West Virginia Democrat. [volume], September 09, 1887, Image 2

About West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890

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Wet Tirgiiiii Jiimt.
Thomas H. Mason, Business Manager. |
THE B. St O. RAILROAD.
This important artery of com
rnerce, extending from Philadelphia
to St. Louis and to Chicago, has
been transferred to a syndicate of
Wall street and London bankers. It
seems incredible that the drift ot an
event of this character should be so
little understood by the general pub
lic. That a great highway of travel
should be in private custody Is, in
itself, a fact full of danger to the
common weal, but for such a great
arterv of commerce to be in the cus
tody of a syndicate of distant bank
ers is a fact which, were its signifi
cance comprehended by the body of
the people, would fill them with
alarm.
It is not possible within the space
and time now at our command [to
bring this matter home to the under
standing of persons who are not ac
quainted with the methods of mod
ern railroad management, especially
when such powerful influences have
lieen so long at work to mislead
opinion and to confuse the subject,
but perhaps a brief reference to one
or two facts may set thoughtful men
to thinkiDg.
The Pennsylvania company nas
a monopoly of the entire Western
and Southern commerce, moving by
rail, through Philadelphia to New
York. This Western and Southern
business is so enormous that its
magnitude can scarcely be compre
hended.—it is the trade and travel
by rail of more than twenty-five mil
lions of people. In order to compete
for this vast traffic, now in the hands
of a single corporation, the B. ft O.
endeavored to construct a‘rival line
from Baltimore to New York city
and for many years past the Penn
sylvania Company has concentrated
all of its vast political and moneyed
influences to prevent a new road
from being built. Finally by an im
mense expenditure the B. dr O. suc
ceeded in removing many of the ob
stacles which had been unlawfully
interposed and, having reached
Philadelphia, its entrance into New
York seemed assured. Thereupon
this artery of commerce passes into
the control of a syndicate of W all
street and London bankers whose
relations with the Pennsylvania
Company will enable it to direct the
policy of that corporation. And this
syndicate of bankers have announced
that a contract has been made
whereby it is agreed:
t. That a new road between Philadel
phia and New York shall not be built.
This means that these corpora
tions assume that when combined
they eau certainly prevent the Leg
islatures of the different States from
granting additional railroad char
ters. In other words this contract
is based on the assumption that
railroad corporations will control
politics. It is based on the assump
tion that they will be able to pre
vent the |>cople from voting intelli
gently.
2. That the B. tV O.will maintain rates.
An agreement *4to maintain rates'
means simply that these corpora
tions will act in concert to extort
from the public excessive charges.
3. That the B. it O. shall !>e managed
hv persons selected by the syndicate.
This means that the great high
way will be iu the hands of the
agents of this association of bank
ers, who have no thought except
how their control of this artery of
commerce may be used to obtain the
most money from the public. The
welfare of the country is to he sub
ordinated to the cupidity of M all
street and I^ondon bankers.
When this deal is consummated,
the N. Y. Central and the Pennsyl
vania road will be the only two
great Kastern Trunk Lines, and the
next step will, in all probability, be
a consolidation of »hese two corpora
tions.
The B. it O. and the lT. S. express
companies have already combined,
and it is already accepted in the best
informed circles as an assured fact
that the B. & O. telegraph will pass
into the hands of Jay Gould, and
the entire telegraph system of sixty
millions of people will constitute one
gigantic monopoly reaching from
ocean to ocean and from the lakes
to the gulf: and this monopoly will
be in close union with the uonsoli
dated roads. Here then will be
the entire railway transportation of
sixty millions of people, together
with the entire telegraph system of
the whole country, in the undispu
ted control of a syndicate of bank
ers.
When these combinations are per
ftected, with almost the entire press J
subsidized, and with the politicians
intimidated, how long will it be be
fore- the body of the peopje will suf
ficiently realize the true condition
of the country to rouse from their ,
present apathy and recapture con-!
trol of tueir government?
One Million Strong.
