Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-20
WILSON'S CAMPAIGN
The Results ola Star Correspondents
Tour of the District.
WEIGHING THE CHANCES IN NOVEMBER
Republicans Laying Much Stress
on the Tariff.
EX-SECRETARYE LKINS' PLANS


From Staff Correspondent Of The Evening Star
PIEDMONT w. Va, October 20. 1894.
The poiitica, situation in Congressman
William l.. Wilson's district may be sum-
married from an Independent and non
partisan point of view about as follows:
The democratic vote of the district is ac-
tive, loyal and enthusiastic. The agricul-
turalists, who are almost, if not COM
pletely, In. the majority, are more frantic
for his reelection than ever before. Far
from being dissatisfied with the half
hearted tariff bill given them they accept
1t with good grace. praise Wilson in one
breath and berate the Senate in the other
and clamor fo- Wilson to return to WASH
nSton and cor tinue the crusade for lower
duties. The rank and file of the industrial
class IF democrats, while not so enthusiasts
tic over the coal and lumber schedules, are
not disposed to question his position to the
point or voting against him. Up to this
time they have not felt any i'll effects of
the bill, because there have been no re-
duction OF wages nor cutting down of
forces on its account. The democratic
leaders tell the workingmen that free lum-
Der an lower duty on coal should not af-
feet West Firginia's output, inasmuch as
the bulk of the lumber is exported and the
coal supplies market wherein Canadian
If the republican mine operators and
lumber dealers do not make a general cut
in wages or shut down their works before
election day 1t Is probable that not much
of this vote will be lost to Mr.. Wilson.
The weeks tour over a large portion of the
district has demonstrated in a most graft
flying degree Mr. Wilson's hold upon the
people and has aroused the most sanguine
hope among his lieutenants.
The Republican Side of 1t.
On the other hand, there are many grave
elements of doubt to his victory. The
shrewd managers who are pulling the wires
for Mr.. Wilson are not blinded into a COM
plete state of satisfaction by the favorable
demonstrations which have been made to-
ward him. They realize that while the full
democratic vote has doubtless turned out
to do him honor, and that while everything
has therefore appeared to be democratic in
the counties through which he has passed,
the republican constituency has had TO
favorable opportunity to exhibit its strength
in similar manner. Because they have
not seen the republicans does not mean
that they are not there. The people who
attended Mr.. Wilson's meetings were not
all of the people in the respective sections.
1t has been the policy of the republican
leaders not to make a great parade of their
forces as Mr.. Wilson has done. The repub-
lic&n speakers at the small local meetings
have not been men Of great prominence nor
trained orators, as rule. to attract a great
crowd, but men who could give a plain
business talk to the people.
Thus. while the forces of Mr. Wilson have
pdraded on the plain with blare of trumpet
and waving banners, showing their strength
of numbers with pride, the forces of the
opposition are still in the bushes, under
cover. 1t looks very much like an am
buscade. At any rate, they are not showing
their strength or their weakness, whichever
1t may be, to the enemy.
Wilson in the Enemy's Country.
Yesterday Mr.. Wilson entered the section
which is supposed to contain the greatest re-
publican strength-the country lying along
the line of the West Virginia Central rail-
road between the towns of Eikins and Fled
mont. This is the land of coal mines and
lumber mills. and the population is almost
entirely of the Industrial class.
The republicans claim big majorlties In
these sections Even the towns along the
railway are named for republicans, like
Blaine Window. Chaffee and Elkins. One
town Is named German. and the democrats
whereabouts say that in the light of recent
events it lis very appropriate that this town
should lie in a republican community Mr..
German is supposed to have extensive bus
mess interests in this section In connection
with the Elkins and Davis syndicate.
RumOred Division Among Democrats.
In this connection should be mentioned
fact which is causing the democratic
is therefore a great source of satisfaction
to the republicans. Ex-senator Henry G..
Davis whose holdings and business inter-
ests in this section enormous. in CON-
junction with those of Mr.. Elkins. although
democrat by tradition. is charged with
working against Mr.. Wilson.
All the democratic managers are con-
WINGED that Mr.. Davis is working secretly
against their candidate, and that he is
using his powerful influence through busi-
ness channels to Mr.. Wilson's disadvan-
tage. 1T Is said that Mr.. Davis is none the
less democrat, but that he Is so bound
up with the corporate interests that control
this stretch of country that their welfare
becomes his welfare, and they all reglrd
Mr. Wilson as their common enemy, In that
he makes war against their business policy.
This fact, taken in connection with the
supposed enmity of Senator German. who
has large holdings in West Virginia, and
the possible lukewarmness of Senator Cam
den and Ex-Governor Fleming, two other
big democrats who have coal and lumber
interests In Mr.. Wilson's district. is keep
ing the democratic managers awake of
nights contemplating the wide range of
fatal possibilities which would be opened
up by a combination of those men against
the great exponent of free coal and lumber
Scoring Wilson's Record.
a Il over this section of the country the re-
pGblicans are posting Mr.. Wilson as an
enemy to the Industries of West Virginia
and as favoring the increase of England's
trade to the detriment of Americas One
form of the republican posters distributed
through the coal and lumber region reads as
I'm 1881 and 1883 Mr. Wilson opposed the
Morrison and Mills bill. and insisted that
the duty of 10 cents ton on coal should
be retained in justice to his state. He said
to take any one great industry and trans
fer IL suddenly to the free list is to hold 1t
tributary to the rest, while depriving IL of
any share of the common protection What
ever reduction is made should be made so
gradually as not to wreck, disturb or alarm
any of our great industries, and this return
to a peace tariff ought to make an even
progress, and in spirit of justice to ALP
Congressional RecordD
Mr.. Wilson did not permit although
asked to do SO, a clause in his bill providing
that If coal was made free to come into the
United States 1t should only be done so
upon the condition that Canada and other
countries should likewise make 1t free In
reply to Mr.. Reed he said: am not plead
ing the baby act, but when / come to make
a tariff bill for all of the people of the coun-
try / have no right to look especially at the
interests of my own district"
The same POSTER refers to Mr. Wilson's
London dinner and speech, as follows: