Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22
BOTH SIDES ACTIVE
Hot Campaign Being Waged for Con-
troll in West Virginia.
REPUBLICANS now IN TEE LEAD
They Have Advantage Of Iumigra-
ton and Prosperity.
DEMOCRATS CONFIDENT, TOO
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
KEYSER, W. Va, September 70, 1900.
One Of the eastern states in which a great
| deal Of interest Is being taken in this cam
paign is West Virginia. 1t is true that 1t
has only six electoral votes in the college,
| but it also elects United States senator
| and four representatives. At present the
| state is represented by two republican SEN
| ators, three republican representatives and
| one democrat. In 1894 and again in 1895 1t
| elected four republican representatives. In
| 1894 it elected legislature which elected'a
republican senator for the first time since
| the reconstruction days.
| West Virginia gave Mckinley IL 800 ma
| jority in 1896. In 1898 the republican ma
| jority was reduced to 1900, but the republic
! cans carried the legislature and elected
Scott United States senator. A falling of
| such as occurred in Maine or Vermont might
| result in the defeat Of the republican
| electors, two or three republican represen-
tatives and the. election of a democratic
| legislature, which would send John I. Nc
| Graw to the Senate to succeed Senator Ste
| phen B Ekins. At present no such falling
| off Is probable, and the prospects are that
while the republicans may not poll as large
| vote and have as large majority as they
did in 1896 they will at least control the
| stote and elect a republican legislature and
~
| the House.
Democrats Are CONFIDENT, Too.
The democrats are confident, according to
| the latest reports, of carrying the state.
| They count the coal strike in Pennsyl-
| vania as helping them in West Virginia.
| But such will not be the case. In 1892,
when the Homestead strike affected labor in
nearly every other state in the Union to a
| large extent, Harrison was defeated in West
Virginia by but 100. which was the narrow
est margin that the state had given any
democratic candidate for a great many
years prior to that time The fact is the
labor troubles do not affect West Virginia
to any great extent.
There are great many 1abOring men
there, but they now receiving pretty
good wages. More than this, the coal fields
of bituminous character and there is
nos disposition at present to organize or
force strike in the bituminous coal re-
gions, and it is probably thought it would
prove ineffective. even If it were attempted.
Certainly it is fact that when there was
a strike in the bituminouS regions some time
ago most of the West Virginia mine own
ers and operators came to some agreement
with their men and avoided a strike. This
was especially the case upon the proper
ties controlled by Senator Elkins, and in
such sections of the state as he had infu-
ence, and this included nearly all of the
big operators. Most of the coal miners in
West Virginia colored men, and negroes
DO not take kindly to labor organizations.
Strange as it may seem, they are willing to
work independently and satisfied with fair
wages and not inclined to make trouble for
their employers Most of them are also re-
pubicans and they can be counted upon as
a usual thing to vote the republican ticket.
1t is this large employment of coored men
in the last few years that has given rise to
| the colonization cry that has been raised
against the republican party by the demo-
Gratis. AS matter of fact. years resi-
dence is required in West Virginia to ac-
quire voting privilege and it is not likely
that there will be any efforts Of the kind
which are asserted to be in contemplation.
Prosperity in the state.
Another reason why West Virginia is like
ly to vote the republican ticket is because
it, more than most any other state, has
joyed in a signal manner the prosperity
which is sweeping over the land. Your cor
respondent has had an opportunity to go
over a good portion of the northern part Of
the state in the last few weeks and in OBJ
serving the industrial and political condi-
tons, came to the conclusion that II there
is anything In the argument Of prosperity:
If there is anything to be gained by the
workingmen in having steady employment
at good wages, and in the general content
ment of the people. then West Virginia Is
likely to vote the republican ticket in order
to secure continuation of the prosperity.
| the signs Of which are so numerous in every
part Of the state.
A number Of railroad systems operate
through the state. The Baltimore and
Ohio. the West Virginia Central and the
Chesapeake and Ohio among the lead
ing roads reaching into the extensive coal
fields of West Virginia. All of these roads
doing enormous business. Train
load after train load of coal Is being hauled
from the West Virginia mines and reaches
the seaboard markets at Baltimore and
other points on Chesapeake bay. The enor-
nous coal production has been stimulated
beyond question by the increased protec-
ton that was given coal In the Dingley
ElkinS
instrumental more than any other one per-
son in securing the high rate on this coal.
| This increased production has given en-
| ployment to many more miners, and there
has been an influx of population, largely
| from Pennsylvania. These men are gen.
| erany republicans.
Railroads Are Busy, Too.
The railroads have found 1t necessary to
| increase their facilities and put on more
| cars, thus giving employment to more men
| and distributing more money throughout
| the region they traverse. Besides the three
| main roads above mentioned, there are
numerous smaller roads in the state, which
| act as feeders and which extend in every
| direction to important mining and manufac-
| turing places and increase the general rail-
| road business of the state.
| West Virginia is also one Of the great
| lumber producing regions of the Allegheny
| country. The great trouble heretofore has
been in finding a market for the lumber.
But railroads have penetrated the lumber
regions and sawmills are in operation at
| many Of the small towns and villages in the
heart Of the mountains giving employment
| to many men the year round. and also fur
nishing more work for men engaged in the
| transportation business.
The farmers have been unusually pros
porous in the last year or two, and eSpe
| cially those engaged in raising sheep and
| growing wool. Much of the country of
| West Virginia is absolutely useless for any
purpose except grazing. The mountain sides
| are too steep and too inaccessible for usual
agricultural pursuits. but they furnish vast
| pastures for the sheep and cattle of the
| farmers living in the valleys More than
| this. the influx OF Workingmen and the
| general distribution of capital throughout
| the great coal and lumber regions have
| created home market for these farmers,
| ton.
Democrats Are Active, Too.