The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-01-15

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Below Is given the sunda letter
of John Wallace ~ "a Pitt burg DIS.
patch It very clever zihg up q
1.-THE situation u
In the last egislature the Republi
leans had a majority q So On pint bal
lot, the greatest for any party in the
history Of West Virginia Secretary
Of state Charles W swisheF, the
Twice Chairman and the acting chair.
man Of the Republican State Com
mittee, asserts that the Republicans
will elect a still larger majority this
fall.
Mr.. swisher may not be alone in
this belief, but at this time his com.
\ pany Is not large. Republicans gener.
ally believe they will control the Leg,
islature safely. but they do not look
for another record majority. They
credit the former big margin to Roose.
welt, and they realize furthermore
that this is an of year. The extent
that party dlsaffection will figure is
another factor to be reckoned with,
although It may be overcome by the
weakness of the Democratic organfza,
ton.
Well Fortified In Legislature.
The Republicans have 10 Of the Is
holdover members of the State Sen.
ate, SO that they would need to elect
only three new Senators to control
that body. OF the SO members Of the
House Of Delegates only vivid i'm
aginatlon could forecast a preponder.
ance Of Democrats. The Democrats
are not altogether bereft of hope.
however, of cutting a better figure
,Lthls year than they did two years ago,
but they concede the necessity of re,
Iliance upon Republican help, either
in the form of quiet support or Of in
difference.
Republican insurgency seems to
have subsidized in the quarters where
it was wont to rear its head defiant,
ly, but occasionally breaks out in
new places. Thelatest spot is Charles,
ton, the State capital, with the State
printing contract the bone of conten.
ion. Moses W. Donnally, who has
been State Printer Tor years and who
controls the only two Republican pa,
pers published there, has opened the
walls Of his wrath and is pouring their
contents with liberal hand upon the
State administration. Only by devil
Gus routes can the State House men
submit a reiolnder to him, and the
merry war is exciting a certain atten.
ton in the way of mild entertainment,
for Mr. Donnally's conversion to the
Republican party is SO comparatively
recent that he is not considered a
power. He enjoys the distinction OF
having been State Printer for both
sides Of the house.
Commissioners Reply to oonnaIIy.
AS every little morsel is snatched,
and as every little log Keeps the fire
from dying down. the Donnally fer.
yor may grow until 1t rips something
open that will be considered a real
issue. He is bandying threats around
| in a reckless sort of way, and the con,
troyersy SO far has not developed
much more than a personal dispute.
State Auditor scherr,. State Treas.
urer ogdin and State School superin,
tendent Miller, with Secretary Of
State swisher, the ex-oficio superin'
tendent of Public Printing, constitute
the State Printing Commission. They
have made exhaustive replies to Don
nally's charges that there was film
aammlng or graft in the letting of the
contract last week, and as the case
stands Donnally will have to go far
Their If he wants to hold. his audience
Democrats Want an Issue.
Lacking a definite issue, the Demo
Gratis may enumerate the various out
groupings OF friction in the big Re
publican family as an argument for
their elevation to power, The white
mans party slogan, which they thought
Of using does not loom up fayorably,
and it was virtually laid on the shelf
after the news was received from
Maryland last November, They don't
know what to do about the taxation
1uastton m which they had the I'm.