republicans with having carried West
Virginia for the Republican party in 1904.
| Mr.. Archbold told the committee that the
| Standard Oil Company contributed Sl25.-
600 to the Republican campaign fund in
1904, doing so with the full knowledge
and approval of Mr.. Roosevelt and that
the same company was subsequently re-
quested, with the knowledge of Mr..
Roosevelt. to add $3.50, 1000 to its contri-
button. Speaking Of the conditions in
West Virginia in the same year when
Mr.. Roosevelt was candidate for Pres
ident and w. M. o. Dawson was the
Republican nominee for Governor o.
West Virginia, Mr.. Archbold said:
"Scott and Elkins, too, were both in
clned to give us credit for going into
West Virginia with enough Republicans
to turn the tide from the Democracy to
the Republican party in that State"
1t has been commended by Democrats
ever since the election Of 1904 that the
Standard Oil Company was responsible
for the result in West Virginia that year,
but il remained for Mr.. Archbold to give
not only his own testimony to the same
effect, but to explain the belief of Sena-
tors Scott and Elkins that this was trne.
The question now is whether Theodore
Roosevelt and his manager, W. M. o.
Dawson, who once obligated themselves
to the Standard Oil Company in consid-
Grafton of the carrying Of West Virginia
by that company, would now be willing
to obligate themselves to the Steel Trust,
the Harvester Trust or any other trust
which might make large contributions to
their campaign and assist in carrying the
/. State for the combined Bull Moose and
Republican tickets.
The Subcommittee of the House Ju-
dietary Committee, which has had under
consideration Congressman Hamilton's
resolution for the payment by the Unit
ed States of any part Of the Virginia
State debt for which West Virginia may
be found liable. has written letter to the
Democratic members of Congress from
West Virginia explaining why there has
been no report upon the resolution. APP
parently the Sub Committee is in favor Of
the resolution but it is explained that so
far the amount involved haslnot been de-
fermined and that congressional action
could hardly be expected until the amount
Of Indebtedness is known. The Commit
tee, however, expresses the opinion that
the precedents set forth in Mr.. Hamilton's
arguments are very strong and the reso-
luton and the matters therein contained
seen to come closely to, il not entirely
within the scope of these precedents.
Mr.. Hamilton and the other Democratic