Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-04-20

| courtroom, many OIL IHSm Ddltle
SCARED Republican veterans who
drove for a dozen miles over almost
| impossible roads to hear him. Attor-
ney General Abe Lilly, made a ringing
defense to the charge made by the
opposition to his candidacy that he has
been against the administration.
| General Lilly declared that he had
never opposed any principle Of his
party in either State or nation, but ad
mitted that he had not agreed with
| Governor Hatfield that the direct
State tax should be increased 40 per
cent. The Republican party, he ar
gued was committed to the elimina-
ton of the direct tax and to economy
in the conduct of the government and
that was the reason he had made
economy and retrenchment the para
mount plank of his platform.
Opposition to his candidacy from
Governor Hatfield and the use Of the
State employees, at public expense, to
| fight his candidacy. he attributed to
the reason that he would not permit
| the Governor to dominate bis Depart
ment. General Lilly said:
Il do not concur with Governor
| Hatfield in his notion that he is the
Republican administrati and that
to oppose him means a violation of
Republican principles or Republican
administration. I defy him or anyone
else to show that have taken any
| ground that is contrary to the party
platform on which | was elected.
have always been in accord with my
party on its platform pledges in both
State and nation.
Governor Hatfield as well as his
specially controlled newspapers seem
fond of saying that | am against the
administration. because ] have at
times held views contrary to those
held and voted by him. 1t is a poor
rule that won't work both ways If
am condemned for taking a position
contrary to that taken by the gov
ernor, is he not subject to like con
,demnation for taking position OPP
posite to me or some other member
OF the administration?
"On one occasion in a Virginia
debt controversy four members of the
administration stood with me and one
with the governor. Does he condemn
| fve-seyenths of the administration for
not supporting the administration?
The governor and his political
| satellites seem to be obsessed with the
! flattering JUNCTION that he is the Re-
publican party and the Republican
n ii5 jctr Ia &c ~
other elective officers who are a part
of the administration. receiving their
authority as such from the Repub-
ljcau voters in greater majority and
as much responsible for the welfare
of the party and for good government
as ne is, and who would be traitors to
their trust and subject to condemna-
ton from their, constituents if they
did not have courage enough to insist
for the best interest of the party and
for the people of the State
. My record as party man and
as an officer of the State is open to
public inspection and | invite the
, people TO look it over. How would
my loyalty to the party platform com
pare with his?
This much must be apparent to
everybody: l am not afraid to run on
my record as candidate for the
highest Office in the state, and am
not the one who has been forced to
take back seat because of an over
whelming sentiment in the party
against me. Neither am | depending
on underground or overground combi
| nations with candidates for other Of
| fees 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
III have not found it necessary to
parade with four brass bands, singing
qnartettes, free trains and State en-
ployes in my home county to stem the
tide of adverse sentiment NY home
people are for me and are enthusi
astically supporting my candidacy
without the necessity of my making
three trips within 30 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 candidate and even before he
had resigned from the bench and be
came candidate. He was against me
and for my opponent before my plat.
form. Of which he complains. was
written. His hostility to me was Of
much earlier origin, II dates to the
| moment Of his discovery that my po-
litical ambitions might run counter to
his or his political slate and that he
could not control ard dominate my
department. which ] conceive to be
under my own control, subject only
TO my own conscience and sworn OBJ.
legation to the State.
Controls by Patronage.
1 The governor questions my hon
esty and sincerity ! do not agree
with him in matters of honesty and
| sincerity NY ideas are entirely diff
ferent from his along that line and !