Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-06-24
Review Of the Congressional Situa
tiOn in the 18th District.

for the nomination. Inc fOrce or naOlt
Is pretty strong, and l can not see that
there is any considerable disposition to
turn from the old method of dealing
with Congressional candidates. Colonel
Taylor has served one term, and his Con-
gressiOnal career was an acceptable one.
He made good campaign in the heart
of winter, the election, it will be remem-
bered, took place in January, after DR.
Updegraff s death. and received hand
some majority He now has the benefit
of the feeling that member of Congress
from this district is entitled to more than
one term.
AT one time there was q good deal OF
opposition to him in his own county, but
after talking to a number of politicians
here it was learned that hostility to him
is no longer active; in fact. there is no
anti-Taylor faction in Guernsey county
to-day. The Republican party is united.
/ am told that Colonel Taylor for the
last four years has been doing all that he
could to close the breach and restore
harmony. He has been met half way by
his old opponents, aud general good feel
ing has supplanted the old bitterness and
pickering. [ find that the very men who
organized and led the opposition to Col
Taylor are now his friends, and that they
are urging his claims for the n0mina
ton. What effected this change l can
DOT undertake to say, but there were
many reasons why effective opposition
to him should cease at the present time.
There are still a number of influential
men in the Republican party of Guern-
sey county who are not enthusiastic
friends of Colonel Taylor, but they do
not antagOnize him, aud seem quite will
ing that he should go back to Congress.
Colonel Taylor, as has been explained,
is clearly the leading candidate. Noble
county has no candidate. though it has
been suggested that Judge W 5 Frazier
may become one. Of course. all the
counties may choose to honor local cam
didates by giving them a vote OD two or
three ballots, but in the end all OF the
strength will be commanded by three
men-ColOnel Taylor, Colonel c l. Poor
man, and the candidate from Harrison
county. Harrison county is the home
of Messrs Bingham and Hollingswortb.
and its vote has always been cast as a
unit. The question now is who will have
it. When the convention opens Colonel
Taylor will have a plurality of the votes
after the first ballot or two. He can not
be nominated, however, unless he can
command substantial support from JEFF
ferson and Belmont counties. 1t is his
hope that Jefferson county will give him
at least half of its delegates. He is very
strong in the townships outside of Steu-
81 NAn Of oil of
DR. Updegraff s friends. In the last con-
vention which nominated DR. Updegraff,
Colonel Taylor was candidate for the
nomination, but be was shrewd enough
to accept defeat gracefully and to render
the ticket very efficient support. When
he succeeded DR. Updegraff in Congress,
be delivered a eulOgy upon him, which
was extremely gratifying to the friends
of the deceased Congressman. So it will
be seen that Colonel Taylor has been all
the while adding to bis strengh and pop
ularity. find that the politicians and
men are interested in secur-
ing his nomination because they recog+
nize the claim that he is by all precedent
entitled to it, and because they realize
that if he is elected now his Congress"
ional career will be brought nearer to its
end by at least one term. There are sew
eral am bilious and worthy men in the
district, who feel that they ought to be
elected to Congress. Hence, there is ID
to recognize Colonel Taylor
at once, and so OPEN the way for others
as soon as he shall have ceased to repre-
sent the district.
Belmont county is the largest in the
district and has th- most Republican
votes. Nearly one-third of the delegates
to the Congressional convention will be
from Belmont county. The delegation
from Belmont will not be united in the
interests of any candidate. Colonel Tay-
lor has staunch frierdS in Belmont, par
tfcularly in the vicinIty of GAINESVILLE.
He expects to have several delegates
from Belmont county, and the indlca>
tions are that he will have some. Flush
ing township is the birthplace of Hol-
lings worth, and it has always responded
to his calls for support by sending del
egate to Congressional conventions to
vote for him. If he is a candidate this
year he may have more than one dele
gate from Belmont county.
Colonel Taylor's friends do not hope
for great deal of support from Harri-
son county. The chances are that he
will either get all of the delegates from
Harrison or none of them. 1t is the i'm
preston of many we'll informed persons
that the balance of power in the conven-
tion will rest with the Jefferson county
delegation.
COLONEL PooRMAN's CANDIDACY.
At Bellaire l had talk with Colonel
Poorman and several of the other local
politicians. Colonel Poorman has been
with the politics of Belmont
county for quarter of a century, and
his information is always thorough and
concise.
Said he: 81 have decided to be cans
didate for Congress. At first did not
expect to be, but when came home from
Columbus and looked pretty thoroughly
over the ground, aud came to understand
the situation, it seemed to me that the
interests of the party would be subserv+
ed if were to be candidate. 1t occur
red to me that it would be useful to the
to have me in the race
whether l Was nominated or not, so you
can say that l am candidate"
Colonel Poorman thinks that the can
didate this year should be Belmont
county man, or at least be man accept
able to the voters on the east side of the
district. 1t is his belief, founded upon
careful investigation, that Colonel Tay-
lor does not and can not command the
cordial sympathy and support of the
very considerable working population of
s le river counties.
There are 100 working men in Bell
aire who are members of labor organiza-
tiOns. Col. Poorman has always been
an earliest supporter of the just demands
OF the working classes, and he has made
a life study of their needs and the bear
ing of the tariff question upon wages in
this country. The cnnSpnIIenca Is that