The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-11
wRsT YINalNIA,s pEYG1oPAnNg

WEST YIRGlNiA'S DEVELOPMENT
In lts Relation 10 PolittGs-Ths Railroad
the PareBt Of Republican AIaioritleI.
To he Editor Of he Inisiigelesr.
sIRi-Amidst all tho confusion o.
theories and sylogisms on the tariff and
other questions there are some facts o.
observation that have not had their rel
alive Importance in the contest tol
part y supremacy in West Virginia. The
Republican party has been called the
'party of progress" and a glance at the
two facts OF railroad development and
density OF population in our state add
proof to the assertion.
Let US follow the lines OF the great
railroads, and their feeders across the
state, and observe the complexion Of the
counties through which they pass, and
the astonishing fact will stare us in the
face, that the counties through which
the old railroads pass are almost entirely
Republican, while these through which
railroads have lately been built are
rapidly becoming so, and these in which
there are no railroads are without ex-
ception Democratic, The Baltimore 4
Ohio railroad enters the state at Harper's
Ferry, the Republican end Of the Dem
ocraEic stronghold OF Jefferson, and then
passes through the Republican counties
OF Berkeley, Morgan, and from thence
across the state to Taylor, through four
counties, all OF which arc Republican
but Hampshire. The i've counties from
Grafton to Parkersburg, including
Taylor arc all strongly Republican,
From Grafton to Wheeling, including
Taylor, there are five counties, but
three OF these are Democratic, one, the
anomalous Wetzel, largely so, and the
other two, Marion and Ohio, exceeding
ly close,
Barbour county, through which the
Grafton 4 Greenbrier railroad passes, Is
Democratic BY very small majority,
This road connects with the West Vir-
GINA Central 4 Pittsburgh, lately built,
10 the Democratic stronghold OF RAN
dolph. Tucker, on the W. Va, G. &
p road, has an exceedingly small Dem
ocratic majority, while Grant and Min
eral are Republican.
Tho Camden system. beginning at Re.
publican Clarksburg and formerly tor.
minating in Republican Upshur as a
narrow gauge, has broadened its gauge
and is seeking from the close county OF
Lewis the Democratic businesses in the
wilderness beyond.
Hancock, on the Panhandle and p,
w. & Ky, Is strongly Republican, while
Brooke, on the P, W. & ny, is Demo-
cratic by 81 votes. >.
Following the Ohio River railroad
from Wheeling to Huntington We pass
nine counties, five of them safely Re-
publican.
From Huntington we trace the Chess
apeake & Ohio up the navigable Kama
wha river to Fayette, through four
great and prosperous counties, all, but
Cabell, being Republican; continuing
through Summers, the corner OF Mon
roe, and tho south end OF Groenbrier,
all Democratic counties, the road
reaches old Virginia.
We may look for great change In
the Republican strength OF the three
Democratic and two Republican coun'
tics along the lately built Norfolk &
Western railroad.
Roane is tho only county having rail-
road connections that has not been
mentioned. The short road that pene.
trAtes it from the Ohio river will soon
work some change in its Democratic
majority OF ITO
There are twelve counties, having no
railway connections or communication
by navigabte streams at present, every
one OF which went Democratic at the
last election. AS an object lesson let
us look at them; Hardy, Pendleton,
Pocohontas, Webster, Nicholas, Clay,
Gilmer, Writ, Calhoune, Lincoln,
Boone and Raleigh. Democracy or
railroads, which?
We have carefully prepared table OF
density Of population in the counties OF
the state, and the same striking argu-
ment presents itself to US, that these
counties having the largest populations
in proportion TO their urea are mainly
Republican; and these counties having
the smaller population 10 the square
milo are almost entirely Democratic.
We will give you the table and let you
work out the problem yourself. You
will observe that in the first twenty
seven counties, one-half Of the whole
number, that there are but eleven
Democratic counties, and with few ex-
captions their majorities are exceed.
ingly close In the latter half it will DO
seen that there are only seven Republi-
can counties.
Table of density OF population Of counties in
OrInF NJ nnnu1nfiON IN tim guIIn rn Tntln.