The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-16
|GORNNE[[ FAILS
| TO TELL WHAT HIS
MESSAGE WAS
Charmed Audience to Sleep
With Musical Irish
Brogue.
SNEERS At ROBINSON
Women Smell Bootleg Ii
quor and Leave in Mid
die of Speech
.SNEERS At ROBINSON

I'VE have with us tonight John J.
Cornwell. a man with a message"
Thus was the Democratic candidate
for governor introduced Saturday
night to the faithful who had gather.
ed In the court house 10 hear him. But
what the message was or who It was
for was not learned. Mr.. Cornwell
perhaps forgot 70 deliver It.
ANY of his hearers VINO were con-
cerned over the message. however.
soon ceased 10 worry. their eager ex.
pectancy being lulled into restful COM
placency as the orator charmed them
with his fiattcring appeal to their in
tellects and spell.bound them with the
delightful hint Of brogue In his voice
Mr.. Cornwcll Is most pleasing
speaker and those who had an anxious
waiting look when told that he had
message. Gearing i'll news), soon lost
it and settled down in their seats sat
isfied with the sheer Joy OF hearing
their candidate talk. And talk he did;
about everything. told them what fine
people they were. and how much he
ejoyed being again In Fairmont, and
how he happened to be defeated In
1904. told them what dreadful per-
sons the Republicans were and how
Wilson had kept the country from
war: what fine thing the Adamson
bill was. attacked Hatfield and sneer-
ed at Robinson-in fact made the same
speech that he has been making all
over the state But he forgot 10 de-
liver the message.
His stage presence" is good and
his personality what is termed mag.
netic. His eye flashes fire and he has
the delicate Irish way of inuendo and
soft sneering insult that gives his
spoken words n maddcning sting
yet. thanks to his editorial training,
his words in print would mean no.
thing.
Despite all the fine phrases and
magnificent resembling sentences that
he uttered, before the speech was half
finished one-fourth OF the audience
were asleep and the applause. that in
tho beginning was often started prim-
aturely by those in the rear Of the
room mistaking county Chairman Con-
away's signal. had stopped entirely.
One old fellow sittirS> within three or
four feet OF the candidate. inside the
railing. annoyed him by snoring in an
audible manner.
When those who had kept awake
were expecting Mr.. Cornwell 10 re-
member the message. and perhaps
give It to the audience. a number of
the women in the rear got up and went
out. unable to longer endure the close
sitting atmosphere in which the vile
ordor OF bootleg whiskey mingled with
the unwholesome smell Of unwashed
human bodies.
The circuit court room was we'll
filled, It being cold damp Saturday
evening and many came just for a
dry place to loaf. others were attract
ed by the band, while others, hopeless
Interchangeable lifelong Democrats,
came to hear Cornwell. Perhaps the
oldest Of these was Newt" Snider, so
years old. Many of Snider's confer.
crate comrades were present includ-
ing Uncle Billy" Brannon. Uncle
Billy" came right up to Cornwell and
insisted on sitting down and having
a chat with him before the speeches
began despite the discouraging frowns
Of o. 8. Mckinney and other local
heavyweights who were at the speak
er's table.
Mr. Mckinney presided as chair