The Philadelphia Press states
that all the assemblies of Pennsyl
vania Railroad employes have been
organized into a’ national trade as- ,
sembly, and that this will speedily
be followed by a similar grouping
of railroad assemblies on the Balti
more and Ohio, the Delaware and
Lackawanna, the New York Central,
the Union Pacific and other large
railway systems in one grand een- j
tral organization, to be officered by |
its own leaders and to have control
of its own affairs. It is expected 1
that railroad eraplo}’es to the nuin- |
ber of 1,000,000 will be organized in i
districts in this way by the first of
January next, when the question of j
calling a convention will probably j
be decided.
When these million men. all in
the prime of life, are wielded as a ,
phalanx and moved in concert with
the telegraph employes, come to,
vote under the dictation of a syndi
cate of railway-managing bankers, j
how few politicians will have cour
age enough to tell the people the
truth about the condition of our
country, when doing so brings
against them the combined opposi
tion of this syndicate.
The combinations we now witness
crush out individual enterprise, and
without independent individual en
terprise a country cannot prosper.
Why is it railroads give free
passes to law makers? Why is it
they give passes to editors? Passes
to editors are not given to pat’ for
advertising, because the Demockat
offers to exchange advertising for a
pass and the railroads refuse.
While writing the above, we find
the following in the Sun:
Corporation Methods.
CoxcORP, N. H., Sent. 8.—In the Sen
ate to-day, Senator' Sawyer rose to a
question of privilege, and made the fol
lowing statement: "It becomes my duty
to myself ami to the Senate to place lie
fore t his body the facts of a transaction
that took place in the State House last
week. (>n Wednesday I was ea!led from
the Senate chamber h*y the sergeant-at
arms, and met Kirk 1>. Pierre. During
the conversation he proposed tome that
I make a speech for the Boston and
Maine Railroad for $.‘.,000. I need not
I sav that the proposition was indignant
lvNleelined." I pon motion, a commit
tee was appointed to investigate the
charge of bribery, with power to send
for persons and papers. The committee
will liegin the investigations to-morrow.
WILL THEGRANDARMY BECOME
A PARTIZAN CLUB?
We conclude the account of an effort
by Republican politicians to make the
society of ex-soldiers a jnilitical ma
chine.
The N. Y. W arid published in
terviews with Guv. Foiaker and
with Gov. Wilson, giving their ver
sion of what occurred in Wheeling.
Gov. Foraker said to the World:
Late in the evening Govs. Wilson,
Beaver and myself were at the hotel
and I was waiting for the depaitore
of mv train home. A band came up
to serenade us. I urged Wilson to
respond. He insisted that the sere
nade was uot intended for him, but
consented. He started off with a
well timed speech, lull ol pleasant
ry, and in the course of his remarks
said that he had love and respect
fur those who wore the blue and
also for those who wore the gray.
Just then some one in the crowd
shouted: “Oh, h—1,” and another
cried out: “Were not Confederates
,|—n traitors?*’ (An accurate report
of Gov. Wilson’s answer to this
question is printed elsewhere.—
Et». Dkmockat.) Other similar ex
pressions were made use of. I told
Wilson not to notice the interrup
tion It was evident, however, that
he was stirred up, but concluded his
remarks in the same pleasant vain
in which he had begun. I^pl lowed
and during my remarks numerous
questions were put to me which
called forth a reply, the gist of
which was that the North regarded
secession as a crime hut all ques
tions involved were settled and
while we were willing tor the South
to hold then sentiments we intended
to hold ours. Gov. Heaver made a
few well timed remarks and then
Gen. Gibson followed with rather a
radical speech, this brought Wilson
forward and he was much excited
saving that it was evident an at
tempt was being made to use the
Grand Army for the partizau ad
vantage of the republican party, and
while they might fool Ohio and
Pennsylvania soldiers, they could
not fool democratic West Va. soldi
ers. and lead them into the republi
can camp. When he got through
they called f*>r me, and I pointed
out that Wilson was the first speak
er to use the words democrat, and re
J publican. Of course. I maintained
the republican side ol the controver
. sy and I presume what I said will
be taken as one of my republican
speeches.
Gov. Wilson's interview is:
I was in Wheeling at the invita
tion of the Committee and spoke in
! the wigwam. I’ntil Friday nothing
occuried to mur fraternal feeling but
on the last day it was evident that
the purpose was to make use of the
occasion to obtain some republican
advantage. The first thing was a
refusal to march under an emblem
of the National Executive. In the .
afternoon there wss a series of
bloody-shirt speeches by Gov. For
aker and Beaver at their hotel.—
In the evening, calling to pay my re
spects, hearing that they were to be
serenaded I bade them good evening
but they insisted I should remain.
