The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-11-19

duickstep. This vas aiken 70 mean
that tel kinney wanted Graw sup
piantei3by d man Who could DO things:
Democrats have reason for dissatis!
faction and disappointment. Complete
returns show that West vfrginia,s Re.
publican vote made great gains, com.
pared with other States. Proportion.
ately these gains were in excess Of the
Presidential election two years ago.
The majority given to sturgiss for.
Congress in the Second district sur.
passed any majority ever given to
Dayton in any of his campaigns. This
is the more striking because the Dem,
ocrats carried the district last year in
special election. And notwlthstand.
ing 1t was in an OF year. the Repub.
1icans gained control of the Legisla'
ture by exactly the same Joint ballot
majority they got In 1901.
One trouble from which tie Demo
Gratis have suffered isthe lack of sym.
pathy on the part Of their high mcguls
with the type of Democracy preached
by Bryan and Hearst The leaders are
not radical, though the rank and file
may be SO inclined on national ques.
lions.
On the absorbing issue of State tax.
alton the rank and file followed an un-
popular path because the leaders seem,
ed to think 1t was necessary to op,
pose the policy OF the dominant Repub-
lican faction. Now there are. mutter.
ings Of regret from fairly influential
high privates who believe they were
led astray from the standpoint Of party
vantage. They believe mistake was
made in not coming out for the en-
tire tax commission scheme as cham.
pioned by Henry G. Davis and John H.
Holt, two minority members Of that
body. Such a tack would have un.
doubtedly put the ReDnbllcans on the
defensive. for the Republicans com
promised with a piecemeal scheme o!
taxation. The support expected by
the Democrats did not prove so po'
tential on the roundup, and the air ia
still rihn with chargIB of betrayal
against influential interests who are
alleged to have hooked up with the
Republicans at the eleventh hour aft.
er former show of hostility.
Hope for Legislative Row.
The coming session of the Legisla
ture may give the Democrats fresh
grounds on which to stand. All re-
sponsibility must rest on the Republic
cans with their overwhelming menl.
bership. The contests for organiza.
tion Of the Legislature may revive fac
tionalism in the majority party. al
though nothing serious Is anticipated
The fact is that Governor Dawson is
much better entrenched Than he was
two years ago. The elections of Hub,
bard and sturgiss testify to the radi.
cal spirit of which the Governor is q
devotee.
Corporate questions IN some form
will, however, cause some disturbance.
The Governor wants to organize the
State Senate again, and again will
have to fight for It. The people have
been keyed up TO expect a two-cent
passenger fare on the railroads, but
various observers 10 not expect Ia
see legislation go through the Senate
] Virtually every Republican county
has a candidate for Speaker of the
House of Delegates, situation likely
to provoke merry war. Candidates for
Sergeant.at.Arms Of the Senate are
already legion. There will be a great
rush for the Legislative Office plum>
as natural concomitant of the large
number of Republican legislators, ana
the Democrats hope to extract cam
paign thunder out Of the iucidenta
salary expense.