The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-27
4sor71er Governor Claims OPP
portunities Greater Now
Than Ever Before.


han Ever Before.
sUn1ess you have character, you
cannot attain success" This was
ti1ekeynoteSoft the address of form
hi Governor John J. Cornwel at
the eighth annual commencement.
Ii exercises 81 Fairview High school
last night More than eight hun
dred8 persons attended the exer-
sesswhfch were held in the First
Methodist Episcopal Church at
n EaiTyiew.
history fthis country or any other
county when the opportunities for
success were as great as they are
today, declared the former gov
mountaineering his address to the
gradual es. The members of the
graduating class, he pointed out,
are going upon the stage of the
ssworId withSyouth, ambition. broad
outlooks on life and on the world
and with AM education that was
pfactically impossible to obtain not
any&yearsg ago. Forty years ago,
those sus$who attended the pub
lie schools can remember, there
y we're few high schools and the
teaching facilities could not COM
reawit those Of the present
school, ,,, Mr.SC ornwell continued
lis Isl a great period in, the his
tory ofathe world. 1t is an age Of
L recall when the tele-
phone first cane into use. At that
Y time there was no such words as
automobile ,5carburetor or flapper.
these%yo ung@People are. becom-
ing men and women at the most
teresting time in world history.
eseyonng women, moreover, are
iustgas much citizens as the young
men on thep latform with them.
hsyywiII soon be casting their bal
lotsSside side and be engaged in
the goYe Sof their state and
natl on
This young lady who preceded
M has just very adequately de-
8scrihed Wha education is Mr..
SsornweHg said i referring to Miss Es-
tellesT thman, who delivered the
saIutatoryfor8 class. TN short,
the formerSg governor continued, lit
Is the acquiring of knowledge in
preparation for later life, know
ledge to- assist these graduates in
their work.,
81; ties Coal Operator
CornWell then recalled that
seVeraI#days ago he had watched
d Iarge SnumberE of land
in New ork City.sNho knows how
~, bapnrna
III 3orss of state&ors members of Con-
gressss' he asked, and then told of
how asyoung German came to Amer
lea btained position through
former Governor a.. B. Fleming of
FsairmontSwhile searching for work
in charleston and today is the pres
dent Off one of the largest coal
companies in West Virginia. This
INA NJ said Mr.. Cornwell, sis Carl
Scholz, who is today worth mil
lions Of liars.
sThere@are illustrations of thou
saEdsS of cases of youths who have
eGInegt to this country from Germany
Scotland, Russia, Sweden and
I ssn sF other European countries
I I'd added pointing out that energy
and character are prime requisites
for success. s4
Tells Story Of Convict
But what can become of the
young fellows who has family posi-
tfen and every advantage for sue
he doesn't have character?
ile queried. In answering the ques-
ton he told the story of a man
knownsas Harry Howard, who was
sentenced to the penitentary for
life for killing two men in South
West Virginia. AS a result Of
efforts made to obtain a pardon
forIoward, Mr. Cornwe1l, who was
ffiensgoVernorso of West Virginia, in
Festigated the Staying and found
tliat8 the prisoner had practically
iSeeEEforced into the position where
he killed the two men. The inves-
tfgationS also disclosed that the man
had thoroughly reformed, Mr.. Corn
well said, but the Judge who SEN
tened Howard was opposed to
pardon. in September. 1919, Mr..
e;crnWelI received a telegram say.
that Howard'sc sister was dy-
v ing In Chicago. The telegram, Mr..
eoTnweIl recalled, was from the
si1perindentento of government plant
protectfon&in hicago, the husband
OF doward's sister. The governor
obtained Howard'sS promise to re-
tnrnsi two weeks if permitted to
to his sister, and at the end OF
Observation-Disclosures the convict
returned and reported to the gov
aeSsnor developed that Howard's
sisters and Brothers were all
salthy. owning beautiful estates
on the lake front in Chicago. Mr..
CsoInweIls said
Granted Pardon
Shortly before Christmas, How
ard was granted a conditional par
Gornwen continued, and
hs was established sin business by
II is brothers in Michigan. Letters
received fromsHoward said that he
was making good, but several
months later the governor learned.