New-York tribune., 1908-08-27

Maryland. although a Republican Congressman
represents that section now, and the southern |
counties OF the state. but. because Of the exceed
nsly large negro population in these sections Dem
ocratic pluraltieS IL there are any, will be
ceedingly small. At present there three Dem
ocratic and three Republican Congressman from !
Maryland, but the Republicans confidently assert !
that when the returns come in in November there
Will be al least four Republican Represen tatlves
TO two Democratic The Congressional fights all
promise to be exciting and the campaign in Mary
land this year will not be dull one.
VIRGINIA
The situation in Virginia has been treated before
N this correspondence. There has been no recent
change in the situation the ationa cam
paign goes. Republicans in Winchester. Front
Royal, Roanoke and other valley towns are
Strengthening their forces and preparing, they say
to poll the largest vote in twenty years The Mar
tin poll tax decision which practically disranchists
four-ffths Of the Democratic vote. still remains In
force, and the state leaders devotfng all their
energies at present TO have ii reversed 1t is ru-
mored that Holmes Conrad. OF Winchester, who
appointed by President Roosevelt several years
assist in the investigation of postal frauds
will be OF the lawyers who will argue against
the decision when it is upon appeal. Henry T
wickham of Richmond. is also mentioned in this
connection. For many years Mr. Wickham repre-
sented his Senate district in the State Senate He
is a of the late General Wickham, of the Con-
federate States army.
The two counties of Northampton and Accomac
which together form what is known as the Eastern
Shore of Virginia, may go Republican Accomac
probably will. and il the Democrats succeed in car
rying Northampton It will only be by the slimmest
of margins. Roanoke. Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Republican leaders say. will poll unusually
heavy Taft vote. and Roanoke is counted on as go
ing Republican.
WEST VIRGINIA.
The fight between Charles W. swisfer. the reeu-
lar Republican nominee for Governor of West Vir-
gina and Arnold C Scherr. who bolted the regular
convention, goes on apace and is cause for some
anxiety the part of the men who running
Mr.. Taft's campaign. West Virginia Republicans
still insist that the differences between the two
candidates VIII be patched in plenty of time for
the rank and file Of the party 10 forget any bitter
ness that may have been aroused and to unite and
work harrnoniously and enthusiastically for the
publican state and national tickets They say. how
ever, that If both men insist upon running, the
effect may disastrous the only If
disastrous il be all. and scout the idea that Mr..
Bryan stands any chance Of carrying the state.
Efforts will undoubtedly be made get Scherr
TO withdraw in favor of Swisher but unless the
Republican National Committee takes a strong
hand il seems likely that Mr.. Scherr will be
ceedngly hard to persuade that the best interests
of the party lie his withdrawal. Even assuming
that the warfare will go on unabated up to EIec
ton Day. ii is hard for Democrats be optimistic
over Mr.. Bryans prospects of carrying the state
That the warning factions in West Virginia will
be harmonized now seems certain for New York
dispatches to-day annolnce the appointment BY
Chairman Hitchcock of special committee TO deal
with this situation. The committee consists of
Messrs, Ward. Brooker and Du Pont- All five Con-
gress districts of West Virginia elected Republicans
at the last election. and the main efforts of the
party leaders will be directed toward returning
solid Republican delegation 10 Washington
GEORGIA
OF all the Southern States the situation in
| Georgia is the most complex and at the same
| time the most interesting. Georgians may be said
TO be directly interested in four national tickets
this year-1rst. the Democratic ticket. that
Is the ticket Of the party 10 which the majority
| of them belong; second the Republican ticket be-
cause II will receive the support OF the mill and
many other business interests; third, the Populist
| ticket. because Tom" Watson is its head and
fourth. the Independence League ticket. which
John Temple Graves is running for Vice President
Both Mr. Watson and Mr. Graves Georgians.
| Both have welded great influence the state.
Mr.. Graves. until he entered the Hearst service
| and was promoted TO second place Mr.. Hearsts
national ticket, editorial writer on one
of the leading Democratic papers OF the state and
! his editorials were widely read He is a man OF
recognized ability, and his beliefs. expressed
editorialy. undoubtedly carry considerable weight
| This has been somewhat counteracted by his con-
necton with a Hearst newspaper and because Of his
| rapid conversion TO Independence League princi-
| pies. Still il is safe say that because OF his
| nomination for the Vce-Presidency the Indepen-
| oehce League VIII poll many votes that il would
not otherwise. and in passing it might be well to
| say that these votes will be just so many taken
away from the Democratic party.
Everybody in Georgia knows Tom Watson and
has heard tel' of his long varied political
career. He several times elected to the state
/ Legislature the Democratic ticket and was once
Democratic elector-at-large. He also represented
his Congress district at Washington for two years
running the Populist ticket. in 1904 he
nominated for President the Peoples party
-irlxa g. r.
| politics be denied. and that he will poll
heavy vote in the state. and that too the
pense of the Democratic party, also seems assured
The mill interests in Georgia a political factor
should be overlooked. For the last eight years
Northern capital has been flowing steadily into the
Cotton mill after cotton mill has been built
! throughout the state, and built by Northern men,
! many of whom have migrated here from the New
England states. These with all the they
! can control will for Taft. Thus 1t would seem
that the fates with the Republican nominee
|
1t is because of these important factors of the
| situation that Republican leaders beginning
| speak optimsticaIly Of the Georgia situation.
| With Watson and Graves both drawing hundreds
! Of votes from Bryan and with General Apathy in
| the saddle, running over the Democratic ranks.
why shouldn't the Republicans walk in and clean
things up?' This is the question Republicans
smilinely asking themselves, and the most optimis
tic ones are already beginning figure how large
Mr. Tafts plurality will be. The vote of Atlanta,
the capital city will be watched with especial in
terest this year. There is undenably chance of
the Republican party carrying the city, and bets
have already been made that William Jennings
will not run better than third in this city. Watson
at present seems 10 have the best chance Of carry
ing the city with Taft-so Republicans say
second and Bryan trailing close third. Hisgen.
because Mr.. Graves. may be able to land a bad
fourth In Augusta there is no Bryan enthusiasm