In response to calls we all made
speeches and got into a political de
bate. As political speeches had
practically been proclaimed the or
der of the day, I concluded that the
republicans should not have the field
exclusively to themselves. Many
democrats of the Grand Army have
already .signified an intention to
leave the organization and it is very
certain that the effort tnade to carry
the democratic soldiers into the re
publican camp by means of this or
ganization will be a failure.
In 1861 the people of West Ya.
were divided in sentiment. While
a majority were loyal to Federal au
thority yet a numerous and influen
tial minority were in full sympathy
with the South. Every county had
troops in both armies. Many of the
most prosperous and respected bus
mess men in Wheeling were i onieci- |
erate soldiers and no one now in
quires in that city which opinion
his neighbor held 25 years ago. It1
is the same in every part of the
State. We look to the future not to
the past. Gov. Wilson comes of a
family that was against secession, I
but in answer to the serenade it was
very natural and it was entirely
proper that he should have reflected
that divided sentiment which exist
ed in 1861 and which exists to-day.
West Virginians who were in the
Union army find a pleasure in re
membering the brave acts of their
neighbors who were on the Confed
erate side. And strange as it may
seem it always gratifies a Confeder
ate soldier to discover and become
acquainted with “ the Yankee who
fired the shot that wounded him.”
This is strange but none the less
true. Ever since his manhood, Wil
son lias been in constant personal
contact with a popular feeling that
is the outcome of this peculiar sen
timent among our people, and it was
natural and it was right that he
should give expression to it. If
Gov. Foraker was endowed with that
elevated tone of character which
becomes the executive of a great
State, he would have sprung to his
feet the moment that Wilson was
interrupted and denounced any sug
gestion that, on such an occasion, a
Confederate soldier should be called
a traitor. Gov. Foraker would have
done so were he not a typical pot
house politician. As for poor old
Gibson, he is, we understand, rattle
brained, superficial, and a mere
charlatan with a loud voice, who
says or does anything calculated to
make ignorance applaud:—the ut
terances of such a man may for the
moment tickle a crowd, but no one
will regard what he says.
We remember the late war as we
remember an unfortunate separation
between man and wife, now recon
ciled and loving, having around
them by the fireside of a happy
home the children born before and
the children born after their recon
ciliation. The right feeling portion
of the community will not tolerate
an attempt to stir up a new family
quarrel to estrange those now recon
ciled; the right feeling part o( the
i community will not tolerate an ef
fort to destroy love, content and
happiness in ordeV to substitute
hate, discord and misery. Scheming
, partizans like Forakcr, Sherman and
Blaine have entirely mistaken the
genius of our American people.
LOCAL OPTION VS. PROHIBITION.
Local Option means, that each
community shall decide for itscdf
whether to have barrooms. Prohi
bition means, that one county shall
meddle with and dictate the local
affairs of another county.
Are the counties which voted
against license, willing that other
counties should compel them to open
barrooms? If not, why not? Is it
not. because, these counties think
that they are able to manage their
own domestic and local affairs for
themselves? Does not a community
resent outside interference, precisely
as the individual resents interference
with his private business? The at
tempt by one community to coerce
another community excites a spirit
of resistance, and a general spirit of
resistance is fatal to the execution
of any law. A man submits more
readily to advice from a neighbor
than from a stranger; and if by a
concert of actibn between neighbors
and friends it be decided to do with
out barrooms, then there is no resis
tancc and every man cheerfully sub
mit to the law.
We appeal to thoughtful persons,
whose object is, not noise and polit
ical excitement, but practical prog
ress in the cause of temperance, to
think seriously on these things be
fore they lend their influence to this
new doctrine called Prohibition,
which is being urged by persons of
extreme views, who if followed will
surely bring disaster to a righteous j
cause
Does not experience prove that!
any law however stringent, (and es
pccially a law that restrains per- j
sonal liberty,) which is not sup- .
ported by public opinion, will be
openly set at defiance ‘by as good
men as any in the community?
