Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
WEST VIRGINIA SITUATION
Parties Waging Strenuous Campaign
for Supremacy in State.
CHANCES FAVOR REPUBLICANS
Taft Booked for Good Majority-Re-
publican Candidate for Gov
ernor Not So Certain.
special Correspondence of The Star.

| Special Correspondence of The Star
WHEELING, W. Va. October 10. 1908
In every one OF the LOO election pre-
cincts in West Virginia today the regis
trars are sitting Tor the purpose of com
pleting their list of the qualified voters in
accordance with a new law. Previously
the registrars made canvasses o. their
territory Today they sit in Il designated
place that they may be interrogated by
citizens. and today's proceedings will be
in effect the only personal registration.
About October % the various county
courts will sit to hear petitions for adding
or erasng names from the registrars
lists. After that date no man may be
put on or struck off, and only those on
The books will be permitted to vote
| The new law is vague and ambiguous
and has caused no end of concern among
the people The registrars We're allowed
! Il fee of 10 cents name for every regis
IA man of opposite politics. Only in the
case of a naturalized voter does the law
call for strict scrutiny.
| The new law supplants a registration
law tried two years ago which was a
| farce. 1t made the assessor the registra.
ton officer. and there was no inducemeut
that made him DESTROYS of being careful
and the result was unsatisfactory. The
law also permitted registration by affl-
davit on election day. thereby offering a
wide field for laXity
| Following the repeal of the registration
| law some years after the civil war which
initiated against those in the Confederate
service there was an absence of popular
sentiment for registration of voters until
in recent years when stories of repeating
| in counties lately developed by the min
! ing industry created an agitation for re-
form. Just as the law initiated two years
4 hot fnt lnr n,,1
relegated to the rear 1t is certain the law
now operating will be amended and I'm
proved by the Legislature. There wi!isbe
a movement for personal registration and
! perhaps property Qualification sor the sub
mission of a paid tax receipt.
In Hands Of County Court.
| The registration machinery is in the
hands OF the county courts. hence the offi
GERS a-e republican or democratic. ac.
| cording TO the political complexion Of the
| county bodies. Naturally it would be ex-
pected that partisan advantage would be
taken where possible. but it appears that
the registrars have gone about their work
with the intention to do fair by their neigh
bors. while the plan of payment stimulated
| them to let no voter escape. The fact
however that the majority of voters
have been unable to learn whether they
| nave DeeH lISteu OF not, anO Will nor know
| until they see the books today or later il
the courthouse has tended to excite then
with the fear of being sidestepped. The
democrats have endeavored to make po
litical capital out of this anxiety.
| Registration seems to be heavy SO fal
| as learned. but the indications are for q
| reduction of the aggregate vote of the
! state because OF frequent discoveries o.
| men who voted heretofore who had no.
been naturalized. Some had voted or
| their first papers. Others had been voting
for years on good faith.
Taft Victory Predicted.
The signs continue to point to Tai
victory in West Virginia. The election Of
republican governor is still matter OF
| some doubt, although daily doings incline
to an improvement Of Glasscock's chances
He is making an Industrious campaign
and republicans of high degree of botf
factions keep recording tributes to hi.
character and capacity. These testimo
malls are to be collected and circulated il
pamphlet form for distribution, for Glass
cock does not enjoy very wide state &C
| quaintance, and the eulogies from those
| as a certificate especially to allay the
| feeling among disgruntled element tina
Glasscock is merely Senator Elkins' man
The democratic attack is to be on tina
|
ney has represented some Of Senator Ell
| kins' large business interests and thai
Elkins successfully backed him for inter
| nal revenue collector four years ago i:
made much of. The Lincoln party.
! state executive committee with its expir
| ing breath at Parkersburg few day:
ago considered. included In a set of reso
lutions paragraph insinuating taa
| Glasscock had been personally selected
| in advance by Elkins as compromise
| candidate hpr
muddle. but cooler counsel prevailed anc
the paragraph was eliminated. The reso
| lutiOns declare that the withdrawal Of
| Swisher was a victory for the Liricolr
cause and omit an Endorsement of Glass
cock, but many Of the Lincoln leader:
| and probably a large majority of theil
followers will support him.
Bennett at Standstill.
Bennett. the democratic candidate FOL
governor. is not growing. The charge
that he is backed by the liquor interests
made by Supt Theodore Alvord. state
president of the Anti-Saloon League, who
favors Glasscock. is hurting Bennett
Another asserted vulnerable point is Ben.
nett's attack on the new tax laws Ir
this connection republican orators are
showing up the large land holdings OF
Bennett. with a view to proving he has q
selfish interest in assaiiing these laws.
Democrats generally admit the mistake
| of not putting up Maj. Thomas r.
| Hodges of Morgantown. who was defeat
ed by Bennett Bennett Is by compari
| son weak brother. Nevertheless he viii
| get many republican votes on the anti
machine cry rather than because of any
| personal appeal argument he couic
| make himself.
Republican majorities will be reduced
| as a whole In all the counties with the
possible exception of the black-belt coun
ties in the southern part Of the state
| where the negroes are aroused over the
| danger of Acknowledgement contingent or
the election of a democratic Legislature
| As to congressional candidates, the re-
publicans are reasonably certain to cleo
| four of the Ave-. Harry woodward befns
In danger in the fourth. as he has
hustling opponent in w. A. Parsons. Ir
the first district Hubbard has a cinch.