West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-06-10
Preston Politics

bliss McCrum as member OF the
board OF control three Preston county
men have their feet under the Die
table. Former Governor w. M. O.
Dawson Is member OF the public
service commissions Hon. "Jim" La
Kin Is member OF the board OF con-
troll, and now comes Senator McCrum.
making total OF $4,000 paid annual
iy In salaries to these three men,
which. using slang parlance, is pretty
soft for Preston.
There is habit among politicians.
| either full-fedged ones or the ones In
the embryo. to devote many hours ~
their time to trying to unravel the
mysteries OF political appointments.
SO. on Saturday, when the appoint
ment OF McCrum was announced.
there was the usual post-mortems
about the state house and on the
street corners where men live I'm
dreams OF political power.
IL was obvious from the conyersa-
ton that most of the political owls
credited McCrum's appointment to
favors rendered rather than to prom
issory notes, payable on demand. II
was Just as evident that these per-
sons think that the governor owed
McCrum all that he gave him, and
that IL the ledger was balanced Nc
Crum would not be the debtor. IL Is
II the man yUhn OF oh 40,
vessel after 1t starts to settle and
thereby saves the ship that is men
toned In maritime dispatches, and
McCrum did all of this.
| 1t probably never will be known
whether McCrum and the governor
had any understanding before the last
session of the legislature, because
| neither are the kind of men that write
letters. and neither of them talk in
their sleep. But whether it was a tele-
pathic pact or a real one, McCrum
| Kept the faith, acted as floor leader
| Tor the administration measures. made
good one. was more tactful than
| either Goodykoontz or Gregory and
| having delivered the goods, the genial
| senator came and collected. II is gem
orally believed that the goods were
not sent G. o. d., which makes Nc
| Crum's political past sort of a poul-
| tce on conscience that really exists
In him more than in many others
who carry theirs on their coat sleeves
Taxes. not unlike the tariff. is a
matter OF geography, and so McCrum's
elective political future was in the
eclipse. Preston county is an agricul-
tural and coal mining community, but
mostly land of beautiful country
sides where people pillow and SOW and
reap. These same persons long have
had ideas OF their own about taxa
tlon' and one of the convictions that
they had was that the oil and gas i'm
terests should pay more taxes. II
would be tautology to write the his
tory of McCrum's voting during the
last session, and his staunchest
friends charge him with not loving
Preston county less. but regularity,
more. He offered himself up as a sacs
rlhce on the altar of party regular
lty' and while he has been rewarded.
ne left in his wake some disappoint-
ment and some regrets. Every man
Is the progenitor of his own fate, and
so McCrum can be Justified.
| Preston county is the banner Re-
publican county of the state. Years
ago Democrats were so scare there
that 1t was difficult to hold a caucus
ana Junior" Brown was the only man
who ever seemed to be able to carry
the county. But Preston county has
thousands of Republican votes, and
naturally the conversation turns IN
whether the Governor will be a can
didate for Senator and If he is. can
McCrum, Dawson and Lakin deliver
the county in the primaries The gem
eral impression is that it will be a bat
tie royal Mr.. Dawson can no longer
campaign personally like in the olden
days; Lakin never was a world heater
out in the BUSH" and McCrum was
as much the product OF his friends as
he was the creator of his own destiny.
only in this latter respect however.
can he be said not to be self-made.
But few months intervene between
political lassitude and the battle royal
Tor the control of the state Republican
party. No governor ever had a better
machine" than the present executive.
and no man ever entered the fray with
mis- back against the wall with a poly
glot crowd, snarling and biting at him
ike the present one. His professed
love for the common people has never
earned for him the title of the "com-
moner' of West Virginia, while the "in-
terests,' as he refers to them. natur-
ally are not going to sprinkle gold
In his Golfers for campaign purposes.
neither are they going to render per-
sonal service, after all, the greatest
aid to the man who they charge bit
the hand that fed Charleston
Gazette
-sk-
Pat Gilmore Guilty and Sentenced
Pat Gilmore vvbo no.. s.---.-,