Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-11
West
Virginia.
Special Correspondence of The Star.


For the first congressional election after
the late presidential election the contest
in the second district of West Virginia this
week occasioned wide attention. The fact
that the victor Col. Thos. B. Davis, dem
ocrat redeemed the district after ten years
of republican, supremacy was one thing.
That he is a brother of Henry G. Davis.
late candidate for the vice presidency. Is
another. That he Is seventy-seven years
old and therefore knocked the stuffing out
of the Osler theory is another But in
West Virginia the subject of discussion is
the probable effect the result will have in
this state in the next battle between the
republican and democratic parties as such.
For Davis victory over James s. Lakn,
the republican candidate. was not so much
contest between the two political parties
as it was between the satisfied and ds-
gruntled republicans. While this was not
the exact situation throughout it was SUI
fic.ently true to turn the tide. Any other
democrat would have been elected; any
other republican would have been defeated.
An influential number of republicans. prob
ably an increasing number, are not satisfied
of Governors Dawson's sincerity relative
to the tax reform program on which he
was nominated and elected, and as Lallin
was Dawson adherent they vented their
feeling on him by voting for Davis or stay
ing at home. He was the innocent victim
of both theory and condition.
A Picturesque Figure.
Colonel Davis was elected by a majority
of approximately LOCO, as against 1887
given for Judge Dayton last November, and
of over 1900 for Roosevelt in the same dis
trict. Any other democrat might not have
got as good a majority, with the possible
exception of John J. Cornwell, the demo-
cratic candidate for governor against Daw-
son. The veteran victor is democrat OF
the old school, one of those lkable old gen.
tlemen whom young fellows are wont to
uncle" and he is Uncle Tom to his most
youthful acquaintance just as he is affec-
tionately known Col Tom generally. He
is a picturesque figure, thick of sinew, with
bright eyes, and plenty of red blood, gener-
Gus of purse and good citizen In every
sense.
This democratic breach in the formerly
solid republican congressional delegation
cannot be taken as a forerunner of what
might occur in the congressional elections
next year, for the simple reason that ma
tional issues took little no part in spite
of the republican attempt to force them
into consideration. 1t is true that the
democratic platform denounced the trust
breeding tariff" and that President Roose-
velt's Panama canal purchase order was
featured subsequent to the convention, but
except in the case of the democrats this
encouragement of the national phase was
inconsequential Among the republicans
who did not vote for Davis for personal
reasons the inclination to take a fall out
of Governor Dawson and his faction was
the consuming motive.
The republican nominee was a delegate
TO the last republican congressional
vention which renominated Dayton, and he
came with the instructions of his district
to vote for a gentleman of color in pref
erence to Dayton. Lakn comes from Pres
ton county, which was last year a Dawson
tax reform stronghold, and the feeling of
the natives was intense against Dayton be-
cause he opposed the tax provision program
and espoused the cause of Charley Teter,
VINO tried to defeat Dawson for the guber-
material nomination. Because of these in
structions which Lakin carried in his pocket
and because of the suspicion that he would
Gust the old Dayton postmasters and SUBJ
situte postmasters who would bear the
Dawson brand Lakin had to suffer.
Dawson's Intentions.
1t is believed to some extent that Gov
ernor Dawson is intent on building I'D
strong machine of his own manufacture
in West Virginia, with the aid and coun-
tenance of Senator Elkins. Already the
next candidate for governor has been Sc
lected. and even the republican nominee
for 1912 is talked of. Every oficeholder
who supported Teter has been given the
ak. Governor Dawson has all the state
patronage and to give him the post office
distributions in the second district would
make him too powerful, it was thought
And Dawson, as viewed by many republic
cans, coupled with general apathy and a
lukeWarm support, induced by Lakin's light
acquaintance through the district form the
causes of the democratic victory.
Right now there is forming a powerful
organization to combat the Dawson ma
chine, so-called, and to effect the political
eclipse of Senator Elkins, if that can be
done. Teter republican has come to
mean an anti-Elkins republican, generally
speaking, and this embryonic organization
has been engaged for months in Ruthless
hunt for candidate to oppose Elkins in
the legislative caucus in January, 1907. The
feeling against Elkins has spread to the
Dawson Lakin followers since Tuesdays
congressional election. Davis is related To
Elkins and the senator did nothing for the
candidate of his party. while those of his
immediate family and others associated
with him IN business worked increasingly
for Col Tom.
Bright Lights in Deal.
II confidence could be violated some of
the brightest lights In West Virginia's re-
publican camp, and who are not Teterites,
could be quoted as attributing the defeat
of Lakin to Elkins. When it is realized
that Senator Elkins' influence was cast for
Lakin at his nominating convention because
Elkins was determined TO beat N. G. Keim,
one of the field of seven candidates. and
TO Ldkln as the the reason
for this feeling is apparent 1t is now an
old story that every one of these seven
candidates denied being supported by Ell
kins because that Endorsement was con-
sidered an element of weakness at the time
The second congressional district is Sena-
tor Elkins' home district and there the an
tagonism to him is the fiercest.
By series of peculiar contrasts In this
particular congressional campaign lumi-
nous Lakln manager was Sam B. Mont
gomery. also of Preston county, and
hold-over member of the state senate He
is strong Teter man, and he declared
the day before the election that Lakin's
defeat meant serious trouble for Elkins
Montgomery will not vote for Elkins under
any consideration. Just who he will vote
for in preference remains to develop but
any opponent with fair average of
strength will get the anti-Elkins votes 1t
is likely that If no opponent turns .aup in
time the discomfort will elect a democratic
Legislature next year. That contingency Is
not any too remote If republican faction
alism continues, and if the new state tax
laws are not better understood and appre-
ciated in the meantime. The record of the
last legislature found few defenders and
1t is another complication.
Lakin was quoted after his defeat as saw