New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-19
- rr1rarApu I'd rHY rR1nryr.l


CHARLESTON. W Va. Oct. ls-To all appear
Is west Virginia has come into the column
'spsnublcan States TO stay OF the four border
O,,orvealths which in the Presidential con
- 1896 we're swept from their CUSTOMARY
,,.,cal r1oorinCs she seems 70 have cut loose
-. completely from the affiliations Of the
=. For what in Maryland, Kentucky and
rr.,.u,sre was the result OF a sudden and violent
.or.,cal reaction. was in this State the outcome
:, ,orces which hal been steadily operative for
.re than q dozen years. Since 1884. indeed.
49, 5-ft OF sentiment here has Keen uniformly
,orard RepubnCanism. and it is not too much
- sav that Republican policies would have
.-,prorhed in the election OF 1895 even without
.,a c~owning blunder at Chicago which com
-t,,ed the Democratic opposition 70 an issue
rhoYv repugnant 10 the intelligence and inter
.s.e ~ this prosperous. contented and rapidly
developing state
though for twenty years political inteser
1. ,nA solid South. West Virgiuias natural az
Hro,ors irdustrially and commercially. have
~, incidentally with the West and the North
ob,o and Pennsylvania, rather than Old VIZ
,,,ia and Kentucky. have been the neighoors 70
-rbor, she has looked for guidance In her ma
fatal developments. The northern and western
,o-tjors OF the state have long felt the stimuli
,s.,ng influences Of the larger life OF these two
,owertul cornrnonwealths; and with the extraor-
d'narv growth OF the mining industry IN recent
wears in the eastern, central and southern sec
,,ons new ideas and new elements OF popu4A-
,,on have been introduced which have every
-rbers PROFOUNDLY modified society and pollucS
The great mining counties Of the southern neIl
- the State Fayette. Kanawha and Mcdowell
formerly Democratic. have now become Repuo-
uoan stron ghOlds: while in the smaller MINING
counties Of the northeast once decided Demo
Ito n,enonderance has slowly melted away.
Only IN the purely agricultural counues-espe
,,auv in those along the Virginia border-has
the Democratic party been able TO MAINTAIN the
strength Of other days. OF the ten counties in
,ba stare which have the greatest population
s,5 are making the most rapid strides in wealth
md Industry NJ. Bryan carried only one IN
1896 West Virginia had seemed almost rlpe IN
1888 for the Republican revolution OF two years
ago But the Republican Governor failed TO Oh
tain his seat through some barefaced cnlcaherY
N the state Legislature In 1880 and 1917 me
Democratic tidal wave throughout the country
made success in this State impossible but IN
1894 with normal conditions restored the Re
publican candidates for Congress won by JOINT
plurality Of 1344O while two years later, on
largely increased vote. the Republican plurel'v
On Presidential Electors was 1851
REPUBLICANS CN1TED-DEMoCRArs o.
vIDED
This wears campaign IS expected 20 show thst
ps,+n,iosn ascendancv in the State. established
., last by wholly natural causes Is really staols
and permaneot The Republican managers en-
ter the canvass with the prestige behind them OF
,u,o notable victories assured Of absolute mar
-corv and good feeling within their own party
ranks and conscious Of the divisions and weak
,Asses which handicap their opponents The
r,e-.oer Svio organization here is in fact ser1-
ousS' ternoralized. Few. II any. OF the real
LADDERS Of the party have ever accepted IN gooo
fs,,h the free-coinaeA declaration OF the chi
cagc platform. tust as they never cou4d Dc
hr5{igtt 70 svnpathize completely with the ex-
IRENE lov-tariff views forced on the party oY
,-,A,A,snd Mills Carlisle and Wilson. SO II was
Mt altogether an ironical description given here
,o-dav 70 the writer by q probable candidate
~ .hA United states Senate in case the Legs
1sture chosen next month is Democratic that
- WAS At bottom q god-standard man who
4a,,orsd a tarire FOR protection" Indeed. Of the
<on~ Democratic noni aces FOR Congress only one
ran he said 70 he an ardent and unconditional
advocate ~ free-silver coinage. No concerted
rarvass N the free-silver issue has therefore
bsar attempted BY the Democratic managers,
.ach candidate being LEFT 70 his own hsphazard
devices on the stump
The YEA kress and 'nconseQuence or the gen
.-al Democratic attack have undoubtedly en-
outraged much Republican apathy and over
-onNdence But the Republican managers ma
sorn4 comfort in the fact that west virginia
NE All small States. n which political contests
are close and party lines are tightly drawn
rarely fails 70 pol an exceptionally full vote In
1904 when REPRESENTATIVES IN Congress alone
-.er. - - chosen 16s 2a2 voters went 70 the
,,us - the population 81 TIE State IN 1890
ne -f0 -Q4 one vote was cast for less than five
,-hah,.arts-one 70 Ave being the rule in The
s--4-srA American state In the neighoorlns
sac - virginia with ten districts instead or
.o,,r only 212972 votes were cast the same year
<o- Congress- nominees. The average district
vote was therefore 21 297 in Virginia and 42'o'4
n West virginia Two wears ago this STATE cast
sor Presidential Electors 1927 votes-one for
less than every four Inhabitants The total vote
y Virginia the same year was only 1S4'0''' ~
one 10 about every six !nhabitants
THE 1sT DISTRICT
o.+bA .or,r Congress districts in the State the
let has been carried oftenest by tne Hepuo'-
cans Y comprises the Panhandle ana n0Fth-
western counties and its chief centre OF P0Puia-
Wv 3. wheeling Judge Nathan Gon repre-
.snted II in the House in the eighties Oelore
hisapooiptrnent % the Federal bench. rs present
,s,~sssr.a,fve r p Dovener. % Wheeling. Is
,Ys- Ar,sbina his second term and has been re-
roro,,a-ed ~, The Republicans. He has mace
vood racord IN Washington. and there seems 70
- ~ -asso, why he shouid not be returned
Ills ' 9em Ser o oppo-ent John A. Blair is
newcomer IN Stat, 7oAucs whose p3sioh a on
partv issues = aot p-onOunced. I vo yTaiS o..
IL Do-,eTr- a a plurality Of 1868. he ought
70 cary he district again by at least lSoo
TIE I'D DISTRICT
The Id rHtrict distinguished itseh oy sen4-
hr 70 Congress for several terms that an'laOie
,o,,A 80. r9ro,Aesnr William I Wilson.