It has pleased God to so create
us, that while we yield readily to
persuasion, we will not submit to
compulsion. The cause of temper
ance in this State, is now progress
ing rapidly in the 411 license coun
ties and is growing stronger in the
eleven non-license counties.—why
check it by exciting a spirit of re
sistance.
There are counties iu tins State
which have not granted license for
forty years, and where public opin
ion will not tolerate a nan who
drinks. Iu certain ot the other
non license counties the temperance
sentiment has not as vet reached so
healthy condition, and in such coun
ties liquor is easily obtained; but if
these communities are let alone, the
local influences at work will un
doubtedly effect the cure. It is the ;
same case in Kansas, Maine, Iowa
and Rhode Island,—the four States,
and the only four States, that have
adopted the constitutional amend
ment upon which we are to vote at
the next election. In all of these
States there are localities where the
temperance feeling is strong enough
to prevent any public use of liquors
but there are other localities in
these States where liquor may be
obtained as easily as in places
where license is granted. We cop
ied from the Atlanta Constitution
an editorial testifying to the happy
results local option had produced in
that city. The writer has had op
portunity to observe the practical
workings of both systems, and,
speaking from facts within his per
soppl k;nowtodfro- lie, asserts that lo
cal option is more effectual than
prohibition. But apart from any
statement, it does seem to us that
the statistics given in the last issue
of this paper, should induce the
true friends of temperance to prose
cute more vigorously the system of
local option rather than experiment
with a measure so extreme as pro
hibition.
Prohibition is making decided head
way in Florida. Within the last two
weeks live counties have voted on the
question, and all went “dry,” some by
large majorities.—Balto Sun
Careless paragraphs like this are
very misleading: the Sun should
have said,—Temperance is making
headway. Florida has the local
option system.
It lias been my observation that a
man who is weak with the politi
caus is universally* strong with the
people.—Frank Hurd.
It isn't the Republican party that
has gone over to the Virginia De
mocracy. It is the Virginia De
mocracy that has gone over to the
Republican party .—Louisville ( Ky.)
Courier.
The politicians have gone over but
not the rank and hie.
The Baltimore Sun of the Gth
has a long article written evidently
by a person of the Gorman—Rasin
school in Maryland politics. We
copy one sentence to be contrasted
with the letter of “ L. S.” on the
on the first page.'
The fact is that, although Marvland is
pointed out as an example of the spoils,
system, the people are very cheerful and
contented under their political yoke and
indeed, there is a strong feeling to tlie
effect that other communities would do
v- ell to get some bosses of the Maryland
stamp, and imitate some of the little old
fashioned State political methods.
The machine politicians favor the
Gorman-Rasin methods- the body
of the peopleware against them. The
letter of *‘L. S.” expresses the popu
i lar judgment.
The Farmers’ Association of Yir
• ginia, in their meeting the night
before the Roanoke convention, con
sidered a proposition ‘-that all farm
j ers should band together to secure
such legislation” as the railroad
politicians had heretofore prevented.
Mann Page, of Prince George, and
K. G. Field, of Orange, spoke earn
estly for the proposition. We pre
dict the farmers will not develop
sense enough to send tfiese gentle
men to the Legislature; the farmers
will stand idle while the railroad
lobby are carefully excluding men
like Page and Field.
Relief will come when farmers
learn to vote intelligently.
Mk Jxo. K. Cowex is a manly
man of the very first order of intel-,
lcct. Although attorney for the B.
A 0„ he has for years past been
acting with “the clean Democrats ’
in Maryland to rid that State of
machine politics. He- rebelled
against corrupt methods, and finally
announced that he would support
the Republican candidates in the
coining election. Thereupon the
Baltimore Sun and other papers,
now acting in concert with the Gor
man Ring, asserted that Cowen
joined the Republicans because they
promised to drevent a repeal of the
legislation that exempts the B. A O.
from taxation. Mr. Cowen prints
to-day. in the advertising columns |
of the Sun, a letter that is an epoch 1
in politics and makes a ne\v issue:
and an issue that staggers machine
politicians. He shows conclusively
that the B. A 0. management en
deavored to control his conduct as a
citizen and to infiuence his vote as
it lias been accustomed to govern
the ballots of its other employes.
