Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-09-12

ability Will elect democrat TO
Congress.
But the Republican disaffection
extends to many other quarters.
The liquor dealers are up in arms
because the Legislature at its
special session increased the cost
of liquor licenses by something
like 500. If the tax had been
placed so high that only men OF
, means and responsibility could
afford to keep saloon, the revolt
would not have been so general.
But the saloOn-keepers say the
small increase was simply insig-
nifcant of disposition to in
crease their burdens without re-
gard to justice. Over at Graf
/ ton. where all the saloons are To-
Gated on a short street called the
Bowery, there are about ten pro-
prietors who vote the Republic
can ticket. Each man. of course,
controls certain following. A
friend of a prominent Republican
official who went here the other
! day, looking over the situation,
was informed that every saloon
keeper intended to soak the en-
tire Republican ticket" this fall,
including nominees for county
any State offices. Probably some
of them will think better Of it be-
fore November and vote their
natural preferences. The present
state of feeling indicates some
thing of the troubles Republicans
! are encOunterlng.
The farmers, too, who wear the
wool hats and have red necks
from working in the sun, begin
to realize what the special SEES
, sion of the Legislature means to
them. Republicans had made
many of them believe they were
about to be relieved of paying
taxes. and that the wicked cor
porations would be "tOuched "
for an equivalent. This was joy
full news to such men as many
/ farmers are. but the abolition of
most of the State taxes and sub
, shutting therefor a county tax,
did not relieve tht situation. The
laws. which dO not 90 into effect
j for some time. nevertheless pro-
vide for new assessment OF
property at it's selling value.
The Democrats are at great pains
to explain all these details
throughout the rural sections,
and it is having an effect.
One finds many Republicans
who privately believe the the
State will vote Democratic on
the State and National tickets.
They admit all one hears and
reads about West Virginia being
normally Republican, as much as
Ohio or Pennsylvania. and about
the difficulty of overcoming the
normal Republican majority. At
the same time, they mention the
mercenary character of a large
proportion of the vote. probably
as much as 1871. These Repub-
licans will tell how large ma
iority of the negro vote in the
southern section of the State has
to be herded and bought by the
head at every election. The Re
publicans have some money for
their campaign, but they are
fearful because it is not as much
as they have had in previous
wears and because the Democratic
war chests after eight years OF
emptiness will probably be filled
this year. With such conditions
and no one can tell just how
far-reaching they will be-the
Republicans are aware that they,
as we'll as their Democratic breth-
rem. have hills to climb.
There is little alarm among the
Republicans about the Leglsla-
ture or the reelection of Senator
Scott. Probably nothing short OF
landslide would make it Demo-
cratic. The Republicans have
eleven hold-overs, and believe
they know to certainty where
at least thirty-nine more men,
bers of their party will be elect
ed. Even should the State go
Democratic bv several thousand