Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-04-08

no courage or convictions of their
own. DO the people desire their
servants TO be at The beck call and
whip of any person be he mild or
arrogant? If so. representative gov
eminent is a failure. When the prin.
ciple of local self-goveument is
sought to be destroyed. and unneces.
sary burdens OF taxation sought TO
be imposed. ] shall always voice my
protest. believing that / am standing
firmly on the Republican platform
and policies
Governor Hatfield is quoted as say.
ing that my platform condemns the
legislature. 1t did. in a way. for the
passage of the Williamson. charter.
! have no reason for changing my
platform in this regard. I believe the
people generally approve of my posi-
ton in that matter. The governor
himself has drawn attention to the
fact that he did not approve the vii
hanson charter bill Had T been
governor I would have vetoed IT, Not
withstanding that the supreme court
has said that the legislature had the
right to make this enactment it
specifically stated that it did not APP
prove of the measure srom a stand.
point of public policy. ! quoted from
the last Republican platform show.
ing that it was opposed to enact
ments such as the Williamson char.
ter How did he stand by the admins.
tration when he was in the senate?
How did he vote in carrying out par
ty platform pledges? Has the COVER
nor always sanctioned legislative ac-
ton?
ct will be recalled that he was
so dissatisfied with the legislative ac-
tion that he twice called them into
extra session to perform specific
act that they had twice refused to
perform. Did he not In church, on
the Sabbath Day, make political
speeches, later printed and mailed
at state expense, condemning the leg
islature? Is he not also guilty, then,
OF condemning the Legislature and
therefore condemning Republican
administration? My record as a par
ty man and as an officer of the state
is open to public inspection and | in
vite the people to look it over. How
would my loyalty to the party plat
form compare with his?
This much must be apparent t
everybody: | am not afraid to run
on my record as a candidate for the
highest office in the state, and | am
not the one who has been forced
to take a back seat because of an
overwhelming sentiment in the party
against me- Neither am / depending
ON underground or overground COM
binations with candidates for other
Offices to aid me in my campaign Nor
am | using the employees of the state,
working at the expense of the state,
to promote my candidacy. Still again
have not found it necessary to par
ade with four brass bands, singing
quartettes, free trains and state en-
ployes in my home county to stem
the tide of adverse sentiment. My
home people are for me and are en-
Enthusiastically supporting my candi-
dacy without the necessity of my max
ing three trips within 80 days to whip
them into line.
Governor Hatfield speaks as
though he were making a choice be-
tween me and my opponent, whereas,
everybody knows that he was out
spoken for Judge Robinson before
was a candidate and even before he
had resigned from the bench and be-
came a candidate. He was against
me and for my opponent before my
platform, of which he complains, was
written. His hostility to me was of
much earlier origin. 1t dates to the
moment OF his discovery that my
political ambitions might run counter
to his or his political slate and that
he could not control and dominate
my department. which | conceive to
be under my twn control, subject
only to my own conscience and sworn
obligation to the state.
"The governor questions my hon
esty and sincerely / do not agree
with him in matters of honesty and
sincerity My ideas are entirely diff
ferent from his along that line and |
will not discuss that feature with
him. He further disclaims that Judge
Robinson is his candidate and that
he expects political preferment at