Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
WANTS PROHIBITION PLANK
DEMOCRATIC FACTION IN WEST
VIRGINIA so DECLARES.
Indefinite Situation and Harmony Of
the Party Likely to Be
Disturbed.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Disturbed.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
WHEELING. w. Va. June 6, 1908
Efforts to insert a prohibition plank In
the democratic platform in this state
forecast fight Of intensity at that gath
ering in Charleston next month. This
feature. now in its incipiency. threatens
to overcome and scatter the passive har-
mony arrived at when the democratic
hosts met for their national delegate and
state judicial convention in Wheeling a
few days ago.
Every democrat but one supported the
prohibition amendment to the state con-
stitution In the special sitting of the legis-
lature last winter. It was Delegate Will
liams. democrat. who introduced 1t in
the house and incidentally fathered boom
for a place on the state ticket as auditor.
Delegate A. E. kenney. the minority's
spokesman on many questions. made a
hard fight for the amendment and is now
attempting to organize q movement to
party platform.
This question is ascribed as the cause
for the defeat for denomination Of Dele
gate Wetzel. the accepted minority leader
Campbell Of Jefferson county. Camp
bells district embraces the only distillery
in the state. and his vote to prevent the
manufacture or sale OF liquor naturally
incurred the opposition Of interested in
fluences. AS many Of his followers dis
pute the legality of the proceedings that
gave the senatorial nomination to A. D.
Mcintyre OF Morgan county. Campbell S
victorious competitor. 1t is probable the
| affair will result in an Independent or
third man. in which event the prospects
are bright for the election Of republican
to represent the district-a democratic
stronghold.
Richard Randolph Mcmahon Of Jefferson
county. who forsook the democracy four
years ago. will likely be given the repub-
| cession. he stands high In the republican
councils and will be one OF the district
delegates to Chicago. where his admirers
expect to see him figure in q speech sec
onding Taft's nomination. II he is select
ed for that stunt he will command atten-
ton. for he Is one OF the handsomest and
| most picturesque men in West Virginia.
being generously endowed physically by
Mother Nature.
Oxley Wants Prohibition Plank.
Ben II. Oxley of Kanawha county, one
OF the prominent democrats from the
southern end of the state. who Is identi-
fed with the Chiffon wing of the party.
made an appeal in Wheeling this week for
straightout declaration In favor Of the
submission Of a prohibition amendment to
| the people. the proposition which lost out
by one vote In the legislature last winter.
Oxley s political connections would signify
| that his views speak for the Chiffon fac
ton. the element which appears to be
| the democracy.
Oxley's views fell on barren ground in
the northern panhandle so far as the
democratic leaders are concerned, for the
heavy investments In tee liquor industry
in that section make prohibition argu-
| followed. More fertile ground is expected
In the interior counties. where the Anti
Saloon League has been active. Theo-
dore Alvord, state president Of that or
| ganization. has intimated that he will
| support a temperance man for governor
regardless of politics. but hopes one of
the two parties will hearken to his esti-
| mate Of the situation, as he does not look
| for effective results from the prohibition
| party.
OF the three candidates for the demo-
| cratic gubernatorial nomination only
| ones views are indefinite on the subject
Lewis Bennett. the leading candidate, is
| non-committal. In fact. Mr. Bennett has
RETAINED from expressing any views on
any subject. contenting himself with 60
| ing after delegates. Adam Littlepage
| voted for the prohibition amendment in
the senate and makes 1t conspicuous in
his campaign declaration. The other,
Maj. Thomas E. Hodges. is supported for
the nomination by Dr. Buchanan OF Nor
gantown, president of the Anti-Saloon
League. Although afflliating generally
with the republican party. DR.. Buchanan
| is warm admirer of Mat. Hodges. and
his preference for him is largely from
personal friendship. In his speech as
q Wheeling
frequently alluded to ''civic righteous
ness" the only remark that might be
| construed as indicating a deep-seated
conviction that prohibition should figure
in his party's policies.
An Indefinite Quantity.
If there is a temperance element in
West Virginia that does not vote the reg
uar prohibition ticket 1t is an Indefinite
quantity There seems ground for the
belief that temperance wave Is sweep
| ing the country. Both republican and
democratic leaders recognize the existence
of a sentiment calling for some improve
| ment in the conduct of the liquor bust
| ness. but the effort to organize the DEM
ocratic convention on that basis is the
| first tangible result Of this recognition
At this distance 1t looks like the move
ment in the democratic ranks will fail
high-sounding straddle. The platform
may commit the party to enacting legis-
lation which will submit the proposed
constitutional amendment to popular vote.
but. after all. 1t will be succeeding legis-
latures which must be depended upon in
| the final analysis.
Charles w. Swisher. one OF the re-
publican candidates, declared for local
option in his platform announced last
fall. and If his forces capture the con-
vention an option plank will. in all prob
ability be engrafted. Arnold C. Scherr,
he other active candidate. has pursued
more cautious ground resembling Candi-
date Bennett democrat. in this respect.
Scherr says his platform Will be what
ever his party in convention chooses TO
adopt.
That the liquor men have awakened to
the necessity of protecting their inter-
ests by organization was made NANTES:
this week. when they met at Parkers-
burg TO form a state association and In
Wheeling for local body. Sentiment
was expressed for the operation Of sa-
looms on a higher plane There was
disposition to concede Improvements in
the business, but at the same time there
was determined show OF resistance to
the Anti-Saloon League agitation.
When the liquor men have gone as an
organized mass to the support of any
candidate in West Virginia their candi-
rate has invariably suffered defeat Their