Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-19
adj SIAlE DEMOCRACY.
A Comprehensive Review of the Party
Situation.
Its Greatest Pressing Need is a
Leader--The Organization Buzz
ing Like a Swarm of Bees-A
Review Of Recent Political His
tory in This State.


tory in This State.
Charleston, w Va, October 1S.-The
correspondent of the Register held up
prominent Democrat to-day and re-
quested his views as to the future
prospects of the Democratic party in
West Virginia and the question OF the
rhoice of United States Senator TO
succeed Mr.. Faulkner.
THE West Virginia Democracy,
said he, lis very much like hive OF
bees when the sovereign bee has fed
after breaking into the royal cells and
destroying all possible successors.
Many of the old leaders of the party
voted with the Republicans and went
down to what is likely to be their
political death in the catechlsm OF
1896. The great present need of the
party is a leader or leaders. Unfor-
tunately this pressing want cannot be
filed, even by semi-Official authority,
until the meeting of the next Legis-
lature. yet to be chosen, which selects
a successor to Senator Faulkner. But
while the names or exact localities OF
those who are to be advanced to the
posts of leadership made vacant by the
disagreement over the silver question
and the consequent Republican vic
tory, may not be foret0ld with any de-
gree of certainty, it now appears pref
ty well settled that the field Of choice
is narrowing down to three principal
groups or schools of politicians, each
of which has been for years potent
factor in State politics. Designating
- II, ri u - n al
methods, they may be respectively
called the Charleston group, that
usually followed by the late Senator
Kenna; the Eastern Panhandle
group, or the Virginia school, and the
Decentralization group, or Pennsyl-
yania school, which has always sup
ported ex-senator Camden. A com
munity Of local interest is the main
bond of union between the members
of each group. Neither of them is, at
all times, able to entirely control its
own membership, and each extends its
ramifications into the territories Of
the others and has as strong support
ers abroad as at home There are
some half dozen other cOteries OF linn
tied local influence containing emil
nent men, but the designations which
/ have named may be said to represent
the three storm centers around which
the Democratic molecules respective
ly gravitate in times Of political ac-
tiyity. Hithert5 a union Of two of
these groups has prevailed against the
third, unless it has been sustained by
a strong current of popular sentiment,
and if all 5 three get together together, the he
settled Lsp}eially if it regards the dis
tributA f officers.
y CHARLESTON GROUP.
81 dquarters of the Charleston
gro, this city, and its local in
fly hes out through some half
>slIs1 OF mo- counties. That in the
past twenty yArs its power in Demo-
cratic conventions has been very great
may be recognized when it is recalled
that during that period it has supplied
four of the six candidates for the
gubernatorial chair as well as liberal
share of the remaining officials. The
members of this school were ardent
supporters of the late Senator Kenna
throughout his brilliant career though
at some times some of them bitterly
opposed his friends and political part
ners from other parts of the State.
The death of the late Senator and that
of the lats5 Henry S. Walker were I'M
doubtedly very severe blows to the
supremacy of this section of the De-
mocrac}1"
/Do you think the death of the lead
will cause the Charleston section
of the Democracy to lose its hitherto
commanding position in the party
was asked.
81 am not so certain about that.
'he leaders and chief figures of this
'oup at present, and has been for
pine years, the Chiffon brothers, eX-
overnor MacCorkle, eX-United States
District Attorney Watts and eX-GOv-
ernor E. W. Wilson, the last named
being attached to it mainly by the tie
Iof locality. Indeed, those who know
the pugnacious Ex-Governor will at
once recognize the difficulty Of assign
ing him to any family or class. Gen.
Watts has already had a distinguished
career in State politics. Coming here
from the mother State he was, in 1880,
elected Attorney General, in 1895 APP
>>peinted United States District Attor-
ney, in 1890 elected to the State Sen
ate, and in 1893 reappointed District
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