Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-15
viii be sufficient to overcome Alderson's ma

Two years shnolng 70 help him out He Is Q
stock raiser and horse breeder and is popular
among the agricultural classes His opponent,
Charles T. Caldwell, is UNIQUE character. He
is lawyer, preacher and politician and is said
to possess about equal merit in each Of his call
ings. He is an old soldier. very witty and at
reunions can tell as many funny war stories as
the next one During the present campaign he
has been spending his week DAYS on the stump
and his Sundays in the pulpit. and after po-
litical meetings gives advice to those whom he
hopes will be his constituents in legal affairs.
The contest In this district is quite pretty one,
and many predict that if Caldwell secures the
election he will take a prominen place
among the wits of the House.
10 sum up on the personality Of the candi-
dates OF the two parties in West Virginia it
may be said that the heads Of the national
tickets viii be supported more because they
represent the parties than on account of their
personalities. As to the governorship, the
democrats are led by a man who is fiery,
capable and who possesses considerable popular
ity IN his own party, though the republicans
dislike him about a. cordially as democrats adj
mire him. Mr.. Davis, the republican candi-
date, is not held up even by his friends as a
man OF great force, and most of his campaign
ing Is being done by his friends. In tho four
congressional districts the democrats have the
advantage of being represented by men who
are now in Congress and who have been able
to pacify their enemies and reward their
friends. Although the republican candidates
are all above reproach they lack that general
acquaintance with the voters which comes with
campaigning.
THE ELECTORAL TICKET.
To consider the campaign aside from the
candidates is the most important point. When
In 1883 West Virginia came within GOO Of giving
her electoral votes to President Harrison and
nearer than that to elccting Gen. Golf governor
OF the state, republicans felt firmly impressed
that they would be able ut the next congress
sional election to secure all four of the Con-
gressmen, and asserted without qualification
that in 1892 the state would be in the repub-
lican column. Tho congressional election of
30 proved extr emely disastrous TO them. taking
oil four Of the Congressman for the democracy.
thing which had not occurred before for a
plumber of years. 1t did not have the effect of
disconcerting them, however, but on the other
hand stimulated them to greater efforts. Prac-
tlcally speaking. from republican standpoint,
there has been no cessation Of the campaign
since the last congressional election.
Roswell G. HOrr made tour Of the state
making campaign speeches almost immediately
after the election. Campaign oratory has been
on tap from time to time in the country school
houses and backwoods districts ever since. The
republican state organization was perfected
shortly after the congressional election and the
preparatory work of the present campaign was
begun. Republican literature Of all sorts has
been sent broadcast through the state for two
years, and every voter who could in any wise be
considered as doubtful or wavering has been
listed and efforts put on foot to capture him.
The party seemed to have unlimited financial
resources, and long before the democracy be-
gan to think OF work the state headquarters had
been opened in Wheeling and active open work
begun. If thorough organization and active
campaign work count for anything the repub-
icans should have been in position this fall to
carry the state.
On the other hand the democracy postponed
its actual work till after nominations had been
made. but since then, in an open way, it has
been probably more energetic than have the
republicans Since the opening of the cam
paign proper the democrats have held two
meetings to the republicans one. and their cf-
able success. The reports of the democratic
meetings have shown them to be large and en-
thusiastic and wanting in none Of tine features
that go to indicate a good healthy campaign.
Could the republicans have secured Blaine
for their presidential candidate and either
Elkins or Golf for the gubernatorial candidate
there IL little doubt that the election Of 1892
would have been close as that OF 1885, while
there are thousands, and not all republicans
either, who believe they would have been sue
cessful.
So far as work Is concerned the republicans
have done by far the greater portion Of 1t. but
they are handicapped by candidates who are
not capable of inspiring confidence and enthu-
siasm. In considering the vote of 1883 it must
be remembered that the republicans were rep
resented by the strongest man in the state on
the gubernatorial ticket, while the democrats
had for a candidate a gentleman Who although
he has since shown himself not only clean and
honest official, but one capable of rising to
emergencies and putting forth his very best
lick for the development and advancement Of
the state, was then looked upon rather weak
and mediocre. This time these conditions are
ra<,1 ii, l..
other side.
STILL HUNT FOR VOTES.
Although few public meetings have been
held by both sides in all sections of the state the
work by both parties is being done very largely
on the still-hunt plan. The democracy claims
to have discovered that the republican commit
tee has in Its employ several hundred gentle
men whose duty it is TO work day and night
talking politics to doubtful voters These men
are not stump speakers nor gentlemen versed
in political oratory, but are selected from
among the mills, shops, factories and stores
Their duties are to work among their COM
panions and the pay they receive is added to
that given them by their employers. 1t is also
stated that commercial travellers who cover the
retail trade in the state many Of them paid
bonus by the committee to talk politics. 1t is
also charged by both sides that the other IL
aiming to succeedin the campaign by transfer
ring voters from strong counties to weaker
ones and by bringing in voters from other
states.
The colonization charge is openly made by
the democrats and they assert that the field for
operations Mercer and Mcdowell counties
and that the people brought in negroes who
are put to work in the mines and lumber camps
Of that section and on the railway lines. 1t is
also asserted that the places of white miners in
the Kanawha valley have been given to negroes
without cause other than a purpose to increase
the republican vote. This charge. Of course is
very hard to sustain and even when sustained
the act really carries with it nothing that is
fraudulent, for the workmen are brought in
long enough before election to make them
legal voters and are given permanent en-
ployment.
The republican state committee has I'M
doubtedly been working the postmasters and
other federal officeholders for all the money
and information that could be gotten out of
them. PostmAsters have been informed by
circular letter signed by the officers Of the
committee just what they are expected to give
toward the campaign and have been furnished
with blanks to be filed. out giving full list of
doubtful voters and susceptible democrats, the
best methods of reaching them, what republic
can newspapers they would be most likely to
read if furnished free, &c. Some of these let
tiers have fallen into the hands of the demo-
cratic committee and their party newspapers have
been calling upon the United States marshal to
bring the committee before the courts for q Vi
olation of the civil service law Nothing has
been done however and il is not likely that