West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-03-26
JUDGE J. NJ. SHAW
Gives Some Inside Political History
Condemns Tax Laws and Calls on
Taxpayers TO Watch Their Receipts
Heavy Rains Made Roads Very
Dangerous
ENcANro. CA. Fob. 10. lal

ENcANTo, Cal, Feb. 10. 1914
EDITOR ARGUS:
IL requires Elk days for your excellent
paper to travel the 3 500 miles from
Kingwood TO Encanto, but we are Just as
glad to get il as though il were Just from
the press. II revives old memories and
tells us what all OF our friends i'm the east
are doing. / am especially interested in
the letters OF your correspondents. Vet
eran, from Gladesville, tells the truth,
the whole truth, AMI nothing but the
truth, and Free Lance has certainly made
hash OF Glover Hay. / often think Of
the fight few good and true men put
mp against Bill Dawson and his methods
When | moved TO Kingwood IN 1881
Dawson sent one OF his henchmen 10 in
terview me. He told me that the cor
poration line ran through my lot, but
that Dawson would have the line ex-
tended and take me in and elect me
mayor. After he was through / asked
what was expected Of me in return for
all this. oh" he said "you will go
with us and be one Of us" declined
with thanks, and Dawson has been my
enemy ever since. When he left Preston
county il was because his work was be-
coming so odorous that he saw the end
was coming, but he enlarged his field
and took up his residence at the state
capitol. There he manipulated the wires
80 successfully that he got himself elected
or counted in as Governor Ct don't know
which, Then his fertile brain evolved
the scneme OF tax reform-the state must
have more money. ] do not say that
the law az passed was not good law.
honestly administered. bnt when the
assessors are instructed each year TO add
large sums TO the value Of all property il
becomes q curse. Examine your tax re-
ceipts and you will see that this is being
done. Al the expiration Of Dawson's
term as Governor, the national admins.
tratiOn offered him position in China
az 5000 per year. This he declined.
His lips had too firm a hold or the public
teat at Charleston, so something must be
done. At last they appointed him one
Of the states counsel at 5000 a year in
the Virginia debt case. Think OF il!
Dawson as a lawyer, and the result a
$1,000, 600 verdict against West Virginia
a Public Utilities Commission has been
grand success in California and has
saved the people millions Of dollars, bat
there arc no Dawsons on the commission.
Gov. johnson appointed the best men to
be found in the state, and their work is
satisfactory. No corporation can issue
bonds for any purpose without their ap-
proval. No public utility can boost the
price Of their product on their con.
sumers without such consent, etc. But
II the Governor, in order to keep old
familiar faces around him, appoints the
ragtag and bobtail Of old political parties
70 such important places the law is bound
70 fail 20 give success. Enough Of politics
This state has been visited by the
heaviest rains known since the estab-
lishment Of the weather bureau. This is
Sunday, and there has been no trains
over the Santa be since Friday, and t IL
not thought possible 70 get through before
Tuesday. The bridge over the Los Angeles