The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-08-08

West Virginia Republicans Losing Hope
Of Even Making . Fight. Convert
ia Democracy.

" CIT II klnl8 nePo01kC8uE Ao>iHE nope
Of Even Making . Fight. Convert
to Democracy.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, July sl.-
Since the adjournment OF the nation
al Democratic convention at Chicago
there has been wonderful change OF
sentiment in this part of the state in
favor Of free silver and the Democrat
ic party.
Before the national conventions
were held there were about as many
free silver Republicans as free silver
Democrats. Since the adoption of the
geld standard platform by the Repub-
lican convention and the free silver
platform by the Democratic conyen-
tion there has been general breaking
up of the Republican party in this sec
tion OF the state. They are coming
over to the Democratic party en-
masse. Bryan and Sewall clubs are
being organized in nearly all the small
places in Kanawha county, and the
membership of these is composed of
nearly as many free silver Republicans
as Democrats. A Bryan and Sewal
club was organized at st.
Adams this week with membership
Of 2l0, and rs of these were free silver
Republicans. About the same time
Bryan and Sewall club was organized
at Maiden with 1856 members, 6s of
whom are free silver Republicans.
Last evening Bryan and Sewall club
was organized in the Fifth ward Of
this city. William Thayer. one of the
proprietors OF the Southside foundry
and machine shops, and former Re-
publican, was elected president, and
w. A. Forsythe, who heretofore was
always Republican, was elected sec
rotary. In this club the free silver
Republicans outnumber the Demo-
Gratis. A few evenings ago Virgil A.
Gates, a Republican, made a speech
at Pine Grove, near this city, and or
gained Bryan and Sewall club. He
reports that As per cent of these have
been Republicans heretofore.
The trades unions of this city,
whose members have generally been
high protectionists and voted the Re-
publican ticket are now nearly all sol
id for Bryan and Sewall.
The detection from the party of Nc
Kinley and the gold standard is not
by any means confined to the ordinary
voters. Judge j. II. Brown, life
llong Republican and at one time a
candidate for congress on the Repub-
| lican ticket in this district; Judge j..
b. G. Drew, prominent Republican
leader, and Hon. Andrew Burlew, an
influential Republican, all of this city,
and Colonel J. w. Davis. of Greenbri-
er, prominent leader and at one time
the Republican candidate for congress
in this district, will vote for Bryan
and Sewall. Colonel A. G. Fuller, an
influential Republican of Greenbrier
county, has announced himself the
same way.
That the Republican leaders are
rapidly becoming aware of the change
of sentiment in West Virginia is
shown by their attitude during the
month. A week after the close OF
the Chicago convention the state Re
publican committee sent out to the
Republican papers an appeal urging
all Republicans to stick to the party,
fight the campaign on the tariff and
not to be drawn into complicatine
situations by the free silver issue
Senator Elkins declared that free sill
yer cut no figure in the canvass al
that time, but later, when he came tc
sound the keynote of the campaign al
J the state convention, he devoted near
ly all his time to the financial issue
the burden Of his speech being an APP
peal to those who had been members
of the party to stick to it for the sake
of protection and reciprocity, and
trust to the Republican leaders to deal
fairly with silver. In the Republican
state convention there was such q
forcible undercurrent of silver senti.
ment that the leaders had to keep the
meeting going three days in their eff
fort TO get the business transacted
without allowing that sentiment to
show itself above the surface.
In the Third congressional district
J. II. Huling declared the situation
hopeless if the Republicans declared
, against free silver. He accordingly
refused to allow his name to go before
the convention. No Republican in the
district could be induced to make tn
race, and the nomination was given
unanimously to G. p. Dorr, man
who left the Democracy in 1892 and
who has no standing in the Republ
cen party.
The free silver sentiment among Re
pubicans is not confined to this sec
ton, but it is to be found all over tn.
state. At Parkersburg this week q
free silver club Of 52s members was
organized, of which number 224 were
Republicans. Smaller clubs are being
organized all over the state, and the
, free silver sentiment is sweeping ev-
erything before it.