Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-13

parallel in West virginias political
history Mr.. Hall met Waterloo defeat
at the very moment when his friends
and personal organ were holding out
the promise and prediction of victory.
It's a sad case, but 1t was not unex
pected. 1t has been apparent for some
time that Mr.. Hall was engaged in the
improbable occupation of counting
his chickens before they were Matched.
and estimating the proceeds of his sale
of fish before he caught them. His
campaign was one characterized by
palpable assurance and pure bluff. He
revolved around brilliant orbit. illu-
minated by the dazzling corruscations
of fireworks and made glorious by the
crimson glow reflected from multi
tudinous sticks of red fire. He was
doomed with circus-like redundancy
and puffed with department store per-
sistency He was heralded as the
Great Mogul and the coming man. He
was the chief end of the Ohio county
political mechanism, a designer of
complicated contrivances and a pro-
moter of booms. He had snatched vic
tory from the hands of defeat upon
several occasions, and had run ward
caucuses, Council conclaves and dis
trict meetings. From these suspicious
beginnings he went forth conQuering
and to conquer, and throughout the
State the fame of Hall was sounded
as mighty thing and solemn assur-
ances were given that his name was
one to conjure with. He was i
THE mighty Mahmud, Allah breathing
Lord.
And nations hung upon his word
And now the great one has fallen.
A machine man, he could not control
the lever, and as result the cohorts
who went forth resplendant in the
bright panoply of arms, with fluttering
banners and sounding trumpets, adj
mirably equipped with those supplies
deemed essential to the successful
rushing of Republican State con-
vention and confident of victory will
come home bedraggled with the dirt of
defeat, foot-sore and weary. Gisgusted
and disheartened, with broken spears
and dinted swords and perforated
shields, to take places in the ranks
Of might have beens and be known IS
those who also ran. Why was he
thus beaten by the big men? is
the question the friends of James X
Hall will be asking. Echo answers.
Why? He was thrown down" in tho
house of his friends.
It's a bad case-one calling for COM
miseration rather than joy. The bur-
den of political life must be picked up
again, and new start be made. The
past is gone, and with it its glittering
promises, it's far-reaching ambitions
and its dazzling prospects. The we'll
appearing Dead Sea fruit has turned
to ashes, as it often does, and Disop-
pontment holds her unpleasant sway
where erstwhile all was joyous expee-
tation and glad anticipation. But
that's the way of the world-particu-
larly of the political world. All which
remains to Mr. Hall and his many
friends lies in anticipation of change
of luck.
THE future only yet remains to thee
Take heed and ponder we'll what that
shall be-"
But Hall is entitled to the sincere
sympathy Of his friends, particularly
those here at his home. He made a
good fight against conditions and cir
cumstances he could not control or
dominate, and went down with colors
flying before an Overwhelming force.
1t only remains for him to make the
best OF a bad situation, and smile at
the vagaries of fate.
--<z1EEn-----