The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-10-24
Story of the Great Conspiracy from it's Beginning up to the
Present Time. Read the Record of Riot of Political
Knavery and Crooked Corporate Business then
Give Your Answer at The Polls

who desired 10 become candidate
for United States Senator. Then II
was argued that the call of the Gov.
ernor was purely partisan, scheme
of Governor Glasscock to unite the
Republican party. or course, 1t was
easily recognized by the advocates Of
o direct primary law. that the purpose
Of these arguments was to befog the
public mind and divert the attention
Of the people away from the main
issue.
The day for the special session
came Among the first arrivals at
Charleston were Senators A. c. Nc
Intire and Gray Silver; Speaker c.
NJ. Wetzel, and Delegate c. NJ. siebert,
all of them Representatives from the
eastern Panhandle. They came
through Washington where they were
in conference with Senator's Watson
and Chiffon, and upon their arrival
here boldly proclaimed their OPP
pos lion TO the enactment of q direct
prlAlary law, at this time.
At the regular session Of the Leg
islature in the month of January, the
House Of Delegates. by a vote of II
to >. had passed what was popularity
known as the Campben-Cooper bill
1t was drafted by Judge c. W. Camp
bell, Democrat, Delegate from Cabell
county, one OF the most able mem
bers of the Legislature, and the
Chairman of the Judiciary Commit
tee OF the House of Delegates. The
bill was of Democratic origin, but it
was acceptable to Governor Glass
cock. This. assuredly, was evidence
that the Governor had not called the
Legislature together with partisan
motives and did not seek any partisan
advantage in the character of pri-
mary Legislation which he desired
enacted.
When the call for the extra session
OF the Legislature was issued, Gov
error Glasscock had no doubt be-
cause of the former vote on the Camp
bell bill that the House of Delegates
would pass the Campbell bill or some
other primary measure equally as
good. He expected the State Senate
TO agree upon a bill satisfactory 10
everyone. The confidence Of the Gov
ernor in the State Senate was not
misplaced, for the upper branch of
the Legislature passed an excellent
direct primary law, but that his judg-
ment and that of 80 per cent of the
people of West Virginia in the House
of Delegates, was erroneous was DEM
onstrated clearly by subsequent
events.
For fifteen days the advocates of a
direct primary law fought faithfully
10 beat down the opposition waged
by Senator'S Watson and Chiffon,
through their accredited representa-
tives, MacCorkle in the Senate ana
Wetzel in the House. Some OF the
most able Democrats of the House of
Delegates, men like Judge C. w.
Campbell, OF Huntington: II Ice,
Jr., or Philippi; James W. Robinson
OF Clarksburg; Nelson c. Hubbard, OF
Wheeling, and Edward a. Brannon.
of Weston, worked together with the
Republican minority for the enact
ment of fair and honest legislation,
but it availed nothing. One thing,
however, was accomplished by the
courageous advocates of primary
law They defeated every flank move
ment made by the Watson
opponents of the primary law and
forced the latter to consider primary
legislation. They succeeded in pass
ing a fair and equitable primary law
through the State Senate, but the
House was held in yice-like grip by
the forces of corruption, and on the
evening of May 80, the Legislature
adjourned sine die without the enact
ment of a direct primary law.
I'VE did not come here to do IT and
we do not intend to do it" was the
statement of Senator A. c. McIntire,
of Morgan county, one OF the support
ers of the Democratic senatorial ma
chine and 1t accurately Illustrated the
position of the senatorial allies and
exposed to the people of the state
the reason for the failure of the Leg