Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
KEYED TO HIGH PITCH
WEST VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS
TIRED OF PARTY STRIFE.

WHEELING. w. Va. December I, 1896
The politicians of West Virginia and some
others are keyed up to high pitch In con-
temptation whether there is to be a re-
newal of the republican factional troubles
when the overwhelming party majority
| meets In few weeks to organize the leg
| islature. There is much talk and much to
| indicate foundation for the talk that the
| state administra ton wants to control the
! organization. and the old anti-Dawson feel
! ing is being revived. The present COVER
nor is being censured severely and the rank
and file are sick of the warnings and the
| clashings.
| Oliver s. Marshall holdover senator of
Hancock county. the extreme northern tip of
West Virginia. who wants to preside over
| the destinies of the senate. claims to have
run up against the Dawson machine. Mr.
Marshall was president of the senate dur
| ing Governor Atkinson's time. and aside
! from that distinction he bears resem-
| blance to Mark Twain. which makes him
| marked man in any crowd. He has the
| ieonine name. strikingly.
Two years ago Marshall was the candl-
date of the Blizzard. or anti-Dawson wing
| of the republican party for the senate
presidency. and learned what il to run
up against the Dawson buzz saw. He was
downed by Gustavus Adolphus Northcott
of Huntington, brother of District Attorney
Elliott Northcott. Marshall is trying it
again. and finds he has to overcome l.. J.
| Forman. an ardent Dawson man. of Grant
county. and Joe McDermott of Morgantown,
sort of happy compromise
| Unusual attention is directed to the sem
ate this year because the body will have
| to deal with legislation momentous to the
states Industrial interests. and particularly
relating to the republican state campaign
| in 1905 Governor Dawson can hardly be
| blamed for desiring in sympathy
with his policies. not to speak of his ambi-
tons. Judged by the series of tussles in
| the past two years the governor should
win his fight, but his opponents are pretty
well lined up and evidently strong enough
numerically to win. or to come mighty close
| to it.
The Horoscope.
| A Dawson man looks good to win the
speakership of the house of delegates hands
| down, and at the present writing James A.
Seamon Of Jackson is leading the field
I Mr.. Seamon Is popular and typical West
Virginian Of the Abe Lincoln type, and
| the only regret In his case is that his du-
! ties presiding officer will deprive his
| colleagues and the gallery of certain out
bursts of original humor Opposed to Sea-
| mon is a score or more of candidates, but
| 1t is Seamon against the field. He is said
| to have the Endorsement of the admins
| tration to ii finish. although administration
| followers say ANY man who is loyal and
competent will be satisfactory"
Friends of Senator Robert Hazlett are in
| clined to boom him for the senate presi-
dency. despite the sentiment against first
| termer Hazlett is a young man with po-
| litical future. He is of the stuff of which
governors are made and two years hence
! a well-defined boom for him will doubt
| less be under way. 1t will be impaired only
! by the contingency of the candidacy of W.
P. Hubbard a fellow Wheelingite who has
| just been elected to Congress. If Hubbard
| does not want to make the race Hazlett
will be pushed to a finish He IS rather a
modest fellow. but withal wise, conserva-
! tive man, of good blood ample means and
an approachabIeness that makes him very
popular personally.
Ohio county Hazletts home. was cred
tied with the governorShip when George w.
Atkinson elected in 1885, but Atkinson
was really a Kanawha product. and only
resident Of Wheeling in somewhat tenn
porary sense. While the county has a rep
resentative in both branches of the fed
eral legislature its ranking Importance en-
titles 1t to gubernatorial consideration The
fight is already beginning to take on sec
tional lines. The southern end wants the
govcrnorship-failng that, the senatorship
when Scott's term expires. and a balance
may be struck between the two.
Complexion Of Legislature.
The coming legislature will stand eighty |
five republicans to thirty-one democrats, or |
republican majority joint ballot of |
f1fty-four. Here and there is heard a dem |
ocratic voice figuring on the possible de- |
feat of Senator Elkins by a combination !
of democrats and insurgent republicans. |
This calculation is classed of the !
post-election gayeties. Elkins Will be elect |
ed without any trouble. That matter was |
settled by convention instructions and |
otherwise when the legislators were picked. |
To fall in with the democratic scheme
about half of the republicans would be
necessary. and they not likely to see
the point. particularly when there is no |
other candidate in sight deserving of the !
honor by all the rules Of warfare
The official vote for West Virginia. just
complied. interesting, showing A.
bility of it's republicanism. The respective
pluralities for the new congressional dele
cation follows: w. P. Hubbard, A.
047; George c. Sturgiss. 1885; Joseph IL.
James A. Hughes. 6.416. The notable thing
was Hughes plurality. which exceeded the
high-water mark of 1904 by ninety-nine
votes
Falling Off in Total Vote.
The total vote as compared with 1902 an
other off-year showed a falling off of ovel
1900 for the republicans and 1900 for
the democrats. Better organization by the
republicans partly accounts for this. An |
other factor was the increasing industrial
development. which has brought from
publican states thousands OF newcomers |
The democrats have also suffered by de-
fecttons from their ranks which has been |
going ON steadily since 1896. This is Illus
trated by the fact that many of the pres
ent republican offlceholders and leaders
We're democrats up to that year and a few
years subsequently,.
The Generalization of the democrats ano
their desperation is reflected in their offer |
against Elkins for the United States Sem
ate, but their offer will be rejected they
will likely give the compliment of minor |
ity caucus vote to John T. McGraw for the
third fourth time.
Tho Etop Dooa