The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-10-18
The Election.

The country has waited for this
result as for an index of that greater
battle which is to be fought next
month for the Presidency.
These two States, lying side by
side, separated only by the width of
the Ohio river, are Numerically diff
ferent in their politics. West Yir-
ginia is as decidedly Democratic as
Ohio is Republican. West Virginia
is regarded even more steadfast in
her fealty to the Democratic party
than Ohio is to the Republican. West
Virginia has never faltered in her
adherence to Democratic principles
since her accession to power in 1871.
On the contrary Ohio has been some
what capricious. She occasionally
wheels out of line, and elects Dem
ocratic State administration, as she
did last year. Nevertheless she has
never faltered in Presidential years.
However hayward and unreliable
the Republican majority in Ohio
may be in other years,it is as certain
as death or taxes when its vote is
required for Republican President.
Here, therefore, the country has
had the examples of one thoroughly
Democratic State and one thoroughly
Republican State, voting one month
in advance of the presidential cleo
ton, from which to draw conclu
sion as to the drift of political senti
ment.
If West Virginia had joined her
neighbor, Ohio, and given Repub
lican majority, public confidence in
the election of Blaine would have
been established And if Ohio had
Joined West Virginia in giving a
Democratic majority, public belief
would be equally settled in the cleo
ton of Cleveland next month.
But the intelligent voters and pol
iticians did not expect SO emphatic
a result. They said that the most
that could be drawn from the cleo
ton in these states, would be from
an increased or reduced Democratic
majority in West Virginia and an
increased or reduced Republican ma
jority in Ohio.
The result has, indeed. scarcely
given either party any encourage
ment even to this extent. Ohio and
West Virginia seem to have so nearly
held their own in the struggle that
we might call it drawn battle so
far as the Presidential issue is con
cerned.
If there is any ground for congrat-
ulation and boasting, it seems to be
with the Democrats in West Virgin
ia. In this State the Democrats have
fought no ordinary battle. They have
been compelled to fight a fusion of
all other political elements within
the State; and to have triumphed
over such combination-to have
any majority in such a contest
even to have succeeded by the skin
of our teeth, is glorious victory.
The result in this county is some
what of a surprise to both parties
It shows quite gain on the State
ticket for the Republicans. Max
wells majority will probably be near
Nv six hundred. The entire Repub
lican county ticket is elected by
maiorities ranging from about 100 te
400. At the twelve voting places
which have been officially reported
Maxwell gets 1,l3S and Wilson sl4
The precincts to be heard from are
reported to have given Republican
majorities. Prof Morgan ran ahead
of his ticket though special fgh'
was made against him.
Monongalia has been strongly Re
publican for more than 20 years and
In presidential years the party lash
whips in the entire vote. 1t is gen.
erally the case that in presidential
years the dominant party in any
county succeeds in swelling it's ma
jorities.