Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-01-16
Vampires Wing Their
Silent Way to State Capital

Charleston, W. Va, Jan. I6.-Fat
cornfed gentlemen, without visible
means of support, swarm the hotel ant
capitol lobbies of the city today. Mel
in silk tiles and Prince Alberts hurry
to and fro, and there is an air Of
mystery and intrigue hanging around
Dyes, Dyes, the Honorable Legislature
of West Virginia, is in session, and the
sappers, mercenaries, prostitutes Of
Big Business and the Invisible Gov
ernment' are anticipating a rich har
vest. They are known as lobbyists.
How different is the invasion of the
capitol from that of last September
Then a few thousand ragged coal min
ers, who had been driven into the for
ests by the armed thugs of the coal
barons, came downlto the city to talk
matters over with the governor and
see if the laws which he is supposed
to execute could not be invoked in
their behalf. They were met at the en-:
trance of their capitol grounds by arm
ed soldiers who ordered them to move
on and backed up the order with
bayonets.
The present invadeAs, however. re-
ceive an entirely different welcome
They are paid by the same powers who
pay the brutal Baldwin guards, and are
what might be called the plain clothes
men," of the police system of Big
Business No soldiers chase them from
the state house grounds. They are
welcomed into the offices of all state
officials and secret councils will be
held at which they will preside. Pro
gressive and remedial legislation has
been proposed lin behalf of the miners
and these minions of the powerful en-
visible will have lots of work to do.
In addition to the regular coal opera
tors, railroads and other big interests,
lobbyists, small army of political
prostitutes are here in the personal
interest of each of the half-dozen multi
millionaires who intend to bid on the
posed of during the session.
OF the many aspirants for the seat
in Millionaires' Club, David Elkins and
Isaac T. Mann are perhaps the mos
powerful, and both are equally pleas
ing to the Invisible"
Davis Elkins is the man who should
have it, for blythe right of Inheritance
it is his property. This Senatorship
belonged to his grandfather, Gassaway
Davis, was handed down to his father.
the late Stephen B. Elkins, and when.
Stephen B. died in Office what was
more natural for Little Willie to do
than appoin the 3son take over the
senatorship with the rest of the loot
his forbear had squeezed from the peo..
pie of West Virginia. Then, too, the
Huntington Herald-Dispatch says he
should be senator in order to uphold
the family dignity of this race of de
velopers," and that settles the argu-
men, and is well worth new printing
press. r
In addition to being the son of a
senator who was the son-in-law of
senator, Davis Elkins has other quail
fcations for the position to which he
aspires. He is president of several
West Virginia railroads, likewise own
er of the Elkins Coal & Coke Co.,
which operates six large coal mines
and thousand coke ovens with non
union, guard-ruled labor. He also owns
a chain of banks throughout the state
and one in Washington, D. c., all of
which he inherited Who would dare
say that he would not make a senator
of whom West Virginia wage slaves.
could feel proud?
Isaac T. Manng who lives in Wash
ington on an income produced by the
coal miners in the Pocahontas field,
also has many qualifications suitable
for senator from West Virginia. He
is president of the Consolidated Coal
Co., the biggest corporation of its Kind
in the state. He sells West Virginia
in 300, 000-acre tracts and maintains
offices at 80 Pine street, New York
the center of Big Business interests,
which look upon his candidacy with
much favor. In addition to his non
union private-guard patrolled coal
mines, Mann is the moving spirit in
numerous other corporations, such as
factories, railroads, wholesale houses,
banks, ETC., and is perfectly acceptable
to the Huntington Republican (nee In
dependent Tribune), and between him
race lies between these two All the
and Elkins is hard to choose.
Anyway, everybody admits that the
others are mere pikers when compar-
ed to them, and will probably drop out
early in the bidding.