The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-13
cnndldnte MacCorkle HedgIng.

charged that Mr.. Davis, his Republican
opponent. as a member Of the state
senate voted against the miners scaeen
and scrip bills.
The next morning the IETELMaENcER
showed from the official accord that Mr..
MacCorkle had misrepresented Mr..
Davis. The fact OF record is that Mr..
Davis voted for both OF the bills. This
publication in the INTEIL1aENcER was to
Mr.. MacCorkle as the report of Com
missioner Peck, of New York, has been
and continues to be to the free trade
Democracy Of the country.
People Of all parties were talking
about Mr.. MacCorkles remarkable per-
formance. Mr.. MacCorkle heard about
it and in his Moundsville speech last
Saturday he did his best to hedge.
And this, according to the Registers
report, is his way of going about it:
He also quoted the ISTELLIGENcER's article
which says that by senate journal, session 1891.
page 1884, II will be seen that Mr. Davis with eigh-
teen other senators voted for the bill providing
for the Weighing and measuring coal at the place
where mined before II Is screened. Mr.. Mac
Corkle showed that the 1ETELLIGENcER's article
was but another evidence OF the uniAirneSs OF
| the Republican party: that 1t had quoted the
page OF the Journal showing the passage Of the
act when there was nota vote against 1t, but had
| neglected 10 quote the journal at the real point
OF contest The bill provided that coal snail De
| weighed at the place where Mined before the
| same IS screened. II was pretty clear that the
| bill was about 10 become law, and on straight
vote 1t would he passed. Then tho enemies OF
the bill, seeing the state OF affairs, moved TO
amend the bill by inserting the amendment,
unless otherwise provided for w contract. =
senate journal, page 4T7,I7S This was recog:
nized as the only means 10 defeat the bill and
the amendment virtually rendered the bill mop
eratiye. The contest came In over the amend
ment, and It wns bitterly debated pro and con,
and after a prolonged debate, In which u was
understood that the adoption OF the amendment
defeated the bill, the amendment was defeated,
Mr.. Davis voting fort the amendment.
At first blush this would seem shrewd.
On second thought it is clear that Mr..
acCorkle, in his effortt to pull himself
out of deep and dark hole, has over
reached himself. He finds what he
wants on pages AT and AIS OF the SEN
ate Journal. He should have gone
back page to the beginning Of the
story, allowing it to tell itself from the
record.
March z the screen bill came up on
second reading. Mr.. st. Clair, a Demo-
crat who sits up high in the synagogue,
and who was leading the opposition to
the bill, moved to amend section three,
line one, by inserting, "unless otherwise
provided by contract" That is to say,
if the operators and miners were to
agree, that provision should not stand
between them. Mr.. Davis voted for
the amendment, SO did nine Democrats,
and it was passed.
Mr.. St. Clair moved to insert the
same amendment in another line Of the
same section. A recess interviewed,
and the amendment coming up, Mr.
Watts demanded the ayes and noes,
and they were taken, This time the
amendment was defeated as to line six
OF section three, but it remained in
line one.
1t was evident that since the passage
of the first amendment sentiment in
senate had changed on this question,
and Mr.. St. Clair. patron of the amend
ment, moved reconsideration OF the
vote by which the first amendment was
adopted. The vote was reconsidered,
Mr.. Davis voting to reconsider, although
the vote on reconsideration does not
appear on the record.
The bill coming up on the final pas
sage, Mr.. Davis voted for the bill 1t is
true that no votes were cast against it,
but eight senators are recorded as not
voting, and six of them we're Demo-
Gratis.
Mr.. MacCorkle has not achieved a
brilliant success in his effort to array
against Mr.. Davis the workingmen OF
West Virginia, whose special champion
he has suddenly become. Mr.. Davis
happens TO be well known to a good
many workingmen and men Of all kinds,
and where he is most known he is
known most favorably
Neither Mr.. MacCorkle nor anybody
else can show that Mr.. Davis Is any.
thing less than straightforward man
who believes in fair play for everybody.
He is not Of course, great orator, as
Mr.. MacCorkle, is now discovered to be,
but up to date his party friends have
not been obliged to apologize for any
thing he has said or his manner OF
saying it.
Mr.. Davis talks to the people as the
business man he is. And at last ac-