West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-11-23

RoMNEY. Nov. 22.-As he was leav-
Ing for Charleston last night. ohm J.
cornwell made the following addition
al public statement.
| According to the Associated Press
Governor Hatfield in his message TO
the Legislature, said:
1T has come to my knowledge that
II is the purpose OF those who have
made efforts to seize at all cost for
their own uses the executive power
OF the state to ruthlessly and I'm yio-
lation of all law, continue their pur-
pose by contesting the seats of the
newly elected Republican officials and
wrongfully depriving them OF their
Offices; by removing appointed officials
with fixed terms of Office regardless OF
their fitness to good government and
contrary to the welfare OF the state.
L believe my plain duty after reading
or such revolutionary threats from one
who aspires to be governor to risk no
chance OF what the future has I'm store
for those who have responsible cleo
tive and appointiye positions"
The governor says II has come to
his knowledge that It is the purpose
OF those who have made efforts to
seize at all cost. for their own base
| uses. the executive power OF the state.
| to ruthlessly and I'm violation of all
| law continue their purpose by con-
testing the seats OF the newly elected
Republican officials and depriving
them OF their Offices"
| No graver charge was ever made by
a governor OF this state against any
| OF its citizens and especially against
J the man who has been elected to sue
coed him. That charge goes down in
to the records of this state, a part of
the governors message, the very basis
OF the call for a special session. No
such conspiracy could exist without
my being a party to 1t, because 1
would be the instrument through
which 1t would have been put into eff
feet. The governor must, of neces-
sity, include me as one OF the con-
| spirators.
| While that statement carries the
weight OF authority of the governor
and I am still private citizen, 1 i'm
plore all good people to lay aside par
tisanship long enough to hear this
statement from me:
1 never heard of any such plan to
contest the seats OF Republican Off
Gals until read IL In the Charleston
Post. l Immediately wired the Ga-
zette a denial OF any knowledge of or
connection with any such scheme, say
ing those who voted for me knew !
would not be a party to 1t. No man
ever limited any such thing to me. To
have attempted such thing would
nave been dishonest and the conspir-
ators would have been fools had they
for one minute believed could be
used or made party to IL. There
fore, l am constrained to believe nc
such conspiracy ever existed. Az
least, / refuse to be recorded by the
governor. in a state paper, as a con-
summate crook, without uttering this
eprotest and appealing to fair-minded
Republicans for this opportunity to
say that the other statement of ths
governor that intended to remove
officials with fixed terms of Office RE
CARELESS OF THEIR FITNESS OF
former service to the state" is equally
untrue. l warned my Democratic
friends in most OF my public speeches
that places were not to be provided for
persons merely because they were
Democrats. That the test in all cases
would be fines and that those who
hold public office need have no fear OF
being disturbed IL they were faithfully
discharging their public duties and
were decent in their political activi-
ties. To the thousands of people who
heard me make those pledges appeal
for a refutation of the governors
groundless charge in a state paper"