New-York tribune., 1896-10-05

or 10 the point than do these few figures?
Can any one doubt that in this State at
least. protection II the paramount the over
shadowing issue
III
West Virginia IL divided int" hfty four
ties Of which. In Is92. twenty three returned
Republican and thirty one Democratic pl,i-
rniti-s Among III, twenty-thTee counties ara
Kanawha and ohio. the one the seat of the
political the other IN. seat of the commercial
capital of the State. The Northern Pan Han
die" so-callcd. with Wheeling its centre, has
all times returned substantial Republican
pluraities In Eanawha whore Charleston H.
situated the Republican pluralitics. though frc-
pu.rt enough have been more slender. owing
TO ia. patronage al the disposal ~ Demo
cratic Governor a Democratic Legislature and
Democratic state officials Tn" Eastern Pan
Handle" adjoining Pennsylvania and Mary land
and The extreme southern end Of the State ar"
strongly Republican. the one 10y reason of the
good influence cxcrtcd by a wiSe neighbOrhOod
the other because II the number of negro
miners who within the last few years. have
crossed over from the adjoining States of Ken
tucky and Virginia to assist in opening the
newly discovered coal deposits in Mcdowell
County.
The "debatable ground Is tn" great middl"
| belt which extends from the ohio River in the
| east to the main ridg. Of the Alleehenes in the
| west Here lie the counties which. with few
exceptions s-Fayettc. for instarce. whore the
mining industry IL second importance only
| 10 that OF Kanawha. and Randolph where
| Senator Elkins. whose residence In the county
| has converted "A former Democratic stronghold
| into n Republican Gbraltar-must he con-
sidered doubtful Eleven Of the hfty-four coun-
ties In the State have not yet been penetrated
| by railroads. and these for the most part. are
overwhelmingly Democratic
REPIBLICAN ADVANTAGES
\ In the presen, campaign the Republicans en-
| 10y advantages never before possessed by them.
| For one the four great railroads iraversing III"
State are actively. but strictly within the limits
suggested by proprety and good sense. engaged
| in behalf Of sound money and honest finance.
| The Baltimore and Ohio. formerly almost Of
| fcnsively aggressive in its Democracy. furnishes
| I'm the person OF J. *. Cowen this year an able
ana adroit champion of Republican principles.
Melville f.. Ingalls, president OF the Chesapeake
| and Ohio heretofore Democrat Of many years
| standing has for the last few weeks been oc-
cupied In making speeches all along the line or
| his road. The Norfolk and western IN the
! southern part of the State. and the Ohio River
| Railroad on the western border. are likewise
| doing excellent work and the minor roads In
| the State are not far behind
| Another advantage accruing To the Republi-
| can party I'm the State this year Is the uniform
| excellence Of the candidates put in the field.
Dissensions In former years led in many cases
| to the selection Of men for office who did not
| ALWAYS know how to soften for the opposition
the bitterness Of defeat. and. II they did. rarely
| cared to do so This year the Importance OF
| the Issues involved has stimulated party loyalty
| and has led the politicians to bury the memories
| of past squabbles and to lay aside personal
! ambitions.
| A third advantage is the great personal popu-
| Iarity OF Governor Mckinley Quite aside from,
| the fact that he represents az no one else does
| the principle OF Protection. he is looked upon
| here as almost a next-door neighbor. There Is
| much that is common to Ohio and the western
| part of this State. and no arbitrary political
| division or geographical demarcation can oblit-
| crate that fact. Governor Mckinley Will un-
doubtediy reap the full advantage Of 1t In West
| Virginia.
| The Democratic organization In the State Is
| from all appearances. in deplorable condition
| Without a real lender without enthusiasm. with
| out the slightest notion az to plan OF campaign
II seems to founder aImlessy about one day be
seeching the faithful To squat reverenty before
the prophet Of an smasculated anarchy, the nex'
day beinoanng the fate Of their party. which
aba andoned the teachings OF a Randall for the al
luremenis Of Wilson. 4 leader in the true
sense Of the word. the Democracy of the State