West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-08-03

John J Cornwell I'm Hampshire Re

1 n
with the news that Gen. Abe Lii,
had abandoned the contest for the Re.
publican gubernatorial nomination
the Wheeling lntelligencer. the Hat.
held-ogden machine organ. contained
what purported TO be dispatches from
| various cities and towns over the state
| telling with what wonderful enthus-
iasm and satisfaction the news was
received by the Robinson Hatfeld-Og-
den faction. The dispatch from Char
lesion. whether genuine or faxed I'm
the lntelligencer office. was quite A.
Eliminating and doubtlss entirely
truthful. II reads as follows:
Especial dispatch 20 the Intelligencer)
Charleston. July "a Here at the
state capital Republicans are in the
! seventh heaven OF delight following
the announcement OF General Iilly's
action. Al the state house in particu-
lar the feeling OF satisfaction is most
pronounced. Predictions are made OF
the largest Republican majorities i'm
the history of West Virginia at the
coming November election.
OF course there was rejoicing at
the state house. That is where Gov
Hatfield has his Office. That is head
quarters for the state house machine
for the army OF political emissaries
and salaricd appointees who used their
positions and the public funds To force
the nomination of Judge Robinson on
the Republican party or course
there was rejoicing there. They saw
visions of four more years in clover
They saw the full fruition of their
pre- primary efforts They all doubt
less received "A pat on the head from
Gov. Henry Doubtful Hatfield. as Gen
Lilly loved to call him. and "A well
done thou good and faithful servant q"
The Intelligencer editorlalIy and
metaphorically falls upon Lilly's neck
and commends him as an unsclhsh. pa
triotic and high-minded gentleman.
apparently forgetting that it is only
two short months since ne was. ac-
cording TO its editorial columns. a tool
OF the coal companies. a drunkard and
debauchee.
That Is machine politics for YOU
To obey the mandates of the machine
is 10 be applauded and deihed. To
rebel is TO be blackguarded and de-
stroyed.
Lilly has done what everybody knew
he would do, he has surrendered to
overwhelming odds, TO pressure from
within and without the state. Had he
gone on and exposed the theft, corrup-
ton and robbery of the Hatfield Rob
inson machine IL might have so nau-
seated the people that IL would have
been a long time before his party
elected another state official, hence he
must be headed off at whatever cost
And the cost,
The machine was powerful enough
TO rob Lilly of the nomination. II is
powerful enough to drive him out of
the contest and wiring from him
half-hearted statement I'm favor OF
Judge Robinson. but the letters from.
Lilly's former followers convince the
editor OF the Review that the machine
will not be powerful enough to line
up the honest and unpurchasable Re
publicans who supported Lilly not for
his sake but in protest against the cor
rupt machine which defeated him.
But OF course there was rejoicing in
the state house There was rejoicing
in every state institution big and lit
tie, where Lilly's contest added to the
danger Of his threat Of new faces -
Lilly's assassination having been ac-
complshed the next order OF the ma
chine will be to train the mud gdns on
the Democratic candidate for COVER
nor.