The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-09-19
3yo

issk "iAlS1 stks pNs uSSAt Rutl HOk III
/ tattessy Some%aaya there
was dissenston among some Of the
tlieutenants. notably between ELI M;
West and Charles Gerrish. evidences
ALSO began to show themselves that
Ethes copiotis use Of cash on the part
Of the Bond managers was having
1ts Sefect. The most Influential col
ored 'newspa Per deserted the cause OF,
Axline, and came out for Bond, at
1.-the same time Iflefcely denouncing
tsome Of the colored leaders with
lswhom 1t had been on friendly terms:
tup until that time. The white organ
ization also began to crack. One of
the most severe blows was the dis
coyery that Warden Orrin B. Gould,
of. the Ohio Penitentiary$ had re-,
solved not to swing the politicalin-
huence OF that institution to the For
aker candidate, but had made the.
announcement that the guards and
other attaches could do as they
pleased. In state politics Warden
Gould Is identified with Senator Dick
and Secretary Malloy. Another in
dfcatton Of weakness was the going
over'of former Public Printer Mark
slater, now a resident of this city, to
fhe -npposition. On primary day he
was found opposing at the polls; John
;Wheatly, Senator Foraker's clerk at
washington, and Dr. ,Towne, an ar
dent local supporter. When the polls
opened 1t was quickly discovered that
the colored battalion was honey
combed with treachery. They had
not struggled OF, but had gone en-,
bloc Nearly $4,000 votes were cast,
and of, these General Axline =, got
about 1900, or about dne-third of
the total colored strength. But as a
matter Of fact It Is doubtful If he got
over 500 colored votes. State Central
committeeman Karshner does not
put the figures that high. Analysis
OF the, returns and interviews with
the orkers supports Karshner's pos
Htton .sshass been found that the
Bond forces when not able to land
voter for their candidate used every
endeavor to get%his vote for Axiine,
the object being to weaken McCune.
When the church and soldier NQte is
considered this maximum Of less
than 500 & really appears large. In
other words there was a complete
ahand onment Of Senator Foraker's
candidate by the men whose duty, If
their professions were sincere, was
to stand by him to the last man. :.
/ 3, These are the words OF theS Sena-s
tors closest friends here, rand not the,
teonlmeait Iof the VI fsef Tli is fsSS
count the statement is+ made that
the 'muchly-vaunted claim that the
fcolored voters will defeat Taft If he
Is nominated, Or that they will pre-
vent delegates being chosen for him
does not seem of much value. TAX
ing percentages into account, theme
gro vote Is not stronger anywhere
| in the state than. In this city. Mo-
where has the anti-Roosevelt senti-
ment been more Systematically work
ed than here, and nowhere was there
better opportunity offered for the
exercise Of known power than at the
primary just ended. In the crucial
hour the colored voter failed his
friends, and that is about all that can
be said. Dependence upon his future
action will therefore apparently have
an insecure foundation. That the
Taft managers are gratified with the
result need scarcely be stated. They
were really solicitous over the test,
put their fears have gone now and
| forever. One Of the additional COM
ments made by the independent jour
nal which said that the colored vote
was a purchasable commodity was
that the primary election had shown
that the Foraer organization here
was thing Of the past. This is also
accepted as true.- Within the past
"a hours. one of the men who had
charge of Axline's campaign openly
| stated that If the Senator wishes to
make any headway In this city and
congressional district that he must
make a new organization, sending to
| the rear and entirely out of the camp
those who had been representing
him In the past Their absolute in
competence was shown, in one pre-
c1nct Of colored ward where Axline
got only four votes where there we're
! more paid workers in his behalf on
! the ground. In several precincts, of
the city Axline did not receive q sin
gle vote. AS the situation stands,
the leaders of the Republican organ
ization which was victorious at the
primary election have full control Of
all the, machinery. They dominate
all the offices which are held by Re-
publicans and every candidate on the
ticket Is under obligations to them.
They are for Taft, and in point OF
fact have already selected the dele
gates to the national convention
from this district. The main sub
| ject for reflection Is this. "Will the