Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-08


coURAGING ARGUMENT BY A
CLOSE OBSERVER.
T j.
Special to the Register.
Charleston, w. Va, August IAN
cid time Democrat Of this city, who
cast his maiden ballot as far back as
the days of Polk and Dallas, and las
been a close student Of politics ever
since, said to your correspondent to-
day he believed the Democrats would
elect majority of the Legislature this
year, and would surely carry the State
in 1900. There has been great deal
OF talk since the last election said
he, ito the effect that the State is
permanently lost to the Democracy, and
that the Republicans have to be only
ordinarily honest and prudent to con-
tinue in power for the next quarter OF
a century.
TO SUPPORT THIS VIEW
stress is laid on the fact that the pop
u,ation which has flowed into the
State during the last decade is mostly
engaged in these lines of industry that
are thought to be specially fostered
by the protective policy, and is very
largely composed of the colored ele-
ment A large number of Republicans
also place great reliance upon the ir-
Of
make radical changes in ordinary
times. The force of the reaction
against the test oath and other radical
war legislation, they argue, carried the
State over to the Democracy, ard mere
inertia kept it there fer some twenty
odd years. Why may the Republicans
not hope to have the same good for
tune? The panic CT 1893 has bestowed
q complete victory en- them, and, barr
ing some unforeseen political upheaval.
there is no reason why they shouldn't
remain in power for years to come.
That these views have some truth and
reason in them cannot be denied but
there may be other circumstances that
lead to
A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION
from that which our Republican breth-
rem have reached. AS a matter of fact
the only reliable element of strength
that the Republicans have received
from the influx of mining labor is the
negro contingent, and it's force is
somewhat nullif1ed by the tendency it
has in the sections which it overfOws
to drive the native whites to the :'er-
Ccracy. That the strength of this con-
tingent has been much overestimated
is apparent when you reflect that very
little Of it has come into the State
since 1892, ard that the Democrats
first lost the Legislature in 1894. The
regular increase in the republican vote
from this and other sources has never
been sufficient to change the State.
1t required the panic of 1893 and the
national cyclone Of 1896 to bring about
the result. This steady increase has
been due to the old Greenback element
and the ever-increasing number CT
disappointed otfice-seekers. The
Greenbackers at one time polled as
many as thirteen thousand votes, and
the great bulk Of it went over to the
Republican party in the fusion move
ment Of 1884, but the "nothing-but-
gold policy Of the Republicans will
NOW BRING THEM BACK
to us in large numbers. Democratic
renegades have already experienced
such treatment in the distribution Of
the loGves and fishes as will make
them henceforth, at least, abstain
from pernicious activity. Veteran Re-
publican workers also have been cut
up at the allotment Of the spoils. They
now realize that the possession Of
everything, from President down to
county constable, does not bring them
the Compromised rewards. They are
naturally much disheartened and it
will require more tangible indemnity
to make them work with their usual
vigor. In reality, all third party men
are malcontents who naturally array
themselves against the party in power.
and they are now with us, or no longer
against us.
"Any one who has watched the re-
suits in campaigns of the last dozen
years must be struck with two promi-
nent facts. First, that the States
f!uctuating vote, which has increased
enormously, is almost entirely DOM
mated by national issues, and that the
head of the ticket decides the fate OF
the subordinate candidates almost alb
solutely. Prominent among the
causes of the latter proposition is the
present method CT voting. Whatever
merits the Australian system has-and
1t undoubtedly has some-its most
marked effect in the unscratched tick
Ct In the good old days of
private pastors the most ignorant
voter had little difficulty in expressing