West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-10-29

terests of the water power con-
Germ, and that they did not want
newspaper publicity. That Bill
ings further told affiant that he
was and had been the emplove
OF the water power company in
Tucker county for number of
years, in fact. since he had sold
them the mill at Parsons. and
that they were preparing to con-
troll the heat, light and power of
West Virginia and that an attor-
ney employed by them would
have great chances for promotion
with them and could afford TO
give up other general practice
and devote his time to their work,
and that eventually they would
be the biggest concern in the
state.
Afiiant further states that he
refused said employment as at
torney and is not in any manner
connected with the water power
companies.
ID. f. CUPPETT.
Taken, sworn to and subscrib-
ed before me, this October IL.
1914.
CHAS. ID. SMITH.
Notary Public.
My Commission expires Janu-
airy Fl, 1920.
How 1t Will Operate Against
the People.
There are possibly many of
our readers who do not have a
very full and complete under
standing of how the taking of
our water resources, by the
Trust, will operate against the
people. 1t may be that some few
do not feel concerned in the mat
ter, due to the fact that it has not
been explained to them. There
fore, that no reader of The
Rough Rider can say he is not
concerned because he does not
understand the issue involved. it
is with pleasure that we repro
duce here an editorial taken from
the Thomas Herald of Friday,
October II, 1913, in which the
bill passed by our last Legislature
is fully explained. Not only this,
but we also have in this editorial
convincing evidence that A. Bliss
McCrum is, or was at that time.
the PAID and RETAINED at
torney of the Kuhn interests.
This editorial was published Just
one year ago and has had wide
circulation, and if the facts con-
tanned therein are not true, suffi-
cient time for a denial has been
had. McCrum and Billings
would make a delightful pair of
senators to look after the interest
of the people where the Trusts
are concerned. Better send Jason
Harmon down to keep an eve on
McCrum. 1t would also be well
to send along Dodge and Gibson
to the Legislature which will in
sure three votes for the repeal Of
what the Thomas Herald has
termed, in the editorial referred
to, as
The Steal of the State Water
Power.
No more colossal theft was
ever perpetrated upon the SOW
ereigu people OF West Virginia
that that of the last legislature
n passing the so-called hydro
electric bill whereby by leigsla-
tive grand larceny the people
were deprived of their inherent
property in the water power of
the state. We have more respect
for person who would burn one
of the peoples school houses or
destroy the whole Of the county's
public records than we have for
the legislature that enacted that
law.
Briefly, sanction and authority
of law are given to the gigantic
power companies to condemn al
most everything under the blue
sky. Never before were such
large powers of eminent domain
given to any public serving cor
poration. Among the various
kinds Of property that may be
condemned, aside from all kinds
OF private property, are the fol-
lowing:
Public roads, public bridges,
public streets, railroads, public
buildings OF all kinds, school
and cemeteries. Never before
have we heard OF a law that
would give TO corporate greed
the right TO disturb the sacred
resting place OF the dead and dis
inter their bones and renter
them at such place as the corpor-
alton might select. Think OF the
person coming back home after
years OF absence and finding the