Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08
ABANDON OLD ISSUE
DEMOCRATS NO LONGER WHITE
MANS. PARTY.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
WHEELING. w. Va, July West vir-
| sinia democrats have put behind them 1.-The
white mans party platform and they will
go into the campaign this year completely
| obliyious TO what was classed as their
| prospective stellar issue. The brethren IN
kanawha county. whence originated the
agitation two years ago. omitted that bat
| tie cry from their platform adopted last
| week by reaffirming the last state conven-
| tion's refusal to incorporate a negro dis
reimbursement plank. To make it strong
that no disfranchisement would follow DEM
| ocratic supremacy the resolutions recall
that during the party's quarter of CEN
| fury control of the state no efforts were
| made to prescribe any citizen, class or
race.
| 1t is believed that the defeat of the Poe
amendment in Maryland last year is
| sponsible for this change of plans. ETad
| Maryland voted otherwise 1t Is probable
| the issue would have been considered popu-
lar for the campaign this year in West Vir-
| GINA. But the Kanawha convention was
| controlled by the MacCorkle-Chilton fac
| ton. and this faction found the colored
| brother of use in the recent Charleston city
| election. and 1t may have reasons for look
| ing to him for help In November. Further
| more the same dominating cement has. at
| best only a lukewarm regard for George
! Byrne, the most outspoken champion OF
| negro ACKNOWLEDGMENT. whose talents
! were pressed into service during the Mary
| land campaign.
| Byrne wants to run for Congress in the
| third district but he has been persona non
| grata with the Chiltons. They Endorsed
| his candidacy and Instructed the Kanawha
| delegation for him, but not until the plank
| declaring against disfranchisement was in
serted. Byrne and his brother, VIII Byrne,
| have trained with the faction headed by
Col. John T. McGraw, hence the GOODNESS
from the Chiffon camp, exhibited sfgnih-
| cantly In the resolution, which takes away
| from the congressional candidate his stock
| In trade.
Now a Closed Incident.
| The Fayette county democrats, in the
| same district. had already passed resolu-
! lions approving the anti-negro plank, but
| as Byrne has accepted the Kanawha die
| tum, the race question is now closed in
| cident. The negro vote is very large in
Kanawha and Fayette, and charges Of col
| onization and repeating had made a GER
| tain number of republicans take kindly to
! the race issue. But a state issue 1t
| would have fallen fiat owing the small
| total percentage of the colored vote.
The republican state committee Is again
without chairman. George Wise of Wheel
Ing has refused the unanimous tender TO
| take the place vacated by District Attorney
| Elliott Northcott, who complied with Presi-
dent Rooseyelt's request to separate him.
| self from the job. Although Northcott was
| the actual CHAIRMAN, secretary Sldle
Swisher had been filling the place for
| year under a rule which permitted him to
be named first as member and next as
vice chairman, an office created for ms
Benefit. SwiSher severed his official con-
nection when Northcott resigned and Wise
was named. Owing to i'll health, Wise can
not serve and Representative Henry C.
woodward of the fourth district is being
suggested and may be named
Was Non-Combatant-
While woodward was counted on the
Dawson side in the governorship contest
which split the party into two factions, he
was never strenuous and he managed to re-
tain the good will Of both parties by his
course as a non-combatant. He is Senator
Elkins' most enthusiastic supporter among
the congressional delegation and his selec-
ton from every standpoint would be timely
and POPULAR AS no other names have been
suggested. it looks like 1t will be Chairman
woodward when the committee gets to-
gether.
No democratic congressional convention
has been dated yet, but Chairman Tusca
Morris has called the first district commit
/ tee of that party to meet in few days to
select the time and place. The opinion pre-
walls that o. s. Mckinney of Fairmont will
be given the nomination again in this dis
trict II he will take it, John w. Davis Of
Clarksburg and John A. Howard Of Wheel
ing have positively declined on pleas of
pressing business connections. Friends or
Hubert T. Houston of Clarksburg will press
his claims for consideration, but Mr.. Hous-
ton is not so well known He Is a lawyer
and native of Monroe county. in the
southern part of the state, and is a great
grandson of Gen. Sam Houston. Mr.. Hous-
ton is a man OF scholarly attachments and
his wife Is sister of Ellen Glasgow. the
novelist. His boomers promise thorough
stumping Of the district II he Is picked for
the JOB Of coping with w. P. Hubbard, the
republican nominee.
Another Test Of Factions.
Preston county Is to be the battle-ground
of another test of the Dawson and anti
Dawson forces. Leroy Shaw. a former sher-
IN has thrown down the gage to the county
machine, which Is pro-Dawson, by announ-
ciny his candidacy 70. the legislature. This
Is Gov. Dawson's old county and he has re-
Gently been recreating among his old
haunts although some of his political foes
have been cruel enough to assert that he
devoted portion of his time to pulling the
wires for Sturgis congressional delegation
and Dawson ticket for the legislature.
Senator Sam Montgomery Is aiding Shaw
ma terialy. Montgomery, who wants to see
Preston's congressional delegates captured
by Keim, strengthened his political prestige
by getting through the legislature bill af-
fecting the fees OF the secretary of states
Office measure particularly distasteful to
Governor Dawson and his successor,
Charley Swisher. Montgomery was enabled
TO 40 TINS Dy the CoIIiDiiiSu StEeHSln OIL tne
republican insurgents and the democratic
members.
The odds appear to be against the Shaw
Montgomery forces, but there may be a
popular sentiment behind them in Preston
which is stronger than Is realized else
where. Leading the Dawson-Sturgis organ
ization Is County Chairman James w
Flynn. who was beaten by Montgo emery for
the state senate in the convention, although
he first defeated Montgomery in their own
county. and who manifested his contempt
for Shaw several months ago by pulling his
whiskers public street.
Shaw is a veteran of the civil war, and
the old soldier vote is the strongest in the
state In Preston county, which may be of
considerable help to him.