Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20
NEW ELEMENTS ENTER
TEMPERANCE AID LABOR IN
WEST VIRGINIA PoLITIcs
speei.l pi.psteh to m. s..r.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
WHEELING, W. Va. May 19.-Two ele-
ments that will be more active than ever
In West Virginia politics this year and
which will cut figure to an appreciate
degree are the labor organizations and the
Anti-Saloon League. For years there has
been a prohibition ticket in most OF the
counties, but its support has been without
animation until the Anti-Saloon League
movement crossed the river from Ohio. In
the campaign In certain counties this fall
1t promises to force the candidates on the
two odd party tickets to sit up and take
notice Theodore Alvord has launched the
West Virginia Citizen as the state organ OF
the temperance people. and Is flooding the
state with literature. The success in Clos
ing up the saloons on Sunday in Wheeling,
as well as relative success elsewhere, has
given the movers encouragement.
The West Virginia Federation of Labor,
In its Wheeling convention few days ago,
passed resolutions giving permission to
delegates to enter politics and to have
committees in each county for the purpose
of investigating the claims of all political
candidates. Such activity as will be dis
played In line with this program will CEN
ter on the candidates for the legislature.
The labor people have not heretofore de-
veloped great show of separate strength,
and they have not definitely disclosed what
nate the situation In the southern mining
counties their most distinct showing will
probably materialiZe.
Lone Democratic Candidate.
Thomas r. Horner Of Lewis county is
receiving mention as the prospective demo-
cratic candidate for the House of Repre-
sentatives in the first district. AS the dis
trict gave Dovener about $500 plurality two
years ago no contest for the minority nomi-
nation Is in sight consequently Horner may
be the man. The fight against him in his
party's convention. if fight there be, will
be because of his extreme radicalisrn The
safes and sanes term Horner a demagogue
As evidence of the sleep that aibideth with
the democracy in the rest of the first DIS
trict, Frank Caldwell had trying expert
ence this week. Caldwell expects to contest
with John Waterhouse for the democratic
nomination for the state senate from the
Wheeling district, and he started out to
find the senatorial committee. After some
search he located John B. Wilson, the
secretary of the last convention, but Wilson
could not recall the name of the chairman
In time this parsonage was discovered to
be James L. Sawtel, who, upon being duly
apprised of the fact. said he would issue
the formal call for the meeting of the COM
mittee and the call for the convention as
soon as the candidates got ready.
Hubbard Dovener Contest.
4ic CcHtcsl lol Tic
congressional nomination is getting livelier,
with Hubbard forcing the fighting The
congressional committee set an early date
for the convention and Hubbard agreed to
it. He Immediately began to set up his
fences In the limited time allowed The
Doyener people wanted Ohio county's pri-
mary to be considered the decisive test
and to have the other counties govern
themselves, but since the Ohio county plan
was not to their liking they began to talk
of having the convention date postponed
In the meantime the Marshall county re-
publicans called their primary for three
days prior to the Ohio county affair, and
the convention date change talk died a
bornn'.
The Marion county date has been set for
four days after Ohio county's battle the
Dovener people being successful in getting
a later date on their argument that their
candidate needed more time Hubbard Is
surprising the talent by the way he is dip
ping into the canvass. He has been going
hard In Marion, Lewis, Harrison and Wetzel
counties, an dhis friends profess to be high
ly encouraged by the potentiality of his
canvass.
The politicians with an eye to the field Of
state issues are awaiting the report of Gov.
Dawson and his cabinet on the valuation of
the railroad properties, which are due for
assessment this year for the first time ac-
cordfng to the true and actual value stand
ard Besides the railroads, the pipe lines
telephone telegraph and express COM
pennies are also due to come In for the same
rating