West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-03-19
rINcA NDMAcHlNE DOMINATION
in Preston Can Never Return--Abuse
and vltuperatIon 10 Not Argument
Must Answer interroastories or
Admit Defeat
TERRA ALTA. Feb. 16. 1914
Editor Argus:

1t is matter OF congratulation to note
the many excellent correspondents and
contributors TO the columns of The Argus.
IL Is obvious to those who have eyes and
ears that the people are looking and lis
tening today. The mistake they made in
the past, and the one which they now
realize, was that they postponed the look
ing and listening to such late day. For
years everything was turned over TO the
party. Every shout and roar that ema-
mated from the people was for the
party" II the party endorsed il there
was no further questions asked. What a
wonderful loadstone prejudice is. Little
did the people suspicion that the party"
that they had been voting for was moth.
ing more nor less than a coterie of pro-
iessional politicians who managed the
party wholly and solely for their own
selfish interests. The public offices were
divided up amongst the members OF the
political machine. The small fry, which
were organized into county rings, were
permitted TO divide the county and dis
trict offices amongst the members OF the
local rings Preston was no exception TO
this rule, and in it's loyalty to the state
house machine had few equals and no
superiors. II distributed the local offices
among the most servile adherents OF the
county ring, and woe be unto the man
who questioned its authority. This state
of affairs existed in this county until 1912,
when the ringsters met with a crushing
and ignoble defeat. To the ring the de.
feat was CALLING and humiliating. and
since that time it has been quietly at
work organizing in the hope that it may
come back" in 1914 or 1916. But forty
years OF cruel ring domination has taught
Prestonians that they will never again
tolerate ring rule in the land of buck
wheat and honey. IL should not be for
gotten, however, that the old ringsters
are making frantic efforts to get control,
as witness their selection OF choice epi-
thets and vituperation through the col
umns OF the Republican and Journal
The old ringsters know deep down in
their hearts that the present nom
partisan court has done more to block
the old ring from returning to power
than any other thing that can happen
Hence the columns of abuse they are
heaping upon the court.
Reasonable and vigorous criticism Of
| public officials, when merited, is whole
some and helpful, but the venting O
copious repertoire of billingsgate upor
worthy public officials who are honestly
seeking TO serve the people violates tn,
proprieties of respectable journalism anC
utterly destroys the influence OF any Jus
criticism by which it may be aecompa
MED. 1t would serve a very useful pur
pose If the coterie would curb their gii
for vituperation and use more cour
teous method of stating their so-calleC
facts and arguments.
| What clever saying the ancients go
of when they remarked: "Whom tn,
gods would destroy, they first max,
mad" To the casual observer it is evi
dent that the old ringsters are mac
through and through. Every charge they
| have brought against the court has beer
successfully refuted and proven to b,
false. In their desperation they resort
to mud singing, following the advice o.
Voltaire, Throw plenty of mud, somt
of it is bound TO stick"
As l have answered each and every
one Of their criticisms of the county cour
and proven by the facts and figures tina
the court has administered the affairs o
the county in the interest of the tax
payers, / must ask that they answer m,
| questions and cease their abuse.
Will the coterie deny that the present
| court, which is non partisan, did not pay
off the Indebtedness of some Sl5,OOC
which has been hanging over the county
since the civil war and leave a balance in
the county treasury Of more than $I2, OOOI
Will they deny that the state admins.
tration has not their hearty endorsement
which, according 10 the statement issued
by Gov. Hatfield himself, has plunged
the state into debt of more than 81 200.
600? What excuse have they to offer the
taxpayers for this immense debt? What
explanation have they to offer the peopl,
OF West Virginia for Gov. Hatfield with
holding the SO, 900 appropriation which
the legislature made that the state o.
West Virginia might be fttingly repre-
sented at the Panama. Pacific exposition
II they want to be fair they will admit
that the state administration increased
the state tax from one cent to six cents
which accounts for the increase in the
tax receipt.
II has been a good many years since
| was tied to my mothers apron
strings, which leads me 10 think that the
coterie is mistaken az to my identity. II
they will come over TO the Commercial
Center / will make myself known TO
them FREE Lance.