Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11
EXTENT OF VICTORY
REPUBLICANS OF WEST vIR-
GINA RETAIN CONTROL.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


WHEELING, w. Va. November 1O-1bs
republicans of West Virginia will control
the legislature by fifty-six on Joint ballot.
or exactly their strength In the 1904 cleo
ton recount in Mingo, after the 100.
election, gave them one member more and
d contest In Barbour, or some other close
erection, may do the same. When c. w
oWisher the secretary of state made his
prediction week before the election. no
said the republican majority on Joint bal
lot would .2t ba less than forty four. Early
1nsr winter he predicted exactly what hap
Dened Had no abided by his winter claim
his estimate would nave hAAn marvellous.
Inc prominence occasioned by the
Swlsher prophecy is due to the fact that
no other West Virslnian yentured an esti-
mate In detailed figures on the legislature
ano the complete congressional ticket, All
otueis contented themselves with general-
lZing about one district in pArtituia r: and
usually fortifying themselves with qaa;ifi-
callOns as to what General Apathy might
Or might not'tdo. Sages surprised by the
staggering republican totals are now re-
calling that Swisher has had for years the
habit Of calling the turn.
l-Ihe secretary OF state claimed III his
prognosticat.on fifty-six republican mem
pefs OF the house with twelve in doubt
most OF the doubtful ones to be republican
Sixty republicans were elected. In his de-
laiicu guess by counties he misplaced oniy
TWO, barbour and Pocahontas, and the re-
suit was very close in each. He claimed
republican representation of :wenty-fou-
In the senate, including the holdoyers as
against six Tor the democrats and was
just two short for his own party, or a
balance for the two he missed on the
House
Republican Majority.
Based on the vote for Congress West
Virginia went republican by over 2o.Ooo,
N xrffa.
piled up 5000 more, either by far the larg
est ever recorded for the republicans or
democrats in the state In an off year. con-
sidering that the republicans elected all
congressman and carried the legislature by
exactly the same majority on joint ballot
in 1904. democrats fail back upon the con-
ISOLATION that they neld their own. In view
of the apparent Indifference of the voters
they had figured on doing much better
They expected to greatly increase their
representation in the legislature, and they
ha.. fam: hopes OF electing Judge Dent TO
Congress to succeed Col. L. b. Davis, who
slipped in a; special election last year.
democrats are not inclined to concede
that the new tax laws counted. The demo-
cratic slump In agricultural counties and
the failure OF the republican vote to slump
In the towns and the cities would inolcate
passive satisfaction with the much de-
bated change in the taxing system The
democrats believe that the republican pros
perity cry was potent. with the relative
alarm bell about panic to follow demo-
cratic success. Their lack of organization,
contrasted with the efficient republican
machinery, was to their serious d.sadvan-
tage IN the comparatively light total vote
polled.
Now that it is all over there are repub-
lfcans who fear their majority in the .egis-
iature may prove unwieldly and disturb
Ing to party harmony, was the case two
years ago, when, excep. for the caucus
tina. unanimously nominated Senator Scott,
efforts to get them in caucus that would
be binding were fruitless. They would &C.
ca sionally agree to assemble together. If
the gathering was 20 be conference. but
they baked on a caucus. incidentally they
split into two factions in the senate, one
Joining with the small democratic minority.
In the house nearly every member Of the
big republican majority wanted to be the
floor leader
Two-Cent Fare on Railroads.
One of the new issues sprung during the
preliminary conventions of both parties was
a two-cent passenger fare the railroads,
and almost uniformly 1t met with favor.
The first bill along that line was intro
duced in the last legislature by DIR. T. F.
Lanham of Taylor county. He was re-
nominated on the strength of 1t. He really
spurred the movement on, and in a sense
originated 1t. The movement was popular
everywhere.
And yet the voters of Taylor county fur
nished one of the distinct surprises by
overturnins the republican majorities that
county formerly gave. defeating DR.. Ian
ham decisive.y. The victor. DIR. Mackin, ac-
copied the democratic nomination after .
weeks of protest. He made no personal
efforts until u week or so before the cleo
ton.
Another republican who went down the
line for reelection to the house was DIR.
Price, in Pocahontas county, and brother
OF Andrew Price. the county's democratic
leader. DIR. Prico was swept in two years r.
ago. and soon attracted attention by trying
to pass a state dispensary bill modelled
after the South Carolina law. The Anti
Saloon League may have encompassed his
defeat.
The close vote by which the republican
candidate for the house of delegates was
beaten in democratic Hampshire is at
tributed to the overconfidence of the demo-
Gratis, who waived conventions or primaries
to pick their ticket but relied on a free
for-ail race to bring ont the vote Three
democrats and republican ran for the
legislature, and the republican gave them
such scare that the novelty won't be r.
peateA