The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-07-04

not, exactly q political center, that
Is. 1t does not contain many polite
ians, yet it Is point where poll
ticians find 1t convenient to meet.
Right here many political jobs have
been Matched and many ,politi-
cal schemes matured, some of
which succeed while most of them
fail. In this day and generations it
Is pretty hard to make political
Job go through q campaign unless
the people favor, 1t or are deceived
into thinking it Is what they want.
And 1T takes very, very, clever politi-
clans to fool the people of great
state Tor a whole campaign. Keyser
Is place reached by several line
Of road. There are two routes east
and west and both panhandles OF the
! state center rhee. The large por-
ton of the state is south of here,
but the most successful politicians
era In the north. That the way It
looks to one who does not, know all
the ms and outs and must judge
from general appearances.
West. Virginia Is already engaged
In the next presidential campaign.
| Both" parties are turning things over
and trying to decide what they will
do. First and foremost, this Is a
Roosevelt state on, presidential Is
sues. The people want him and, re-
CARELESS OF third term, they would
vote for him in convention and in
the election If he should be q candi-
date. With Roosevelt out, which
| the people here really admit, their
second choice is Taft. A month ago
Taft would probably have had the
delegation, but a year from now he
may not be able to get it. This is
protection state. The people have
prospered under protection; it's great
| growth during the past 20 years has
| been on account of the Influx OF peo-
pie from Pennsylvania and Ohio who
| were protectfonists and who have be-
come more SO In state which reaps
so. many benefits from protection
The publication of Taft's speeches
and remarks in favor of tarif revis-
ion has ~rather unsettled the ideas
of men who were ready to support
him.
And they naturally turn toward
Senator Knox, the candidate of
Pennsylvania. Amy man who is good
enough for the protectionists Of
Pennsylvania, which Is the. very GEN.
ter Of. high protectionists is good
enough of West Virginia 1t might
not be at all surprising to see Knox
get away with the delegation from
this state 49, - -. -, p. ~
{: West Virginia democrats have al
ways been German democrats. They
would have liked to have had Cor
man nominated for the presidency
It Is possible that this German senti-
ment was made in large measure
to the fact that two of the wealthiest
and most influential democrats OF
the state are cousins of the late
Senator. German and naturally were
for the Maryland statesman. I re-
| fer to Henry G. Davis, candidate for
vice-president on the democratic
| ticket / n1904, and Uncle Tom
Davis, who Is the only man the dem
ocrats have sent to congress from
this state In a dozen year. But a
majority Of the democrats Of this
| state, and especially those who man
| ipulate the politics Of their party,
are for some man OF the German
type rather than for Bryan or a man
of his type. In fact / think that
such sentiment as exists for Bryan
Is more personal than because of his
political view.
| The democratic boss Of West Vfr-
ginia and the man who has always
! had behind him the Davis influence
IS John t. McGraw. He will have
very much to say as to how the West
Virginia delegation shall vote In the
next convention and If there Is any
chance to nominate any other man
West Virginia will not be for Bryan.
If there is fight West Virginia will
be found in the column OF opposition
to Bryan. Henry &. Davis has al
ready expressed the opinion that
Judge George Gray ought to be no.
minated. -
l take that as pretty good indi-
cation as to what West Virginia will
do. 1t should be remem bered that
Tom Davis was elected to congress
because OF the sentiment which the
state has for the Davis family and
perhaps because the Davis money cir,
culates to some extent when any Of
the family are up for office. "Uncle
Tom ran once and this congress
sional district elected him, but he
could not be forced to accept an
other nomination, although the DEM
ocrats wanted him.
Another evidence Of activity in
politics In this state is that although
successor to Nathan Bay Scott will
not be chosen until three years