Cowen makes this very clear, and
calls on all men “in corporate em
ploy” to stand by him “in this bat
tle for free speech, for free thought,
for political independence.” He
says, a corporation is entitled to
faithful service, but must not at- i
tempt to dictate the ballots of its
employes.
We. intend to publish extracts
from this remarkably able and pa
triotic letter so that its sentiments
will be known in this State. We
cannot endorse Mr. Cowen’s alli
ance with the republicans because
although their present candidates
area vast improvement on those gen
erally nominated, yet on National
questions they are radically wrong:
and we doubt the expediency of di
viding the democracy in State elec
tions with an expectation of uniting
it in the National campaign. It
seems to us, the elemeni represented
by Cowen should have roused the
people previous to the nominations:
publications like that he now makes
would have done so:—if they would
not have done so, then we may as
well eoufess that our political sys
tem is a failure and the Government
is irretrievably surrendered to cor
porate monopoly.
Notwithstanding the report of the
Special Committee appointed to investi
gate the charges against the manage
ment of the Hospital for the Insane; not
withstanding the fact that it was well
known that the Senate would not con
firm any man appointed as a Director of
this Institution who was even suspected,
of being favorable to the retention of Dr.
Bland, and notwithstanding the fact
that tho general judgment oi the people,
irrespective of party, was that whether
the charges against tho Superintendent
i were true or not, his capacity for useful
ness as the head of that institution was
gone,- -notwithstanding, we say, all this,
the Board of Directors of the Hospital,
by a vote of 5 to 4, have re-elected Dr.
Bland.—Kanawha Gazette.
The above is a fair specimen of
the newspaper slush that small-fry
| editors mistake for public opinion.
About two months ago we printed
I Jefferson’s view of personal liberty
| and the Gaxetie said: “The Demo
ckat has adopted Herr Most’s tlieor)
of Government.” The opinion of a
paper which does not know the differ
ence between anarchy and personal
liberty is unlikely either to influence
intelligent opinion or affect the pop
ular judgment. The editorials in
the Gazette have not indicated either
that scope of information or breadth
of understanding which inspires
public confidence and commands
popular respect.
The people of this State with one
voice insist that the hospital shall
be kept out of polities. They do
not intend the unfortunate inmates
to become the victims of personal
quarrels or party tactics. The at
tack on the present management was
fomented by certain politicians of
the smallest callibre who would burn
dbwn a barn full of wheat to roast
a single egg, and it was aggravated
by persons who wished to create va
eancies that their friends might ob
tain the places. As to the report, we
were disgusted with it. As to the
j Senate’s refusal to confirm thedirec
! tors first nominated by the Govern
j or, it was condemned by every intel
; ligent man we have heard speak on
I the subject. The last Senate was
' largelj’ the outcome of corrupt meth
ods, and several of its members were
chosen more with a view to their
vote for U. S. Senator than with a
view to their fitness lor the office.
Unfortunately the small men in the
Senate were misled by mere noise.
So far from it being “the general
judgment” that Dr. Bland’s useful
ness is gone, “whether the charges
be true or false,” the popular judg
ment, so far as we can ascertain, is
exactly the other wav. Let us put
the Gazette's proposition so plain
that even children will understand
it. It says:
“The general judgment was that
whether the charges were true or not
j his capacity for usefulness was gone.”
In other words although the
charges arc false and made for the j
sole purpose of creating a vacancy (
so that another person might receive 1
the salary ; in other words, although j
the Boa id of Directors, who are bet j
ter acquainted with the tacts than
any outsider can possibly be, are
convinced that to continue the pres
ent management is l»est for tlm insti-j
tution, yet they should make a
change. In other words, the Board
of Directors should sacrifice the wel- J
fare of the intitutiou because politi
cians and place hunters manufac
tured a false clamor. Really such a
proposition is too absurd to deserve,
notice. The charges against Dr.
Blaud being false, “the general judg
ment” is that he should not be re
moved and the Board of Directors
acted very wisely to disregard the
senseless clatter of newspapers.
Be it understood we are very far
from intimating that Dr. McDonald
should not be appointed if Bla^d re
signs. Dr. McDonald did not seek
the place and being recommended by
the State Board of Health his ap
pointment would be eminently prop
er. There is a suspicion however
however that some of those voting
for McDonald did so because they
knew that a majority opposed the
removal of Bland. There is a sus
picion that some of these'gentlemen
will not vote for McDonald should
the time come when their votes can
elect him.
