The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-31

Shall the Corporations Rule?
IAN Editorial.)


WHILE the present campaign issue in this county is moral
w one that in the state large matter of social justice
Boiled down it is, Shall the corporations
or the people rule in West Virginia.
To properly understand this issue review briefly
the political and economic history of the For brief
period after state erected in Virginia
members of the Republican party held the important Offices
Then in 1871 the pendulum to the other side the
political dial and Democrats took charge This second period
lasted until 1897.
During the Democratic period the middle witnessed its
wonderful mctamorphos from exclusively agricultural to
an industrial condition. the prairie peopcd be-
wealthy and the great northwest Developed This
great empire building movement passed West Virginia by,
that when the people woke to realization of their actual
condition. few years back, they found that they were
quarter of century, least behind the march of progress
There number this
growth Not the least potent Of them
feeble oned
denotes No made lead
into the hands the which organized
velop the boundless natural resources Of the
unenghtened and
hartess AL of them greedy almost beyond belief
exploited ruths far as the
natural wealth Mexico
of the Spanish and with almost
people the agents of King Leopold
Congo valley. chopped
not publicly whipped death
with little conjunction and what happened
into the mines to provide bread for the mouths their little
necessary
to call attention what happened
the limit of human endurance
to subs the charity their public
Finally there revolt that party
returned power 1t was not the Republican party that Lincoln
the Republican
had breathed Republican party of
1916but the idea of and
people which improvement upon what
preceded it, and began to take stock
1t found FIRST that the taking millions
dollars the West Virginia hills people through
pluck-me stores and generally running high
bad little better standing common
thieves shipping heritage the people and
putting the into their pockets
1t clear outside the border spend 1t In
using the of the Charleston
their private business the
Literally hundreds OF them rolling the Al
mighty placed here to be of service His lodging
the tax collector In the long, and frequently black history
poatons this there contemplate
No hog left comfortable than
the West Virginia corporations displayed when
privileges they had been
enjoying period ensued during which fought
side cost of govern
compel that enlightened
like the
corporations fought on the other
side Legislators public SER
wants and
eventually the day began to 20 for the people and from that
West Virginia began forward along all
cational agricutua especially by
The interests by that time we're beginning to nav and o
effected toward making them and Just
in their relations with their public in
general Virginia beginning progressive state in
every the
How the generally it is
held shown in 1912 when the Republican
occurred In West Virginia Republican state
that partisan dispute split the Republican open the
Democrats carried the state their although
elected
had become the the Virginia
and the of 1912 them politics. The
elections of
sideably but they chance for them to
restore the conditions that existed back
and his immediate predecessors carefully to
capture the state next
Tuesday How we'll these working matter
Of such recent history that scarcely
Every West virgnan processes which
the who for had Democratic
organization butaly Inundated
might not be any question as to the corporation
ganization and later low intrigue
to destroy the morale Of the Republican party
Whether this deliberately the inter-
ests Of the public will entirely voters II
beginning look If the corporations hope
winning anything than the executive year.
voters depend that they get they will be
like the camel Arabic fable who always crowd his
whole body in he permitted his
Of the tent If they anything
in this state will suffer check Cornw
out that the idea of