Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-25
HON. WILLIAM L. WILSON.
His state. His District, His Town, His
Home, and His Home Coming.

HON. WILLIAM L. WILSON.
His State. His District. His Town, His
Home, and His Home Coming.
CHARLEsTOwN. W. VA. September
2i-(speoIai)-T goes to you from the
home OF the Apostle OF Tariff Reform. and
as he is the central figure in the political
/ struggle between the parties this "off
/ year" something from his own home. his
neighbors and personal friends. and his
congressional district WILL ] think In
tercst Dispatch readers.
! billy Wilson" as his elderly friends
/ affcctonately call him TO his face; billy
Wilson, as the young men and boys, and
even negroes famiiiarly call him behind
/ his back. Is the most popular and the
; most unassuming man in this modest
I town OF nearly 5000 inhabitants. He lives
/ In a pretty but unpretcntoUs residence,
/ built Oh the cottage ctyle OF architecture.
I worth not more than $1,000 or 5000, and
! his whole estate is not valued at over
/ $4,000 by any one who has undertaken TO
! estimate II for me. But, said his old
! friend. Dr. Mason and others. "He might
| have been wA-th his millions II he had
| not been so eJnest, for he is unpurchascd
/ and uupurchaSeable." lie j. a plain Bap,
tist deacon, and his pastor, Rev. Mr.. Cole,
! bears loving testimony TO his humble,
! consistent, Christian character. and the
good influence he exsrts in the church OF
! his fathers of which he has been a mem
/ Der for twelve or fifteen years. He IS the
/ head Of a large family. consisting OF a
! devoted wife and four sons and two
daughters. The eldest son. William, is
his fathers private secretary, and now
abroad with him: the second. Walter, is
a paymaster on board ship In the United
states navy; the third. Allen, Is a clerk
in the Office Of the West Virginia Central
ana Pittsburg Railroad Company AT Wis
ton; the fourth. Arthur. is student AT
The Columbian University. Washington
city, o. which his father-in-law. Rev. Dr.
Huntington a distinguished Baptist min
ister is president. His eldest daughter
Mary. is a pupil at HollIns Institute. in
Roanoke county, and his youngest daugh-
ter Bette, is a school girl at home. Such
aye the domestic surroundings OF II man
whose patriotism and purity of character
ana devotion to principle has given him
"a name and fame that embrace two CONT
nents.
STUDIOTS AND BRIGHT.
As a boy ne was studious and bright.
The first time that he got his name In
IN" papers was when, as scholar in
the Episcopal Sunday school here, he re-
Ceived "a gold watch which a generous
would rocite the Book Of Psalms without
missing a word. and friend nj my
elbow says his name will be kept before
the public til he IS President OF the
United States.
His public life Is not unfamiliar 10 the
country How he was called from lu-
Crative practice at the Charlestown bal
10 a professorship In Columbian College
and from that chair TO seat In Congress
ami then 10 the Craftsmanship OF the
WAYS and Means Committee and thence
to fame as a political reformer. viii he
be reelected and permitted to perfect his
great leaders scheme OF reform? Every
body GAYS yes. He must and will be.
Every Democrat here will vote for him,
many Republicans will vote for him; and
not a few negroes Will DO as they have
done before vote for Billy Wilson" He
IS every mans friend and pori passu
every man is his friend During the four
days that have been in his town have
heard only good words for William l."
Wilson-not one Of unkindness or CEN
eure-and it is thought that he will get
three fourths OF the vote Of his own
town and county.
gentleman who Is well-posted In the
politics of the county tells me that a
short time ago when the tariff question
was unsettled and everybody was nara
up ana in bad humor, many Democrats
tod him they cared nothing about Demo
cratic success or anything else connected |
with politics. and would not go to the |
polls Now. it is different.
RE-ELECT HIM.
The same men say everything Is work |
ing right: they are all coming out going |
to elect Wilson. and let the good work go
on And it is going to be the same thing
all over this district, he said, ana the
same all over the state. Then he mace
use Of an expression l have several times
seen in the editorial columns Of the DIS
patch-namely. when the full vote OF the
state Of West Virginia is brought out
she surely goes Democratic; said he, the
people are aroused. The remarkable en-
thusiasm that marked the convention
which renomiaated Mr.. Wilson for the MIN
time has stirred up the whole State. ana
bv clection-day the great campaigners or
national fame who will 60 over the
State will 30 arouse public interest mat
not only In the Fourth. but In every us
trict in the State every man VIII be
brought out. and Democracy VIII, not
withstandng the men and money OF the
Republicans, be again triumphant. nave
teen a good deal over the Fourth DIS
trlct, where the fight will be the hardest
on account Of the issue made 10y the
ncnce. and / find that the Republicans are
fully alive to the Importance OF the
struggle and are mastering all their avail
able resources The Coal barons' are ar
raving thems slves, and they have enlisted
The support of whilom so-caied Demo
Graf Hon John G. Davis. who told a frlend
Of the writer that ne was not only going
to vote against Mr.. Wilson, but do all
he could 10 defeat him. No one seems
10 fear him. however. as his influence Is
not much politically. They hoped to
carry the miners In the coal counties
Of Taylor. Marion, and Monongahela. But
those who profess to know insist that
those counties will 90 for Wilson. lie
was very popular in that section wheh
president OF the university at Morgan
town. and when he gets among his old
friends. speaking and shaking hands as
IN the old times, they will flock to him as
before.
Mr.. wilson's friends are anXionsly eN-
Meeting his return in a few days ana
are confident from the reports or greatly
improved health and returning vigor as
tho result Of his sea voyage and perfect
rest. that ne will be In good shape lot the
active campaign he has cut out Tor nm
self. Then we shall see what we shali
see.