The Board acted very wisely to
appoint Doctrcss Harriett B. Jones
of Wheeling, formerly of Preston,
first assistant in the female depart
ment. She is educated in her pro
fession and has had large experience.
It was also very judicious for the
Board to allow the physicians of the
Asylum and annual vacation for the
purpose of visiting similar institu
tions in other States.
The circumstance the Board pays
no attention to newspaper clamor,
commends it to public approval.
A SYNDICATE OF BANKERS FIND
$10,000,000 FOR THE B. & O.
Pliilda. Record Sept. :trd.
J. 8. Morgan of the London brunch
of Drexel, Morgan A Co. bankers of
this city and N. Y..concluded vester
day negotiations with Mr. Garrett of
the 11. A O., and a preliminary con
tract was executed. The parties are,
thcB. A 0. and a syndicate compos
ed of J. 8. Morgan A Co., Baring
Brothers A Co., and Brown, Shipley
A Co., of London; Drexel, Morgan A
Co., Kidder, Peabody A Co., and
Brown Brothers A Co., of N. Y. and
Drexel A Co., of Philadelphia.
In consideration of this contract
being signed, and with the control
in its hands, the syndicate has
agreed to relieve the railroad from
its present embarassinent by provid
ing $10,000,000 with which to take
up the Moating debt. The contract
provides:
1. That the ins'iagenient of the com
pany shall he placed in competent hands
gatlafactory t<> the ssmdieate*
'2. That satisfactory contracts shall he
made between the 'Baltimore and Ohio
and the other roads for New York busi
ness, which shall remove all antago
' nisms between them on the subject, and
1 insure tho permanent working of the
Baltimore anc^Ohio in entire harmony
With the other trunk lines; also avoid
construction or throat of construction of
expensive parallel lines north and east
of Philadelphia.
The B. A O. common stock
amounts to $14,792,500 and the pre
ferred stock to $5,000,000.
WILSON’S ANSWER.
“I am asked by some one, at my
side, whether the Confederates were
traitors. In reply, I have only this
to say: The man who would ask
such a question,on such an occasion,
and at this hour—more than twenty
years since the close of the war, and
the acceptance of its results, in good
faith, throughout the land, is utter
ly lacking in a proper appreciation
t of American citizenship and the dig
nity of American manhood. Ho is
the man who would keep sectionalism
alive and fatten upon sectional hate.
The day is pas4, for anything of that
kind to succeed. This country is
1 again grandly united. Let it so re
I main forever.”
; SAMPLE PRESS COMMENTS ON
THE EVENT AT WHEELING.
The event shows that in some
parts of the country the G. A. has
become a Republican association. It
. contains men who never fought and
therefore know no difference between
partizanship and patriotism. * * We
may be sure the Posts that attempted
to insult the President were not com
posed of real soldiers hut of small
politicians who joined the organiza
tion fop political purposes. An ex
ample, has been set by the veterans
who march as during the war where
politicians dare not follow.—A Hunt a
Constitution.
At the late reunion of Northern
j and Federal soldiers at Gettysburg
or Richmond Gov. Wilson might
have declared without offense that
the Gray were also brave men; his
mistake was in saying what he did
before mere politicians. It was not
the Grants, Shermans, and Sheri
dans who questioned Southern bra
very. It is the politicians like For
aker, mere mouthing.aspiring parti
zans who question the courage of
the Southern soldiers.—men of the
same lineage of the same common
origin.—Telegraphir Press.
Forakcr is a noisy and feather
brained politician with neither fore
sight or breadth of view. It is eas
ier to believe that his antics arc the
products of genuine silliness than to
suppose they are calculated. * * *
He worked himself into a rage over
the battle flags although that sub
ject belongs to ancient history. Hav
ing made it an “issue*’ in his cam
paign for Governor he tries to assist
it by making a fuss in Wheeling.
* * * We must live with our fellow
citizens of the South under the same
conditions as those in other States.
It is policy to overlook all provoca
tion for quarrelling. * * * The
great majority are tired of this sort
of thing and it is lunacy for politi
cal managers to ignore the fact.—
X. Y. Times (Rep.)
Wainwright Scott Post 464, G. A.
