Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
ELECTIONS do ONE WAY
LARGE TOWNS IN WEST VIZ
aINIA ARE REPUBLICAN,.

ndcipal elections within the last ten days
are straws there - no doubt OF West Fir-
ginia's multiplicity OF republicanism. In
only one case 30 far has there been the OPP
portunity for a rooster exhibition the next
morning. That was In Charleston, where
the democrats captured control OF the city
council after being in the minority for SEW
eral years Fairmont. Grafton and Sisters
vile chose republican tickets, the elections
resulting practically without yestige OF
democratic success. Parkersburg Morgan
town and Ciarksburg are the only impor-
tant towns with contests yet to decide. In
CiarkSburg. where there IL a chance to
down the heretofore invincible republican
organization. the democrats are mixed up
in citizens reform fusions. as they were at
Fairmont and are at Morgantown. The re-
publicans have run straight tickets without
exception.
Local issues have predominated, of course,
but IL the democracy had the hope said to
be entertained in the party elsewhere It
would seem that a reflection of the same
hope would incline to straight party tickets.
But, as all the large towns OF West Virginia
have been republican for years, the demo
Gratis have probably thought 1t advisable to
capture the crumbs first through nonde-
script tickets and organisations and have
met with only Indifferent success at the
best The reversal at Charleston, however,
followed by the majority given Cornwell
for governor and the small margin the re-
publican legislative ticket got In the last
election, forms substantial reasons for be-
lieving that Kanawha county Is debatable
ground for the legislature this year.
An Important County.
The county elects FIVE members of the
lower house, being the largest county in the
uation. By the death of Senator Browning
fhnr xx-Ill h.,
chosen from that district, and as Browning
pulled through by only forty-seyen votes
the attention Senator Elkins Is giving to
that district Is well warranted by the stu
alton. change OF seven votes there ia a
serious proposition. The recent deal for
public utilities in Charleston, in which SEN
ator Elkins was heavily interested and by
which w. E. Chiffon looms up as a con-
trolling factor. has served to originate the
story that Chiffon will enter the lists to sue
coed E1kins If a democratic legislature even
tuates. Chiffon Is one OF the most popular
democrats in the southern end of the state
and former secretary of state. He has
been identified with the democratic faction
In that end which disputes the supremacy
OF Col John T. McGraw, and it is reason
ably certain that Chiffon would contest Nc
Graw's long cherished ambitions to senate
membership II the contest were worth WHILE
Chiffon and ex-Gov. MacCorkle have al
ways played politics together and there is
X,
they are classed with the Parker safes and
sanes, while McGraw has been strenuously
regular in and out of season. This endears
him to the rank and file. which Is Bryanite
to the core. McGraw. who Is the national
committeeman, Is for Bryan again. Re-
Gently McGraw's prestige in the northern
end OF the state has been threatened with
impairment by o. g. McKinney's criticisms
and should democratic control of the legis-
lature result McGraw would discover that
n q 1Sa fnry, or
secretary of state, and Mckinney would be
lined up with the Chiffon MacCorkle eIe-
ment. These five names are pretty nearly
the only conspicuous names in the state
democracy these days.
Gates Changed to Other Posts.
Successive defeats combined with the
shift to the republican party OF hosts of
former democratic inf1uentials In 1896, have
shattered and virtually disposed of all save
a semblanee of party organization. The
friction within the majority party occa-
stoned by the state tax issue, and to a
minor extent by the senatorship feature, and
a suspicion that there will be a good deal
of independent voting this year, are taken
as stimulators by the democrats. wherefore
they Will have to be reckoned with more
seriously than at any time since 1894.
Gov. Dawson announces that he will
shortly issue an address to the people on
the subject of railroad regulation. It is ex-
pected he will make clear his position as to
the federal phase. because he has befogged
his followers by unexpectedly indorsing the
Elkina amendments. He il expected to re-
iterate his plea for state railroad COM
mission and put It In a form suitable for q
slogan In November. Writing to q Nor
gantown friend. the governor says he re-
gfets the impossibility of state conven-
ton of the republicans this year to frame
up rate-regulation plank. but he suggests
q call for the state committee to which all
republicans would be welcome, at which
common agreement may be substituted for
state convention.
No Special Session.
There will not be q special session of the
legislature. After bordering over its posi-.
bilities for weeks Gov. Dawson abandons
the suggestion. He explains that the cost
would be exaggerated by the necessity OF
several special elections to fill vacancies
He mentione one In particular. caused by
Charles w. Swisher's election as secretary
Of state. Others he had In mind were
caused by Senator Darst being appointed as
sistant tax commissioner, Delegate Scott
OF Brooke preferring q state board member
ship, and three or four deaths. It is known
that the governor was not impressed favor
ably by the feelers he extended to other
legislators regarding additional railroad
legislation. and he says as much, putting
the blame on democrats and republican I'm
surgents.
Presenting that the governors address
will be delivered to his party and not the
people at large. It Is likely 1t will be fol-
lowed by meeting of the republican state
committee to frame a definite position on
railroad regulation. This committee met at
Fairmont at the end of the year and dele
gated the work of the campaign to two OF
its members. But at that time It was de-
cided to wage the campaign for the legisla-
ture on the new tax laws. Railroad regu-
lation was not suggested or even thought Of
The Dawson Tiilman letter and somewhat
related chapters injected the new issue with
a bound and showed tax reform buck to the
three-Quarter pole.