The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-03-23
FOURTH DISTRICT.

the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict at the Coming Election by
a Large Majority.
The following complimentary
mention of the names of some of
Mason county's prominent Demo-
Gratis In connection with the Demo-
cratic nomination for Congress in
the Fourth District. is from the
pen of that able correspondent Of
the Charleston Gazette. Mr. Silas
|G. Crouch. who spent several days
in our town last week
a correspondent of the Gazette
has talked with nearly all the lead
ing Democrats of Mason county
recently upon the subject of the
political outlook in this lthe
Fourth) district, and finds every
where strong belief that the
Democrats will score a victory at
the coming election in November.
The opinion being prevalent that's a
nomination for Congress by the
Democratic Convention is equiva-
lent to an election. there are a
large number of brilliant and able
men being brought out in various
parts of the district to contest for
the honor of representing the
Fourth district in the lower house
of Congress. Three or four of Ma
sons eminent citizens are being
talked of In connection with the
Democratic nomination. but only
two of these have so far declared
themselves to be candidates. One
of the active candidates is Hon.
Rankin Wiley, formerly member
of the State Senate and president
of that body. Mr.. Wiley is one of
the leading members of the Mason
county bar, and is also success
full farmer. The friends of Mr..
Wiley are enthusiastic in his sup
port and believe that his populari-
ty in the district is such as will in
sure his nomination They re-
member that he carried the Fifth
Senatorial district against a gener-
al Republican majority. and ran
ahead of his ticket in each of the
several counties of the district.
Mr.. Wiley has been faithful and
effective worker in theranks ofthe
party for long time. He is a
good speaker and makes a good
impression on the stump. His
friends guarantee that. if nomina-
ted, he will make vigorous canvass
and win the election.
Hon. James B. Menager the
other Mason county aspirant for
congressional honors, is also law
yer and stands among the first in
his profession. He is a recent con
vert to the Democratic party, but
not recent convert to the cause of
free silver. He has always con-
tended for the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver,
and he did not abandon the Re-
publican party until it abandoned
free silver. When it became evil
dent that the controlling element
of the Republican party was in
favor of making gold the standard
money and depriving silver of the
money function, Mr. Menager babe
adieu to his former party associates
and cast his lot with the Demo
cratic party, and has since been
one of the most diligent workers
in the party. He stuwsed almost
the entire State for the Democratic
ticket in 1896 and his speeches
were always logical, brilliant and
effective. MIR. Menager is in favor
of uniting the free silver element
in all parties for future contests.
Regarding the plan suggested by
Mr.. Bryan for uniting all the free
silver forces, Mr.. Manager says:
1T certainly meets my approval
L have always entertained the
opinion that the place for all free
silver men is in the Democratic
party. 1 advocated this belief in
1894, two years before the national
Democratic party declared for
the free coinage of silver. The
union of the forces which are look
ing to an enlarged use of silver by
its free coinage must be had if
they expect to win. Sincerity of
belief on this question rs back of
all these elements and it. seems to
me that it would be the height of
folly to permit disunion of these
forces to any longer continue"
The friends of ex-Congressman