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


subject DR.. Hatfield says that he is
I in favor Of primary election law and
that he has always been in favor of
one
/ Let US see what the men who serv.
/ ed in the Senate with him say on the
| subject.
Opposed to Primary Law.
q have been asked why | can not
support the candidacy of DR.. II. D.
/ Hatfield, one of the fifteen Republi-
can senators at the last session of the
legislature and with whom | served.
I shall give very briefly few Of my
reasons, and / want it thoroughly an
derstood that it is not because of any
personal feeling that exists on my
part We differed on public ques.
tions. That is my reason for oppos-
ing him feel that | would not be
true to myself and the people of this
State if | were to remain silent on
the many things Of which | can
speak with authority
Or Hatfield always and persistent
| ly opposed a direct primary election
law In 1909 he introduced in the
! Legislature of this State a kind of
primary bill favored by the bosses and
machine leaders of the State. This
bill provided for the election of dele
gates to State convention from the
magisterial districts. 1t also provid-
ed if any persons were challenged at
the polls, and there was nothing to
prevent any person from being chal-
lenged, he must take an oath to vote
the straight Republican ticket; the
voters name was written on the back
of the ballot, and after the general
election the ballot on which the name
had been written could be examined
and if the voter had not voted the
straight ticket, then he was guilty of
perjury.
81 can conceive of nothing that
would so destroy independence in yo-
ting, give the bosses more power and
so degrade the ballot. The bosses un-
der such a law could challenge any
voter, and they would do it if he dar-
ed exercise any independence, and
I
thus have him sworn to support them
in the general election. The offering
of such a bill was an insult to the
manhood of the voters of West Vir-
ginia.
Or. Hatfield In the Senate.
"In the session of 1912 Senator
French and myself both introduced
primary bills in the Senate. Both
these bills were referred to the com
mittee ond judiciary. Senator French
and myself were both members of
this committee and were appointed as
subcommittee to agree on bill.
This we did, and the bill we agreed
upon was reported back to the COM
mittee and recommended by the COM
mittee as a whole back TO the Sen
ate with the recommendation that it
do pass. In the meantime the House
passed House bill No. 80, bill very
similar to the Senate bill which had
been recommended fayorably by the
committee on judiciary. Senator
Smith. of Roane county, one day NOV
ed to take up the bill out of it's order,
which motion prevailed, l, myself,
then made a motion to dispense with
reference to a committee, as a com
mittee of the Senate had already CON
sidered a similar bill. DR.. Hatfield,
who was president of the Senate, OPP
posed the bill, and arbitrarily refused
to put the motion, saying it was an
important bill and should go to com
mittee. and referred it TO the commit
tee on privileges and elections. TINS
was not the proper committee to
which to refer it, but it should have
gone to the judiciary committee, the
same committee that had considered
the two Senate bills.
Refused to Call Committee.
CDR. Hatfield however, knew this
committee favored a primary law. and
therefore we didn't want it to act up
on this matter: and he also knew the
chairman of the committee on priv
ileges and elections was close
friend of his and also opposed to a
proper primary, and could easily pre-
vent action on the bill by refusing to
call the committee on elections to-
gether. This was done, although
number of the committee tried to
have meeting. The bill was killed
in committee.
DIR. Hatfield also thought the peo-
pie incapable of deciding the liuor
question for themselves, and to keep
them from doing it, twice voted
against submitting the prohibition
amendment. He also wrongfully and
unfairly used his power as president
of the Senate to help the liquor peo-
pie at Point Pleasant defeat local
temperance measure.
II haven't time to go into more de-
tails, but will say that DR.. Hatfield
was generally with the special in
terests as against the people. If the
people want a governor who favors
these things have not word to say,
but believe that they are entitled to
know before voting"