The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-08
The Contest Of 1892.

The Pittsburgh Commercial Gdsette, dis
ciussing party prospects for 1902, thus
summarizes the situation:
The really debatable States are New York, In.
diana, Connecticut, West Virginia and Montana.
0ithese, New York, Indiana and Montana went
Republican In 1885 and West Virginia and Con.
necticut Democratic, the last named by only $50
plurality, and West Virginia by 5S2, The indus,
casts It's probabilities with Republicans. These
1--WE States have a combined electoral vote OF Co.
30 that the case may be summarized thus;
Sure Republican
Sure Democratic
Doubtful %
Total -. ......... .........lH
rTius Il Wilde seen that on this classification
the Republicans lack IS votes of q majority, and
the Democrats6S. II the Republicans hold the
20S and carry TndlanRB Is, they will elect; Or II
they carry New York's 81 and lose the other four
doubtful States they will elect, with q votes 70
spare; or II they should carry West Virginia,
Connecticut and Montana they, could lose both
New York and Indiana and still win.
On the other hand. the Democrats must hold
their 40 and carry both New York and. Indiana
and at least one oil the other three doubtful i've
New York Is absolutely indispensable 70 Demo.
cratic success, and to Us 80 must DO added at
ieaSt17 OF the remaining q doubtful votes.
The figures for 1892 are decidedly favorable TO
the Republicans.
West Virginia occupies an important
place in this showing. Her vote may
decide the contest. At this time no
Republican is ready to concede to the
Democrats New York aud Indiana, but
everybody knows that these States may
90 that way. In this event the Repub-
lican reliance would be on Connecticut,
Montana and West Virginia, everyone
Of which can be carried for the Repub-
lican ticket. To accomplish this 1t will
first be necessary for the Republicans
Of the country to understand that these
States are worth having.
Take, for example, West Virginia. In
recent campaigns the Democrats have
realized that they had to fight for the
ground inch by inch. They have made
tia point tothrowin IN abundance ofthe
best speakers in their party, and their.
money has been handed out without
stint Republicans have had to beg for
speakers and then for the mostpart do
without them. Fair men who know
how to present the Republican cause
make votes in West Virginia, but the
National Committee has not seemed to
catch the point. West Virginia Repub-
licans have put up their own money as
far as they could-no more than they
ought to do, but they have been unable
to meet the lavish expen ditures of the
other side. The help that has come
from national headquarters has been
little and not well timed.
The National Committee is not solely
responsible for the failure to carry West
Virginia in 1888. II every Republican
in the State had done his full duty West
Virginia would certainly have stepped
outof the Democratic column. There
was no lack of harmony. Every Re-
publican wished his party we'll, but not
every Republican put his shoulder to
the wheel and kept it there until the
polls closed.
This is the kind Of campaign that will
carry West Virginia for the Republican
ticket in 1892, provided the Republicans
Of the country do what they can to help
their West Virginia brethren. This is
what the Democrats fear. They see the
handwritino IN the wall.