The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-09-03
NEWS NOTES
From the Nations Capital, Of Interest
TO West YirginiaGS.
(By George W. Summers)

""oiiiiiS IOu, IIepuDllcdilS dtlO
Democrats alike who are mem
bers of the House Committee on
Elections, which has had the con
tested election case of Rankin
Wiley against James A. Hughes
under consideration, have Joined
in condemnation of the political
methods employed by DR.. H. ID.
Hatfield, Republican and Bull
Moose nominee for Governor and
the general political conditions
In the fifth congressional district.
The Committee, which consists
of six Democrats and three Re-
publicans has presented a unani-
nous report to Congress which
was adopted by the House of
Representatives without obiec-
tlon on the part of any one.
This means that there was not a
Republican in the entire House
of Representatives who disa-
greed with the report made by
the Committee. This report, re-
ferring to DR.. Hatfield, who is
now the nominee of two political
parties for Governor Of West Vir-
GINA, but is supporting only one
candidate for President, says:
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 a
strong presumption that the con-
duct of the election was to be
neither fair or honest.
This is not partisan charge
made by Democrats but is the
official report unanimously con-
Cured in by Democrats and Re
publicans alike after more than
a year of investigation and after
the hearing of witnesses whose
testimony made nearly a thous-
and pages. And this mans off
cial conduct was such as to cause
Republicans to say that there
was ground for presumption that
the election, of which he had
charge in his County was to be
neither fair nor honest"
The same Committee roundly
criticized conditions in Mingo
County, which is one of the few
counties in the southern end of
the state which are always relied
upon to give Republican major
tiles in state elections. Regard
ing this county the Committee of
both Democrats and Republicans
said;
During the course of the ar
gument Mingo county was elimi-
mated as factor in this case by
the admission of counsel for the
contestee that fraud was COM
mitted in that county in the in
terest of the contestee, and that
it was so fragrant and outrageous
that the returns from the nine
precincts where the frauds were
perpetrated ought to be excluded
in counting the vote for the con-
testant and contestee. But the
fraud and corruption was of
such a serious character that the
committee deems it its duty to
refer to the conditions in the
nine precincts as disclosed by
the testimony and admission Of
counsel"
X X
Within the last few days John
ID. Archboid, president of the
Standard Oil Company has stated
under oath to a Senate Commit
tee which has been investigat-
ing campaign subscriptions that
his Company was given credit by
leading West Virginia Republi-
cans with having carried West
Virginia for the Republican par
ty in 1904. Mr.. Archbold tolC
the committee that the STANDARD
Oil Company contributed S125
600 to the Republican campaign
fund in 1904, doing sowith the full
knowledge and approval of Mr.
Roosevelt and that the same
Company was subsequently re-
quested, with the knowledge oil
Mr.. Roosevelt, to add $50. 600 t.
its contribution. Speaking o.
the conditions in West Virgin;
in the same year when Mr.
Roosevelt was a candidate 70,
President and w. M. o. Dawson