Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01
TO PROVIDE PARTY EMBLEM
INSPIRED BY STEPHEN GIRARDS COLLEGE FOR BOYS TOT
A PHIL ANTF4ROPST PROVIDES SIMILARLY FOR GIRLS VI"
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
TO HOLD SPECIAL SESSION.
Consideration to Be Given Also to
County Fee System-Politi-
cal Gossip.

| Special Correspondence OF Inc star.
WHEELING, w. Va.
November 30. 1907.
Because there was no provision made for
party emblem to head the new election
law ballots and because OF the belief that
there were other things necessary TO be
done. Gov. Dawson has called the West
! Virginia Legislature in special session. be-
ginning with January Il. He has out
lined the measures for consideration UNI
officially, but will be more specific in his
formal call But. despite the general out
line. some people seem to think the gov
ernor has something up his sleeve which
doth not appear yet in the surface.
The new law introduced the cross and
circle feature. but left nothing more than
| the party caption to head the ballots.
! Under the old system there was nothing
but the printed caption to dinerentAte
the tickets. The scratcher was forced to
write in the name he preferred to the
candidate his own party ticket, and
he seemed to be learning the game pretty
well, as evidenced by the extent OF the
scratching on the governorship three years
ago. when there was a difference of over
10000 votes between Roosevelt and
| Dawson
A Teddy bear may be adopted as the
republican emblem, If the Roosevelt re-
publicans in the Legislature have their
say. Other republicans incline to the more
or less traditional coon. The democrats
are due to adhere to the rooster. No
| interest in the subject is evinced by the
prohibitioniStS or socialists.
Benefit of Iliiterate Voters.
1t is argued for the party emblem's
necessity that thousands Of illiterate
voters will be at sea with new form Of
ballot in their hands for the first time
unless it is topped by distinguishing
characteristic. On the other hand, those
who hold that the suffrage should be
exercised by only those intelligent enough
TO comprehend 1t argue that the voter
should be without any aids save what 10
set forth in printed type. But the party
emblem advocates are due to have their
way notwithstanding some sarcastic
democratic filings to the effect that the
negro vote would be lost to the dominant
party without an emblem guide-an argu-
ment however, which Is discounted by
the fact that the black brother managed
to vote pretty well without one in the
past.
Strengthening out kinks in the new tau
system, exposed by the supreme courts
late decision relative to the restriction
| of county court .evies for road purposes.
will occupy large share of the sessions
| attention. But the battle royal will be
over the governors recommendation for
the abolition Of fees for county officers.
The ubiquitous lee SYSTEM" as the
straight salary advocates love to term
it. has been a bone of contention for
years. All state officers were shifted
from fees to salaries four or five years
ago, and it is not a matter of record that
| Gov. Dawson cordially viewed the Mont
gomery bill. which eliminated juicy fees
from the secretary of states office.
The sheriffs and clerks OF circuit and
county courts maintained a large and pow
erful lobby in previous sessions, but will
| hardy renew the expense again. Many Of
them fear to embarrass their candidates.
for reelection by risking the unpopularity
of fighting the bill. The sheriffs. for
sheriff cannot under the law succeed
| himself in Office. Under the prevailing
system some county officers in West Vir-
ginia have made $4,000 a year, but these
ponds on the population Of the county
and the amount of special business. Dur
Ing the boom in coal land transfers county
clerks Jared very handsomely.
Fear Of High Taxes. =
Unless the taxing limits Of county
courts are clamped down. the admins.
tration fears an era Of high taxes in
i90S, which would be altogether an en-
barrassing situation for the republican
party to meet with on a low-tax plat
| form. The loophole which furnishes this
possibility and which was revealed by
| the supreme court is charged to the
| u.
tax commissioner. 1t is said he failed to
| include 1t in an enacting clause. It was
| in the bill that passed the 1905 session.
Mr.. Dillon, by the way, is still target
candidate for governor. being wanted BY
| c. E. Haddox. George A. Laughlin and
many others identified prominently in the
intimate Dawson circle. There are rea-
sons for counting ex.Gov. White as a
Dillon boomer, although the ex-governor
tributes to the development OF Charles
w. Swisher's stature since he became
secretary of state are quoted profusely
| by Swisher's friends. Dillon's announce.
ment is expected aocE.
| The legislative session will prove q
| clearing house for the exchange of conf
dences and fears on the composition Of
| State Swisher and Auditor Scherr will be
on the ground to promote their candi-
dacies. and all the other candidates will
spend a few days in Charleston.
| A number Of candidates are already
members of the legislature. Speaker Jas.
A. Seaman and Robert Stallngs Of the
house want to be attorney general on the
republican ticket. c. NJ. Wetzel. the
good gube-natorial timber by many of his
party men but it looks like Senator Adam
b. Littlepage will have the call on that
proposition.
Election to Fill Vacancy.
A special election will be held January
II to fill the vacancy in the thirteenth
senatorial district. occasioned by the
death Of the late Senator Talbot OF Up
shur county Besides that county the
district includes Barbour. Randolph and
Pendleton, and it might be considered
reasonably close in an off year.
Stanley Hodges of Pendleton is re.
garded as a logical successor because OF
the close fight he put up last year against
Senator Fred Blue of Barbour, the hold
over, incumbent. No nomination contest
is looked for, since the office means only
service at the special session. and the
election will be without interest or Sig
nificance.
Senator Robert Hazlett of Wheeling 10
being mentioned as likely to contest Rep
resentative Hubbard's denomination.
There is nothing to indicate 1t Will go
further Hazlett has congressional ann
billions, but he may appreciate the senti-
ment for a second term. And the SIN"
cerlty of his boomers in Marion and Har-
rison counties is questioned. as 1t is I'M
derstood they are the men who threw
Capt. Dovener down for Hubbard little
over year ago.
Children of the Army.