The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-16

Mich credit is due Mt. L. NJ. Davis,
editor OF the Fairmont West Virgin
Ian, for the non partisan charter which
was granted to the city OF Fairmont,
by the legislature several weeks ago.
This IS the kind Of charter the people
OF Charleston wanted This
form Of city government has proven
successful In all cities operating un-
der it.-Charleston Sun.Herald.
The editor Of the West virginian
takes no special credit for this vic
tory, which belongs wholly to the
people of Fairmont, who got more
Bolidly behind the non.partisan form
OF government two years ago and
stayed their; till the finish this winter,
than was ever done before in any
city in the country.
One Of the leading Democrats of
the city a prominent business man,
handed the editor OF the West Vir-
ginian q magazine with ali article re.
viewing at great length tho success
that had followed tho non.partisan
commission form of government in
some three hundred cities that had
tested it at that time, as We rcmem-
her this was in June, 1919. This article
was carefully studied and more and
more the editor was convinced after
conatde rable research that that was
what Fairmorit needed. The article
was p1blished In full in the West Vir.
ginian at the time, and moro people
read Il and commenced to talk about
II. From this beginning tho fight
started and tagged with the com
promise on a so.callcd bipartisan com.
mission government at the session of
the legislature In 1918. 1t was believed
by the advocates OF the non.partisan
form, or az least many of them, that
q start was made in the right dircc.
ton, even II what the people had al.
most unanimously petttioncd for was
refused them. The fight was con.
tinued. All the people realized from
the new plan was the initiative and
referendum, the recall being practlc.
ally chloriformed in the legislature
TO become;t otally ineffective in opera.
ton. The referendum was worth all
the trouble the fight had caused, as It
saved the people last spring the unjust
and unreasonable water tax Of fifteen
thousand dollars per year on their
own water plant. The editor Of the
West Nirginian worked almost day
and night during these controversies
with an eye single to the benefits that
would Come to the people by tho adop.
ton Of the non.partisan commission
government with the initiative, refer.
endum and the recall without restric.
tons. He spent several weeks at
Charleston during both these sessions
OF the Legislature at several hundreds
OF dollars personal expense. He wrote
and compiled enough matter touching
on this subject during the last three
years to ell many volumns. A news.
paper editor gets no more salary for
this kind of work than he does for
working his eight hours a day. His
reward Us too often abuse and vllinca,
ton and an occasional glad hand
OF q word Sof encouragement. He
gets no overtime for night work. But
the editor of the West Virginia, while
doing this, must accord the full credit
for this great victory to the people
OF the city, and to this Democrat, who
started the ball to rolling In the right
direction, for without the peoples
support nothing could have been &C.
compltshed The charter has at last
been given the people, and they now
have almost completely reviewed it.
as II has most all been published, and
the self appointed critics have after
q few days criticism been lost In the
confusion of their own fog and given
up the task as hopeless one.
BySwaiting two years the provisions
for registration and fair elections have
been added, which we would not have
secured had the people been given all
they asked the Legislature Of 1913 for.
IT Is said that all things come to
those who wait. The people waited
inpatiently, but they have been re.
warded many fold.
The other victory that We referred
to above is that OF lower gas rate
for Fairmont When the critics of the
West Virginia want to keep It from
speaking the truth the cry is waited
about the city, THAT paper Is hurting
businessR 1tswas said few days ago
by the Times that Fairmont was lag.
gIng behind Morgantown and Clarks.
burg in the fwaySof industrial develop.
ment. because the West yirginian had
been very plain In its statements con.
corning business conditions. We re.
piled that tie principle reason for
Clarksburg's advancement was that
they had a gas rate there less than
BALI ours for both factory and domes.
tic consumption.
Nothing viii do more to build UP a
city than cheap fuel.
Il not only attracts factories, but
II attracts people who want to obtain
the lowest living expenses possible to
those who man the factories. There Is
q double advantage In the low gas
rate, and Il ciarksburg Continues to