The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-09-12

OF corruption to secure two seats
in the United States Senate the like
OF which could not be pulled off any
where WITHOUT those responsible for
1t beng pun shed by the laws they
outraged.
There wasn't one law OF statewide
Importance passed by that legisla-
ture. Not one can be named. There
was an attempt to abolish the tau
commissioners department. so as
to harass the operation of the new
tax system which was part of the
agreement with the corporal ons for
their part in helping to elect the
two senator's. but there was such a
protest from all parts OF the state,
from men of al parties, that the
project was abandoned. 1t was
voiced by septlmus Hall, the yeter-
an floor leader of the House who
declared that II his party put
through such program that It
would be many a long year before
1t ever got control OF another legis-
lature. At the same time he said
that the tax system had come to
stay for the people approved it. and
1t were suicidal to attempt to do
away with 1t. If the successive VIC
torres that the Republican party has
won on that issue mean anything,
that is just as true now as when
Mr.. Hall stated 1t. The tax business
is not likely to figure very extern.
sively in the present state campaign.
Nor is the charge of extravaganza in
administration. for that, too, has
been fought over in every campaign
for the last eight years. The Re-
publican party has always been able
to show that the government was
economically administered, and that
the increased revenues were DIS
bursed in new and progressive chan
nels created by demand of the
people themselves.
So it will be seen that there is
very little new in the way of issues
for the two old parties to scrap over
thls( campaign. except one thing,
and that is the proved dishonesty
and ineffic!ency of the Democratic
party through its legislative repre-
sentat!ves elected two years ago.
The issue is best typified in the
person OF Senator Watson. Wat
son and "Watsonism" are going to
be the live issues in this campa'g n.
That is inevitable. Watson comes
up to succeed himself; Watson car
ries the campaign; Watson has the
state committee; Watson has the
headquarters, which are in charge Of
Watson men only; Watson named
Thompson as the party's candidate
for governor; and Watson is the
whole works-the one dominant,
domineering and dist nguished char
acter connected with the Demo-
cratic party's activities this year.
Hence he would be the issue IL the
honesty OF his election to the United
States Senate had never been ques-
toned, SO far as the Republican side
of the argument in concerned,
The comp amt has already been
made that the Republican head
quarters here are manned by but one
faction OF the party and that the
Watson faction. There isn't men
on the job from Stuart Walker to
the office boy, who isn't first in his
allegiance to Watson in all things.
You couldn't find a McGraw man.
for instance. at these headquarters,
with a search warrant. The charge
has been made by Democrats
throughout the state, and it has
been made in letters from Demo-
Gratis rece we'd at headquarters. that
the campaign is being run solely in
the interest of Watson; that is, that
the one and only purpose of the men
at tho helm is to try and elect a
Democratic legis ature again this
year. Everything else, and every
other candidates welfare. is to be
subverted to the Watson candidacy
to succeed himself The protest
has been joined in by many candi-
them of ohlding a meeting to try
and br ng about an arrangement by
which they would receive fair and
equal treatment. This was the talk,
and 10 and behold-on Thursday
came call for a meeting of the
state committee with the candidates,
and this is to be the main subject
discussed.
The case of Shirley Mitchell in
Writ county will serve as an illus
trat!on of what is going on, and
what has brought on the row.
Mitchell q an editor and has been