Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30
v. VIRGINIA POLITICS
The Special Session of the
Legislature.
A BREACH OF FAITH
1T Is so CHARACTERIZED BY
SENATOR SCOTT.
May Result in Intensifying the Fac
tional Differences in the Re
publican Party.

CHARLESTON. W. Va, July 3o.-The eff
feet OF the nomination of Henry G. Davis
on democratic prospects IN West Virginia
Is secondary to the outcome OF the eX-
traordinary session of the Legislature now
in progress in this city. not that the session
will benefit the democrats much as ii
will put the republicans in bad light be-
fore the people This session is called to
deal with a compromise arrangement OF
state tax revision drafted by COM
mittee of four, representing the leaders OF
the extreme and conservative divisions of
the republican party on the original tax
reform scheme. but instead of the COM
promise healing the breaches ii has opened
them afresh and afforded democratic MEM
bers a beautiful opportunity of confusing
the dominant party and making good polit-
ical capital for the campaign in West Nir-
ginia, which will be waged state issues
virtually exclusively for the first time In
the states history.
Diverse views within the republican party
have ragged for two years and the state con-
vention two weeks ago was figured to bring
about united action. These views claShed
over the governorship on the ace of things,
but really dweIt on the new scheme of tax
alton drafted first by commission ap-
pointed for the purpose three years ago
and whose report was ignored by the leSis-
lature of 1903. The special session to con-
slider the measures hung in the balance
for a long time. 1t was jugged with and
Delu ABOVE Ine neauS lnUuentldl poll
ticlans like the sword of Damocles by Gov
ernor White. He was induced, it is said,
to agree not to call 1t this year after the
state convention and Senators ElkinS and
Scott claim to have been given such as
surances. On the strength of these al
legged assurances a plank in the platform
declaring against a special session was
withdrawn In the committee on resolutions.
Alleged Breach Of Faith.
A few days later Governor White flashed
out his summons and CONSERVATION pre-
vailed. Senator Scot. in particular alleged
a gross breach of faith. BY virtue of
agreement at the Washington conference of
republican leaders whose deliberat tions re-
suited in taf series Of bills
on coal oil end RaS, Governor White is-
suea sh!s proclamation. IT was a bold. dar
| ing play. If the session enacts legislation
that will appeal to the people II means
Governor White will be the undisputed
leader of the West Virginia republicans. 1t
may mean his elevation to the United
States Senate, although the governorship
in West Virginia has strangely always
been a tombstone instead of a stepping
stone.
That senatorship possibility agitates Sem
ator Scott more particularly than Senator
Elkins, but both are doing some deep pond
ering.
But despite these suspicious. which are
circulated with a view to embarrassing the
state ever had. the strenuous. ed-headed
governor pursues the even tenor of his
way. He is up against all sort of manpu-
lations and combinations. His motives are
yariously impugned. He has all the big
corporati tions to fight. He has the hundred
and one politicians who declare his special
session is suicidal He simply says the
people want tax reform and that he is doing
his duty,
While his persistence must be admired,
he has put his party on the abyss. The
extreme taX-reform members of the legis
lature are not satisfied with the compro-
mise bills and the anti-taX-reform members
do not want to interfere with the present
system. The elimination of the coal. oil
and gas feature gives the democrats the
chance to put the republicans on record as
against 1t and open to the charge of fearing
to antagonize the corporations. The con-
sideration of the bills has been SO far In
get-together caucuSes of the republican
members. and every man with hobby has
tried to improve on the bills. They are to
be gone over in open legislature later, and
In what shape they will finally be no man
knoweth or seemingly careth In the mean
time the democrats smile joyously and fill
buster In hopes of running up the expense
of the special session, an expense which
may overcome any remedial legislation If
remedial legislation is the outcome OF the
muddle.
A Fatal Error.
Senators Elkins and Scott have left wa
tering places to worry with their followers
through the maZes. They believe the ses-
sion's call a fatal error. Gov. White pro-
fesses to have faith in the people that his
course will be vindicated. His side PARTNER
Dawson, the nominee for governor did not
want the session, and the story goes that
the governor discovered his tax-reform pro-
fessions was mere ante-convention play
and that afterward he wanted to be neutral
so as to assure needed corporation support
In, LII inC hic hn1d Strn nlyA ha
therefore put his present secretary of state
and close political friend in sorry posi-
ton. This is another illustration of his
firmness of conviction.
If the session turns out all right Il will
be a great thing for the governor playing
a lone hand; but If not, his political race is
run. Besides the recognized issues in
volved In the tax controversy there has
been lot of new things inserted such as
a more stringent regulation of the liquor
traffic and increased licenses for the sa-
loonists and breweries.
These measures have been railroaded
through the republican caucuses by the
anti-liquor adherents, despite the pleadings
| OF Representative Dayton and other leaders
on the ground who are fighting against ex-
| tremes that present new complications in
| the way of votes. Suggestions of stam-
| pedes and futile efforts to corral cattle
| have been presented by the inability of the
| leaders to make the members in their eau
Gus stand for the bills outlined for their
consideration
Another trouble is presented by the ques-
| tion of whether 1t is better to rush through
| the bills, twenty-eight in number. in order
| to keep down the expense of the session by
| making it short in length, to stay in
| Charleston if it takes all summer and fight
| out the question fully and finally.
The bills were held back from the law
| makers until the session opened Tuesday.
That prevented them from being ready to
expedite matters. Also they think II is
their province to make laws and hence they
feel a resentment to dictation from the
self-apponted leaders of the party who
met In the City of Washington and agreed
| on a plan of submitting certain bills for
consideration
Now that the session will go beyond the
democratic state convention the coming
Wednesday the republicans are cheered
| by the hope that the democrats will not
be able to definitely outline any better
policy. The. democrats will have their
smoothest artists at work, however, and