The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-30
WEST VIRGINIA.
Both Parties Claim the State, Thougi Republicans Have a Promis-
 

| Ing Lead.
 Charleston, W. Va. Oct. 29.-A fierce and perhaps even a bloody. battle will be fought at the polls in this State on | termined that no imported voters shall | cast their ballots, and for the purpose l of preventing an influx of negroes I from Virginia hundreds of white men | have pledged themselves to constitute an armed guard about the polling | places.
 The payrolls of all the corporations in the State have been obtained And a polling list has been made up at each | precinct showing who is entitled to vote Any man Lot on this list, espe- cially negro, will be challenged by the Democrats and driven away by a display of force, if necessary. h. structions have been sent by the Dem- ocratic State Committee to all electio.s officers in sympathy with the party | to, reject in the final count all Re- publican ballots which do not con- form exactly to the law and to count all Democratic ballots if, by any pos sible construction, they can be consid- cred as indicating the intention of the voter to cast a Democratic bal lot.
 l Corporations DepOrt Men.
 It is estimtaed that in the last sixty days the Standard Oil Company and al- lied interests have shipped out of | West Virginia at least 4,500 votes, | largely Republican. Corporations like the Fairmount Coal and Coke Company, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and others employing large numbers of men | are earnestly endeavoring to defeat the | Republican State ticket, and, If Repub- lican in tendency on the national tick ct, are rather indifferent as to its suc- cess in this State.
 In addition to these influences in fa- vor of the Democrats, there is the fight over the new Republican tax law which will apparently seriously affect the vote for Presidential electors and threatens to drag the State Republican | ticket down to defeat.
 | The Republicans, on the other hand | so far as the national ticket Is con cerned, can claim two very important influences in their favor One is the fact that West Virginia is normally a Republican State by virtue of sympa- thy with Republican political princi- pies and a considerable negro vote having given the Republican national ticket a plurality of 21 1.022 in 1900. The other influence in favor of the Repub- lican national ticket Is the fact that within the last four years perhaps 30,000 new voters have come into the StateS More than 10000 of these are Republicans. These new voters have no State pride in MT. Davis and have not been here long enough to become keenly interested in the State fight over taxation. Upon these two factors the Republicans base their claim that West Virginia will go Republican on the na- tional ticket by at least 10000 plural ity. With the complications produced by the State fight, however. they will
 be satisfied with a plurality of from 5000 to 12,000, which Is much nearer the probabilities, so far as can be seen at this date.
 | Dawson in Peril.
 The Republican candidate for Gov erfonr, W. M. O. Dawson, now Secre-
 tary of State. is in serious danger of
 being defeated, towing to the fact that
 he Is looked upon as the real author oI
 the new tax law. in the discussion ot which the people of West Virginia have been In turmoil for the last six months It Is believed that many Republicans l will scratch his name from the ballot even if they vote for the balance oi the Republican nominees. Many voters will scratch the entire Republican State ticket This condition renders pr Dawson's chances much less favorabla 
 defeat is freely predicted, but if tho State goes strongly Republican on the national ticket he may be elected, but certainly will run far behind the vote cast for the national Republican cleo l tors.
 The workers of both political parties are apparently well supplied with funds for use on election day. The Republl- | cans assert that they have enough mon- | ey to hold their own people in line: In other words. to buy all hoaters of Re | publican tendencies. The Democrats appear to be more than satisfied that | they will have all the money necessary to buy everything which can be bought | to swell the Democratic total. The fact l that both sides have money will offset the advantage which might come to the Democrats from liberal campaign fund.
 The Republicans have a decided ad vantage in the State Legislature. owing to the large number of Republican hold 1 overs The State could possibly gu Democratic on the national ticket and the Legislature remain Republican. The State fight on the tax law, enacted by a Republican Legislature, will some. what influence this situation. but ow- ing to the importance of the stake, a source of the Republicans-nationa to assure a Republican majority. The chances are that the Republicans will elect the next United States Senator from West Virginia.
 nrTAVvARE