Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-09-27
THE MARTINSBURG HERALD, SATURDAY, Z
HOW WEST VIRGINIA WILL VOTE.


WHEELING, w. VA, Sept. H.
The political situation in this state
continues favorable to the Republi-
cans. The Democratic factional
fight which began early in the
spring, when the Register, the party
organ in the state, charged the pre-
sent Democratic administration with
wrecking the party, and called for
its Observation-Disclosures in an
open row in the state convention,
which was the most disgraceful scene
ever enacted in state convention,
The Register, having lost the fight
there, was not enthusiastic indeed,
it was discouragingly cool. The
State Committee was not organized
until the middle of August, and the
campaign was not opened until Sep
TENDER 8th, and then under such
discouraging circumstances that the
whole state felt the chill. The Green
back and Republican fusion is a sue
cess. This gives the fusion ticket a
clear majority in every congressional
district. The excessive dullness in
the nail mills in the First district
has been used by the Democrats as
an argument in favor of a change.
There is also some German detection
from the Republican ranks in Wheel
ing, owing to the local temperance
agitation, but it cannot affect the
vote much. The same cause that
loses German Republican votes in
Wheeling gains Temperance Demo
Gratis in the rural districts, anoma-
lous as it may appear. Fully seven
ty-five per cent. of the Democracy OF
West Virginia are prohibitlonists.
The combined Republican and
Greenback vote of the First district
is 2,143 in excess of the Democratic
vote. General Golf, Republican,
will no doubt be reelected by 1900
majority. The Third district lies in
the wonderful Kanawha Valley with
its great coal and salt deposits.
Here also is situated the only tin
mine in America, and the largest
vein in the world. Biologists esti-
mate the tin area at 1900 square
miles. Large quantities are now
daily smelted. In this valley
remarkable change is in progress.
The population, composed entirely
of miners, has increased three hun
dred per cent. in the last three years.
Ninety per cent. of this increase is
Republican. In this district the
Republicans have held but one pop
ular meeting, but every individual
miner has been spoken TO personally
on the subject. A sample of the
work accomplished is seen at the
Winnifred mines, where 712 votes
are employed. In this NINE a Blaine
and Logan club of Cos members has
been formed. The Democratic ma
jority IN this district two years ago
was 1000. The Greenback and
vote is 700 in excess of
the Democratic, even on the old
basis. The Republican candidate
for Congress, Colonel Davis, on a
fair estimate, will have 1000 MAORI.
ty. In the Fourth district the Dem.
ocrats almost admit the defeat of
their candidate. A lively fight will
be made in the Second district, with
the odds in favor of the Republicans.
A careful, exhaustive study of the
situation justifies the Republican
claim of electing every congressman.
The same conditions that exist as to
the congressional ticket apply with
equal force to the state ticket, with
this additional factor. that the Dem
ocratic candidate for governor has
the open and avowed antagonism of
every railroad in the state because
of his pronounced and declared OPP
position to all so called monOpOlieS.
In recent legislature, at the closing
session, he spoke nine consecutive
hours to defeat railroad bill, and
earned the name he is known by all
over the state, that Of !" Windy"
Such men as Senator Barnum and
Senator German, of the Democratic
National Committee, and ex- Senator
II. u. Davis, of this state, all Demo
Gratis, who own tens of thousands of
acres of coal land in this state in
partnership, and who are to some
extent dependent on outside capital
IN developing their property, cannot
afford the election of the Democratic
candidate for governor. Without
entering further in the details, the
situation summed up is this: Repub-
licans will elect two congressman
certainly, four probably. The Re-
publican state ticket will have from
1000 to $500 majority, and Blame
will carry the state by 5000.