R., (Erie,) one of the largest and
most influential Grand Army organ
izations in Western Pennsylvania,
on hearing of what occurred in
Wheeling, passed this preamble and
resolution:
Wiikrkas, In a public parade, a large
number of Grand Army Post* refused to
pass under a deeorated arch and inscrip
tion: “God Ides* our President.”
Ilesolved, That such action meets with
the unqualified disapproval and disap
pointment of this Post.
(We will wager a large sum, that
this resolution eminated from true
soldiers and not from skulkers.—Ed.
Dkm.)
GIBSON AND MCGINNIS.
The Circuit Judge of Cabell fined
and imprisoned cx-Congressutau
Gibson for an alleged contempt. One
of the papers prints the following
letter from Mr. Gibson.
-It is well understood here that
the Judge’s action was from purely
personal motives.
In 1873 I received letters from
clients in Baltimore,Md., and Abing
don, Va., asking me to take steps to
disbar Ira J. McGinnis, then prac
ticing law in ibis county, for collect
ing considerable sums of money for
them while practicing law in Abing
don, Va., and running away from
there in the night time with the
money.
I told Mr. McGinnis of these let
ters, but declined to have anything
further to do with the case than to
advise him to settle the claims the
best lie could. This lie promised to
do (but lias never to this day done)
saying lie had lost the money at
cards, of all which I advised my
clients.
From this time on he seemed to
have formed a personal enmity to
me; and some years afterwards,
when I was a candidate for the Leg
islature, lie undertook to run against
me and was disgracefully beaten in
the convention, getting only 17 votes
out of sixty-three.
lie then forlpay or money,sold him
self to the opposing candidate, and
slumped the county against me, the
nominee of the convention.
Some years afterward, by expres
sions of repentance and promises to
my friends, and by reasons of there
being numerous candidates in the
field, by accident rather than by
any merit of his, be succeeded in be
ing elected Judge of this Circuit.
He was no sooner elected than he
commenced a most brutal course of
insolence and lying poltroonery to
wards m'yself and other members of
bis bar, whom lie disliked, forcing
me re pea ted 1}' to rebuke Jiiin in
Court and denounce him out of
Court.
On Friday before the alleged con
tempt in the Court House yard, he
got into a quarrel with If. J. MeCo
mas,a prominent attorney who cursed
him and threatend to thrash him on
the spot for language lie bad used.
To get out of this difficulty. Mr.
McGinnis, within presence of a large
number of people, told Mr. McCamns
that he did not mean bis insulting
language for him, but for me.
I was not in Court that day, and*
had never had anything to do with
the matter in controversy.
On Tuesday following I went to
Court and on arising to make a mo
tion, was greeted with some of his
usual insolence,for w hich I promptly
rebuked him, to which he submitted
silently. Afterward, on the recess
j of Court, in the presence of the same
people before whom he spoke of me
on Friday, in the Courthouse yard
and in his presence, I bitterly dc- •
nounced him for what he said to Mr.
McCamas. Too cowardly to resent
it, lie w’ent into the Court House,
commenced his Court, and, without
any notice to me and in my absence,
inquired of some gentleman what i
had said, but no statement of theirs,
was ever reduced to writing, nor do
I know' to this day what they said.
He then issued a rule, returnable
! on the noxt day. I promptly an
i swered that rule, asked for an issue.
, and proposed to prove the facts
j slated in my answer.
‘ He thereupon abandoned proceed
ings on his rule, aud handed me
specifications of charges referring to
things I had said about him as a
candidate lor re-election, ami to ex- *
pressions he alleged I had used in
; arguing a case in his Court several
weeks before. 116 refused to hold
; any trial, refused to hear any ev.
! dence, saying that I had insulted
the Court and jury in open Court.
This he knew wa9 a palpable lie*
and would be so proven by all the
jurors and members of the bar,
therefore he would allow no trial,
but sentenced me to ten days com
finement in jail and to pay a f,n(>
fifty dollars.
From this order I ap)>ealcd an<
prepared a bill of exceptions, asking,
the usual suspension until a .Ju1 >'
of the Court of Appeals could pa**