Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-09-28
LABOR EsPoUsEs HIS CAUSE
Unusual Interest Displayed Re-
Gently in That Party, and Its
Candidate for President Was
Taken to Wheeling.
Special to The Oil Review.

A., state OF late. EuSeue DeDS, lIS
candidate for President, will run-
/ doubtedly poll several thousand
votes in November. The propa-
ganda has been embraced by a
great number of steel, iron, and
tin workers in the large mills
hereabouts. Many members of
the police force, supposed to be
Democrats, are inoculated. A re-
porter on one of the local dailies
has become a devotee, as have a
few printers in it's composing
room. The Appeal to Reason, rec
ognized as the Socialist organ,
which is published in Kansas
and enjoys a huge circulation,
comes in here numerously. The
Ohio Valley Trades and Labor
Assembly, which is permeated
with Socialism, a consideration
which caused bricklayers to
withdraw from it, subscribed for
several hundred copies.
This assembly was instrumental
in raising funds to bring Debs
to town about two weeks ago.
lie filled to overlooking the larg-
est hall in the city with people
anxious to hear more about his
doctrines. AS the Wheeling So
cialists got in a wrangle with the
local newspapers, neither the
meeting nor other local Socialistic
happenings have had much pub
LEFTY. Nevertheless, the move
ment is regarded as not without
political significance. Presiden-
tial electors have been assured on
the November ballot by petition,
and there was a Socialist conven-
ton Of a recent Sunday at which
candidates for State Offices were
named.
This convention was held in a
little town called McMechan,
twenty minutes ride from here
by street car. That town is the
center of the movement in West
Virginia, and the propagation is
conducted chiefly from there. 1t
has taken root thus far mostly in
Ohio county, in which Wheeling
is located, but has a slight foot
hold in Huntington.
Politicians of both parties pooh
pooh the West Virginia Socialists
and discount the Importance of
that vote. 1t may not prove of
a character to cut much figure in
this years returns. Skii(ful man
ipulation may bring many back
into line. One candidate on the
Democratic State ticket and two
on the Republican ticket have in
Cured Socialist enmities, and the
vote for this trio may DE some
what affected thereby. The So
cialists are enraged generally at
Republicans because Ohio county
members of the Legislature, Re-
publicanS. did not press certain
labor bills for enactment, and
they are sore against Democrats
because prominent Democratic
leaders lobbied against those mea-
sures. As about $50 of the mill
workers are estimated to have
been Republicans in the last two
Presidential campaigns, it is
thought this Socialist vote. what
ever it amounts to. will cut heav-
lily into that party. The Demo
Gratis among them are largely IT.
ishmen. and inclined to be
stancher than most foreigners in
their political faith.
| Other things have conduced to
the will of Socialism here. One is
District Judge Jackson's injunc.
ton. another is a big rise in the
price of rents. averaging, 1t is
claimed. fully 400. There has
been a large demand for houses
but builders have not been con
structing houses half fast enough
to meet the demands. The cost OF
: living has also advanced in Other
particulars till it is almost as ex
pensive in Wheeling. city of 40.
600, but comprising with its SUI
burbs. about 100000, as in Pitts
burg. many times larger.
i Welshmen. brought over here
from their native island to worE
in the tin mills. furnish numer