The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-03
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
; COURT ALONE 70 BLAME.

FAIRMoNT, Nov. 3.-[Editor,
The West Virglnian. l-Failure Of
the Democratic leaders In the coun.
ty to know anything about the Cor.
rupt Practice Act is generally con
ceded to be the reason for the long
blasts against the Republicans in
tn Democratic organ. It wa6 this
lack Of knowledge that got a mum.
beT Of Democrats Into the muddle
of few days ago. when the ballot
commissioners refused to- put their
names on the official ballot be.
cause they had failed to comply
with the requirements Of the law.
Even though he served as prose.
cutting attorney for a term. Walter
Haggerty, county chairman for thu
Democrats, evidently had no idea
OF the provisions Of the law.
The action OF the ballet commits.
sioners was legal in every respect,
and no amount Of type can change
the truth in this respect. H. F..
Rose and Henry s. Lively, when
they appeared before the ballot
commissioners, declared that thes
acted in the only manner in which
they could and observe the law.
OF course. whom the parties in
question had flied their expense
accounts the situation was changed
and the ballot commissioners net
mitted their names to go on tine
ballot. All the parties in the case
are still liable to the penalty pro
rided by the law for failing 10 fiIn
their expense accounts as prov:d
ed
There was good bit of syn1ps.
thy expressed for Miss Wilson BIZ.
cause Of the mismanagement Of he:
campaign bv the Democratic CON-.
mtttee and because the Democrats
organ quoted her as making state.
ments that It is generally undo,.
stood that-she did not make. II IS
understood that Miss Wilson said
that she went TO the county clerk .
office and did not find Mr.. satter.
field in but tina. some girl In the
office, whom she could not identi.
~, told her that she did not have
to file. a statement Il she had no
expenses. Miss Wilson stated In
the account that she finally filed
before the county clerk, stating
tina. after her pre.primary state
ment she had spent s31.
There was good BIT OF amusr.
ment expressed on the streets re.
sarding the attack OF the local Dem
oeratic paper on the Democratic
County Court. 1t may be that the
paper does not know who spends
the county's money. This is ev..
dent from the ignorance shown re.
gardlns the Corrupt Practice Act"
and what actually has happened.
Every one knows that II there has
been any undue expenditures o.
money in the county in the past twa
years that the county court is re.
sponsible for that expenditure. Tbs
people in the county are well az.
quainted with Tie fact that there
have been large expenditures IL
various people. including a $500
expenditure from the county poor
fund, and no one can be held re.
sponsible for any expenditure by
the county except the County Cour;.
Every one knows that the only OK
penditures that can be made BY the
prosecuting attorney are those for
the prevention Of crime, the records
show that in tho past two years
Mr.. Amos has expended approai.
mately $40; $500 OF this was ex.
pended by the committee appointed
by the judge Of the Criminal Court
for the investigation OF high cost
Of living in the county; NJ. N,
Nicely was chairman OF this CON
mittee, so Il Is evident that the
Democratic organ out Of the abund.
once Of its ignorance, is accusing
Republicans Of the shortcoming !:
Of the Democratic County Couf!
and 1t is believed that the voters
will correct this extravaganza BIZ
electing Republican as a member
Of that body.
AN OBSERVER.