Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05
PROSPECTS BRIGHTER
Claim Made by Republicans
Of West Virginia.
BALLOT "A FOOT WIDE
MAMMOTH SHEET WITH WHICH
VOTERS WILL WREsTLE.
Betting on Results Shows Dawson, Re
publican Candidate for Governor,
to Be the Favorite.
special Disnatch 70 The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
WHEELING, w. Va, November 5.-Ac-
cordng to law the voters OF west virginia
will next Tuesday from sunrise TO sunset
wrestle with 3S-inch-long and 1ool-"loe
ballot and decide between Roosevelt ana
Parker. They will give Roosevelt piu-
ralitv of not less than 10000, probably 49,
600 and possibly $4,000. There is no aouot
about the success of the republican national
ticket. The republican state ticket Will
without doubt be elected with one excep-
ton. Dawson may be beaten for governor
by Cornwell, but conditions in this fight
that obtained a few weeks ago are brighter
from the republican viewpoint, and Daw-
son stock has accordingly gone up. The
change is reflected in the betting, Dawson
now being the favorite.
That 3S-inch ballot will be the determin-
ing factor in the all-absorbing race for gov,
ernor Republicans who are not partial 10
Dawson are expected to get shaky ano con-
fused and vote straight party ucket
rather than run the chance or losing tneF
vote. The opposition to Dawson, however,
is not confined to stage-fright victims. II
includes large taxpayers VINO are Skilieu III
the use of the pencil. The accredited re-
port that the Standard Oil Company mas
come over to his side removes STUBBORN
opposition and gives a substantial ally, SO
while the extent of the cutting cannot pc
accura tely foretold by any human being, II
now looks like Dawson should win lie mas
to face powerful, silent opposition, ana
while it is easy to repeat what respective
leaders say and declare Dawson is cinch
or Cornwell is a cinch, 1t remains ques-
ton for the ballot box and not the prophet
who cares for his reputation. 1t would not
be amss, however, for the Cornwell bettor
to ask for odds.
Claim 5000 on Governor.
The democrats have so far refused to give
out any figures except on the governorship,
which they give to Cornwell by from 5000
to 5000. They express no confidence IN
any other respect, and regarding the cleo
toral vote express faint hopes and no
claims. The truth of the matter is, they
ceased to put up fight a month ago on
national issues, after discovering 1t was
likely to ALLEVIATE republicans who were with
them on the state. fight. If Dawson is
beaten the democrats Will celebrate as en-
Enthusiastically as If they swept the state
because they realize they are dead cocks IN
the pit in West Virginia if they lose out on
the governorship.
The tendency Of West Virginia has been
steadily republican. 1t is being Pennsyl-
vanianized by the capitalist who opens the
coal mines, cuts away the timber from the
mountain Sides, drills oil wells and con-
structs pipe lines to carry the OIL and gas
to market, and throws railroad lines
through every fruitful valley. Industrial
development has blazed the way to repub-
lican successes. 1t is to dissatisfied repub-
licans that the democrats are appealing.
There is no partisan tinge to their appeals.
The democrats fear the Dawson-W bite
dynasty will be so firmly intrenched that
they will not have the ghost of show four
years, hence, and they tell republicans of
another so-caIled faction that they, likewise
will be kept beyond the gates of the palace.
Inasmuch the new tax laws complained
of do not go into effect for from two to
five the democrats realize thew
will have no new arguments to make ON
the tax question in 1903, and SO they are
making the fight of their lives in the last
ditch 1t is a battle to the death on the
goyernorship.
Republican Chairman Confident.
Elliot Northcott the republican state
chairman, who is said to be slated for gov
ernor in 1908, puts out a claim of entire
victory. He claims West Virginia for
Roosevelt by from $4,000 to $4,000 He
claims the entire state ticket, but doesn't
give figures on this proposition. Other
publicans claim Dawson will have a ma
jority running from 5000 to 12,OC0. All the
congressman are claimed by Northcott, and
forty-nine members of the house OF delegates
and eleven new senators, which with the
holdover senators would give the republi-
cans a majority of thirty on joint ballot for
United States senator Northcotts claims
for the lower branch of the legislature
sists of eighty-siX members, and the demo-
Gratis had only twenty-nine members in the
last legislature.
Capt. Richmond P Hobson, the hero of
the Merrmac, closed the democratic speech
flying in Wheeling Thursday night, follow
ing on the heels of eX-Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith, whose republican
speech took the town by storm, School
house and district rallies will run through
out the state until the morning of election.
There has never been anything like 1T in
West Virginia before. Both parties have
Waged a most aggressive campaign. Car
toons were employed on state issues for the
first time. Serious charges against rival
candidates, even to the supreme court as
pirants, have been industriously circulated,
and heads have ached in every home, high
and low over the complicated tax docu-
mentS.
Republican Floppers.
One of the latest peculiar turns is the flop
to Cornwell of " B. Archer. who presided
week ago at the Parkersburg demonstra-
tion which was addressed by Gov White
He now declares the tax laws a delusion
and a snare. Col. Henry Schmulbach, late
a candidate for the Senate against Senator
Scott and ex-State Senator N. E. Whitaker,
are other republican highlights who are out
of the shadows and are Cornwell workers
But with all this, the political craft of
Dawson is feared, since he does not bother
about the spectacular and has an under
ground railroad that usually does not APP
pear until after the campaign is over
The liquor interests are fighting Dawson
and the republican legislative ticket but
their influence issconfined to the towns and
not to the 'twentsfseven counties where To-
cal option prevails. There has been much
talk about railroad and other corporation
support for the dInocraticj state ticket, but
corporations are strangely Indifferent
When ex-Gov. Al B. Fleming presided at
the Davis meeting in Farmont 1t was re-
garded as significant of the support of the
F'airmont Coal company, which EMPLOYS
10000 men, and which while officered by
democrats, was against Bryan. The Balti-
more and Ohio is the only one of the rail-
roads which has shown warming up. and
this has been offset by the reports that it
is doing nothing Better than a reduced fare
for absent demosTatic voters and that one
of the republican,. candidates for reelection
on the state ticket was able to get free
transportation fer this purpose. This cam
didate is part of The state board of public
works which fixes tie railroad assessments.
Dawson is making great bid for the labor
vote, and with success.
The only congressional district poll COM
plete is for the first district, received by
(sl-o OvoSfH