West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-04-13
We Are Criticised

ohesel almost liking Il, so deliCately
and gingerly is it done Hence no
wrath was aroused IN the State Jour
nails sanctum when the Sunday Her
ald-Dispatch arrived bearing col
umn, more or less. OF polite reproach
because we deigned to plead against
tactionalism and the promotion OF par
~ disharmony through the prosely-
tion OF the voters by state house in
huence. and through the appointing
power.
Particularly does the Herald Dis
patch emphasize its displeasure over
our seeming reflections and observa-
tious upon the activities OF Governor
Hatfield 1t declares that Gov. Hat
field is not an issue i'm the primary.
II says that he has right to defend
his acts, all OF which have been In
conformity with the Huntington plat
form OF 1912. II points out that he
has by a magnamimous act elimi-
mated himself as a seeker OF party fav-
ors"
The State Journal yields to no one
In respect to appreciation for the good
things that DR. Hatfield has done. 1t
has not reproached him nor will Il do
so for his affirmative acts in the per
formance OF his duty Nor have we
| willingly accepted the truth OF the po-
litical situation in the state until there
was no longer the chance for "A mis-
take. We are not sure that Gov. Hat
field has eliminated himself "as a seek
or for party favors" The highest
favor, il appears which the Governor
now seeks is the defeat OF one of the
candidates for the Governorship and
the triumph OF the other. This end
he seeks through the appointive pow
er and the instrumentalities OF his Of
| flee which he holds not only i'm keep
ing for his party but for all the peo-
pie
II our memory does not bestray us
until a few months ago the Governor
had no more outspoken critic within
his party than the Herald Dispatch.
| We do not like to recall this fact: nor
do we willingly allude to the fact that
in our opinion much Of the Herald
Dispatches past criticism was unwar-
ranted and seemed almost the result
of pique.
II is not with reference to the works
OF Gov Hatfield i'm his role as state
administrator that we have protested
II is against the use OF the power of
the Governors Office I'm a factional
campaign for the nomination OF his
| successor-and we might add I'm the
nomination OF the candidate for Uni
ted States Senator-that our objec-
tion lies. Gov Hatfield is not an issue
as respects the achievement sof his
| administration. He himself has been
the Governor. He has not been in
fallible but no fair critic will say that
he has failed He has been subject
TO ordinary human fallibilities but his
| administration has had much to com
mend il and some vital and noteworthy
features TO distinguish H. The Gov
| ernor, however, becomes an issue the
moment the Governors office and the
Governors power are lent to factional
purposes.
When appontees OF the Governor
| beat paths over the state, not solely
on missions in the performance OF a
duty. but as emissaries Of candidate
for Governor. the voters themselves
are apt TO make an issue of the Cover
nor's office
When a newspaper, published under
| the almost direct, 10 not direct, super
vision Of the doverner's office, deyotes
itself 10 Unwarrsnted assaults upon
one OF the candidates for Governor in
the interest OF the other, the Governor
is In danger Of becoming a vital issue
When the Governors Office seeks to
work through county committees to
| secure endorsements OF one candidate
| for the Governorship at the expense
/ Of the other. evidences Of that issue
| are but multiplied. When subordi-
nate branches Of the state admlnistra-
ton such for instance as the tax com
missioner's Office with is deputy com
missioners of prohibition, lend them
selves to the dissemination Of the pro-
paganda and TO active field work on
behalf OF one candidate against an
other, the Governor voluntarily makes
himself an issue despite the apologies
Of the Herald Dispatch We know
Governor Hatfield well enough to
J know that If he opposed the activities
Of which We speak ne would readily
stop them We know shat h they are
not actually directed by him they have
more than his tactic approval
And that Is quite another matter
than that described by the Herald
Dispatch which declares the chief ex-
ecutIve to be merely engaged "in the
fray in defense Of his administrative
acts Does not our good Governor
understand that an attempt to achieve
his political ends through machine
proselytiun " NET defense but = CON
fessi0n2 Parkersburg state Journal,
Rep
-ss
VooEe HooF Huvfo,.