Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-10-11


Union where that organization has
been made by him upon these princi.
pies ana methods p'e have seen a
complete state organization effected.
We have seen complete state tickets
4 placed in the field. and many of them
with the declaration that the fight
they make is one OF principle and not
for offices. Those men are looking
10 the future and they are fighting
I for principle and not for spoils In
/ the great states of Massachusetts.
I Washington. Indiana. Ohio and Yer
mont, and elsewhere we see the com
! plete organization on behalf of the
National Progressive party. Why is
not that the case In West Virginia2
Is the Republican party in West Vir-
ginia so free from machine DONNA.
ton, so pure in its political methods
that IL needs no reformation. Has IL
been ruled by no bosses or no I'M
scrpulous politicians? | shall not tell
you what Democrats say about IL. but
| refer you to the editorials of the
Wheeling Intelligeneer, the Parkers-
burg State Journal. the Charleston
Mail, and TO every one of the leading
Republican papers of this state, and
what did they say. That almost all
of the state committee of the Repub-
lcan party were either state or ma
tional officeholders and it became
necessary to call great woodchuck
dinner. / believe they call it, down at
Charleston, in order to force these
men off the committee because, they
said, if you don't get off and we don't
reform ourselves the people are 60
ing to take 1t away from us. They did
resign from the committee but the
federal officeholders selected their
own successors and now they say the
party today is falling into the same
old gang that controlled 1t before,
Have their political methods been
clean? You have but 70 go back TO
the convention of 1904 between Daw-
son and Teter, the candidates. and
see the shameful scenes enacted in
that convention. Dawson, as chair
man. sat and decided the contests OF
his own delegates. passed upon their
own credentials and they seated them
selves. You have but to recall the
scene of 1908 when the convention
split in two when both Charlie Swi-
sher and Arnold Scheer we're candi-
dates, and when Elkfns Scott Daw-
son and the other bosses had to get
| together and put up Mr.. Glasscock.
That was the condition that prevailed
in the Republican party and If there
was ever party in the world that
needed a housekeeping 1t was the
Republican party of West Virginia,
(Applause) What did we see? We
saw no progressive party in the field
And why did the delegates to MT
Roosevelt's convention in Chicago
authorize Mr.. Dawson to select his
own committee? That committe au-
thorized him to select subcommittee
and to that subcommittee was refer
ed the question of endorsing the Re-
publican ticket or putting new ticket
in the field. And they did endorse
the Republican ticket, and why?
There must have been some reason
for that Two have been given-two-
thirds of the committees which nam
ed the legislative ticket, according to
Mr. Dawson are his friends. IL the
Republicans control the next legisla-
ture they will control the caucus and
Mr. Dawson is to be the United States
Senator. The other reason given is
that the two committees got together
and reached an agreement. In any
event w. M. o. was TO be taken care
of and that Is the reason we have no
Progressive ticket in West Virginia
My friends, what is this ticket that
was put in the field in the June pri-
maries. what does it stand for? So
far as | know there has been no au-
lucrative declaration by any member
of that ticket except what DIR. Hat
field has said in his Wayne speech,
that he is no longer for Roosevelt
that he is Republican and stands
squarely upon the Republican plat
form. and if anybody votes for him
they must do so as a straight Re
publican There was a great attempt
to balk before this endorsement was
made and it was freely stated that
new convention would be called and
a new ticket nominated. II might be
that our friend was like the little boy
and the pig. We may all exaggerate
in our earlier days and may OF us
do not lose the habit later in life. The
little boy had been out in the woods
and came home detailing his exper-
fence to his father. He said; Il saw
big chestnut tree and the ground
was covered with chestnuts, there was
beautiful little black pig enjoying
himself, and all at once there came
great bear and the bear chased the
little black pig around and AROUND
the tree and the bear kept after the
pig. and the pig just ran right up the
tree" His father said you ought
not to exaggerate that way, a pig
can't climb a tree" 81 know 1t ia
Their but that little pig just had to