The Washington times., 1908-09-11
Large Crowd Assured to
Hear Opening of East
ern Campaign.
TAFT HAS STRENGTH
IN WEST VIRGINIA
National Ticket Hurt But Little
by the Swisher-Scherr
Quarrel.
By JOHN SNURE.

WHEELING, W. Va, Sept. u.-Wn-
liam J. Bryan admirers in West Vir-
ginia are IN high feather today. He IS
due to speak IN Wheeling this afternoon
and a vast crowd is assured him, Ow-
ing both TO the fact that many Of his
Iellow-Democrats are anxious 10 hear
him. and TO the State fair now being
held here. MT Bryan has set out 10 in
wade the East, and this will be his
opening gun IN the enemys country.
Coineldent with his advent into West
Virginia, the Democrats Of this State.
at least the more enthusiastic Of them,
are seeing visions of carrying the State
against Taft ana for the Bryan Presi-
dc-sial ticket.
On the surface OF things. there would
seem 10 be some warrant foC the belief
that West Virginia is good fighting
ground, and entitled to classification in
the doubtful column. Republican fac
tionalisTn. long bitter, is waxing more
intesse. The iong-standing quarrel be-
tween the SWisher and Scherr factions
IS Tar from healed and the Intervention
CT the rational Republican committee
has not proven effective as a IssIOra-
tive OF harmony.
Taft Not Hurt.
cations are strong that 1udge Taft viii
not suffer seriously from the Repub-
lcan factional split He wisely declined
when at Hot Springs. though repeatedly
;mportuned, 70 become involved in the
swisher-Scherr quarrel. The Swisher
ticket has been declared official and
regular by National Chairman Hitch
cock, on the strength of advice given
him by committee consisting Of viii
liam L. Ward, OF New York; T. c. Du-
pOnt, OF Delaware, and Charles +.
Broker Of Connecticut. This, Of
course. is resented by the scherr ad-
herents. but. while it may cost Taft
some votes. it is the judgment of con-
servative men on both sides of the po-
litiCaI fence that it Will not enable Mr.
Bryan TO carry the state. In other
words, the Scherr people, as a rule, do
not saddle on Taft the responsibility for
the action Of the national committee
He seems likely 10 get approximately
the full Republican vote.
The advantage OF numbers is with
the Republicans on the Presidential
ticket, according TO the returns from
west Virginia since 1896. In that year
tle Republican plurality was 11,4SI; in
1900, II was l,OZ2s in 1904, although
Henry GassaWay Davis, Of this State
was the Democratic candidate for Vice
President the Republicans had a plural
ity of 81, 565. 1t would take a landslide
of TO meager proportions to turn the
state away from Taft and over 10
Bryan this year, according to these fig
ures. And while there is no question
Of the enthusiasm Of the rank and file
of the Democrats Of West Virginia for
the Nebraskan, II may well be doubted
whether he can at the utmost, prevent
least the plurality obtained by McKin-
ley in the 1886 election.
Democratic State Ticket
That the Democratic State ticket will
De elected seems a practical certainty
The Republican split will bring this
about. A good deal Of talk has been
indulged in about harmonizing the Re-
publican factions, bur this is about as
easy task as it would be 20 get the
Cummins and anti-Cummins forces to
lie down in peace in Iowa or the
stalwarts and half-breeds in Wisconsin
10 quit fighting. The real cause of the
trouble between the West Virginia. Re-
publicaus is not well understood ou+-
side OF the State. In brief. the ructicn
Is a revolt ~ the Scherr wing Of fhs
party against the domination of West
Virginia Republican politics BY Senators
.Ellfins and Scott, Governor William III
O. Dawson and their followers. This
combination Is powerful one au5
SWisher, who Is secretary OF State, be-
Continued on Efsbtb ps.oN