The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-22
WH|SKEY RING
FTER FRED BLUE
DENHAM SAID TO HAVE BOAST
ED THAT HE HAS GOVERNOR
HATFIELD FIXED.
ANTI.SAlooN LEAGUE PAPERS
REPORT PLOT TO REMOVE
TAX COMMITS loNER.
(Morgantown Post.Chronlole. !

The New Republic and the Ameri-
can Issue, organs of the anti.saloon
movement, insist that the whiskey lob.
by In West Virginia is bending all its
eneries 10 bring about the removal OF
Fred o. Blue from the tax commits
sionership, as part Of scheme to null.
lily the Yost law passed by the last
session OF the Legislature The meas.
ure which bears the name OF Dele.
gate Yost OF Monongalia county. pro.
vides for the enforcement OF the pro.
hibition amendment OF the constitu.
ton, and the effectiveness OF the Law
will depend largely on the fidelity
with which the tax commissioner looks
after its enforcement. This Is what
the American Issue has to say, in part
as to the alleged scheme of the whis.
key lobby:
During the past few days there
has developed well devised but wool.
foot plot on the part of whiskey In.
terests to scuttle the peoples prohl.
bition law and make II about as use.
iui In this respect as a dishrag. The
plot cohtemplates the Dismissal of r.
.. Blue. tax commissioner. and the
appointment Of SOME tool of the II,
quor interests to that position. The
enforcement of prohibition is, under
the law, In the hands of the state tax
commissioner, and Fred O. Blue liz the
tax commissioner.
Everybody In West Virginia, wet
damp. dry and dusty. knows the en-,
forcement of the peoples law. that the
law Will be honestly and rigidly ell.
forced. But it is for this very reason
that the rumniies have gotten I'm a
scheme to fire Blue, and they expec,
to fim-fam Governor Hatfield int
playing their game.
The ringleader in the plat is the
notorious Sherman Denham, the post,
master at Clarksbwfg. known through
out the state as the tool OF the brew.
cry corporation. a political hceler OF
years standing and whose conduct in
office has been such that he hae at.
tracted the attention of the criminal
courts. While Denham Is nominally
postmaster at Ciarksburg and draws
fat salary from the government as
such. he puts in much OF his time
around the legislature lobbying for
The whiskey and brewery interests of
the state.
Last winter. while drawing nav as
postmaster at Clarksburg, h. was
really putting in his time at Charles.
ton as the lobbyist of the liquor inter.
ests trying to defeat the peoples pro.
hibition bill which they had demanded
by more than 10000 majority. Den.
ham is boasting around among his
pals that he has got 1t all fixed III
with Hatfield and that Hatfield is 20.
ing 10 can Fred Blue and nut In
his place one of the gang and that
everything will be lovely and the
goose will honk high"
SNo"h llitHus CT Governor
Hatfield express themselves skeptical
OF Denham's ability TO pull of his in.
tended scheme. Commissioner Blues
term Of office has about four years to
run. He has made an excellent rec.
erd. and the Temperance forces in the
state are counting confidently on his
experience and ability as an in,portant
factor in the problem Of making pro.
hibition prohibit in West Virginia.
The retirement of Fred BIue from
The tax commissionershlp Just now"
said a prominent Republican politi.
clan 10 Post-ChronIcle representa-.
tive. would be as severe a calamity
as could happen to the Hatfield ad
ministration. understand that the
governor is not enthusiastically friend
ly toward Blue, but do not belIey.
he can be so politically unwlse Is 10
remove the commissioner and thus
lose the confidence OF nine out o, ten
OF the men who voted for the prohi
bition amendment"