The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-02-17

want TO say 10 you now that the nrst
person whose name you ever saw
aligned 20 a public statement In a
nevsDaper relative 10 this case was
the name Of your associate counsel.
and. the chief counsel for the gas
company IN this hearing. Both at
Charleston and at Parkersburg. be
himself. and his associates Issued
rewspaper statements and made ad-
dresses OF the most violent kid In
tended for public consumption. de-
nouncinS the governor OF this state
and its public officials, and have taken
every means within their power to
zee that every word OF attack ana
slander that has been uttered has been
widely disseminated over the state"
We are ready 20 reply 10 all this.
and we demand the right now
To Prejudice the Public.
General Lilly said that the gas COM
pany appeared to have started this
Investigation simply as a preliminary
70 criminal Investigation which was
10 be held in Charleston IN March
Their conduct and procedure indicat-
ed that they had attempted To take
up this phase OF the case for the eff
feet that n might have upon the
hearing I'm the criminal court OF Kan
awha county. They had shown undue
haste to go into the question OF guber-
Material Interference. But after the
curtain has been wrung up" be de-
clared. we think IL unfair now 20
say peace be still. we will go no fur
Their. IL the governor Of West Vir-
ginia has done wrong. let IL b. shown.
Don't cut this investigation on now.
lnasmuch as they have gone into this
lnnaTanN LAT L. -. a.
ished. We have sat here a week.
You have kept members OF the public
service commission here a week. You
have summoned them. and held them
as witnesses. Why don't YOU put
them on the stand? You hive made
a great noise and clamor. but not
one word OF competent evidence has
been introduced Now let Gods noon
day sun shine TO show whether this
Is a false clamor. and whether or lot
IL has all been Cor public consumption
instead OF trial In court"
General Lilly cited the Cabin Creek
mine strike investigation. conducted
by the committee OF the United States
Congress. in which the committee was
instructed TO take testimony on i've
specifications, and stated that this
committee had required the consldera-
ished. and allowed the rebuttal tcsti-
mOny TO be given before another task
was taken up. He said in the pro
ceedings in the consideration OF the
Virginia debt case the same rule pre-
vailed. in fact the onIy purpose OF
1he division OF general charge into
particular specifications was to obtain
direct and positive issues, and require
evidence TO be received and complet.
I'd on those issues. and not mixed up
with different issues.
A Week Of Villifieation.
Senator Sommerville said:
Nearly a week has been spent here
In attempting to villify the Chief
Executive OF this state These peo-
pie have four witnesses here now. Why
not require them to go ahead with
them? Wei said. others viii come?
Let us have them. Now We want to
10 on with this case We want them
10 produce all the evidence they have
and we want them TO produce Il now,
and We want to meet II here and TO
20 through with this proceeding"
Ambler. OF Parkersburg replied sar-
castically to the addresses by the at
torneys for the state. and became in
volyed In heated controversy with
Congressman Avis. in which polite in
umations were made that neither
credited the veracity Of the other.
Amber intlmated that the address by
the attorneys for the state were be
ing made for the galleries. Avis said
that Amber at Petersburg had made
violent and insulting assault on the
Governor OF the state for no other
purpose than TO have the same printed
and distributed. and has done the
same thing In Wheeling in this
case. Amber then argued the law
points involved. claiming that Il was
right Of the plaintiffs in this case TO
control the proceedings
Well finished the argument and be-
came considerably heated In his state
nionts. He declared that he had the
right to control the case and intended
20 control Il. That be would go ahead
with the presentation of the witnesses
gs 10 chose. and be would not permit
The attorneys for the state TO offpr
any evidence now ia rebuttal to me
evidence already offered By the gas
company. attacking the governor and
e other public Officials. In this cOunec.
zion Well grew sarcastic. referring TO