West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-01-15

TERRA Alta, Jan. ~, 1914.
EDITOR ARGus:
The letter Of "C.over Hay" in the
last issue Of the Preston Republican, is
the best indication of the death struggle
that Is being fought by the remnant of
the once powerful county ring that domi-
mated the politics Of this county for a
score Of years. The attempt to establish
an alibi that he (they) is not a resident
OF the county seat is laughable. OF course
he has associates who aid him in his com
position, for they are seeking the same
goal-thc control of the county offices.
But that will never come to pass, and
they may as well accept the inevitable as
To fight the wind mills like Don Quixote
You surely have not forgotten who un-
horsed the county ring? To refresh your
memory, gentlemen, will say that il
was the Embossed Republicans OF our
grand old county, led by that brilliant
statesman and diplomat. the Hon. Sam
uel B. Montgomery, who received a fed
eral appointment at the hands OF Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt, without the
consent or Endorsement OF the county
ring, state machine or the federal repre-
sentatives in congress. The appointment
OF the eloquent young statesman stands
unprecedented and unparalleled in the
annals OF county, state and national
politics. But it illustrates what can be
done when the people are aroused to their
sense oil duty and led by such "a sterling
man as Senator Montgomery.
You charge in your first letter that the
audit, which, in the judgment OF the
beneficiaries Of the ring, is the one I'M
pardonable crime committed by the
county court, was "unwarranted by law
and worthless ard cost the taxpayers
$500" In this charge our evident
intent is TO convey TO the taxpayers that,
while the audit cost So, 800, the court had
not recovered one penny from this audit
Is this true? Can you verify it by the
records? l saw a statement wherein il
was claimed that something like So, 600
TO 5000 had already been paid into the
county treasury, and some $4,000 was
still due, which woulc make the total
something like $4,000 paid the county.
AS | have never conversed with any
member oil the court on the subject, and
have not been to Kingwood lately where
| could examine the records, | would ask
| you to go to the records and advise us in
your next letter the correct status OF the
county audit, namely, whether any
money has been recovered, and il 90,
how much. Ii your charge that 'the
audit is worthless be true, the taxpayers
should be appraised of the fact by the
newly discovered watch. dogs of the
treasury" Ii is claimed 10y others thar
the audit is n success and that from
$4,000 to $4,000, clear of all expenses,
will be recovered and paid into the
county treasury. Ii you cannot disap-
prove this by the records, you mus,
admit that instead of being worthless
IL has been a grand success from the tax
payers standpoint and that your attempt
to deceive the people has proven a
boomerang to you.
Your chief burden of grief seems to be
President b.. Il. Gibson. Personally |
know nothing about the county road
built out in Valley district, out | note a
correspondent writing from Masontown,
In which he claims that the people of
Valley petitioned the court to build the
road. Surely you will not deny the peo-
pie the right of petition? Ii the people
OF Valley demanded this road it was the
duty OF the court, as true representatives
OF the people, to grant it. The Mason
town scribe declares there is no "kick i'm
Valley over the building OF the road"
Then why shodld you kick, who is not a
resident If Valley? You evidently have
had a pipe dream, in which it was re-
vealed to you that the ring had been re-
stored to power. And when you awake
and dispel the delusion how it will fill
you with remorse! For those who sub
scribe to ring politics TO attack President
Gibson should clinch the fact that the
president is working in the interest of
the taxpayers.
You say that i am trying to divert
attention from the issue IN order to save
his pets" a mere assertion without
evidence. The county court needs no
defense at my hands. The record, which
is open to all taxpayers, is on file, and
upon it the court must be judged, not
upon your criticism, nor my defense.
Your temporary residence in Cranes
vile" discloses an intimate knowledge of
the expenditures of the county court, a
knowledge which cannot be gained by
one who lives outside the reactionarI
zone, or one who has not made politics a
study. You may have been born in
Portland district, but you have been a
resident Of Kingwood for some time. /
agree with you that our identity does not
concern the taxpayers. You are chasing
the phantom as 70 my identity.
am not prepared at this time to dis
cuss the expenditures in other districts
but as far as Portland is concerned, /
will say that for the first time we have
gotten bridges that will last for centuries.
And let me add that "the county roads
out from Terra Alta have not received"
all the road funds within a radius OF two
miles Of the town, and the rest Of the
district remains stranded in the mud az
heretofore. The roads throughout the
district have received their share Of road
funds, which is fair and just to all.
"Our tax receipts disclose special leyies.
one for road purposes, another for bridge
PURPOSES. ~ bowail tine r.CIover Have -