The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-10-20
Both Parties Putting Forth
Best Efforts with Repub-
licans Leading.
CHARLES Brooks smIth.1

CHARLESTON, Oct. Is - This
week has witnessed numerous inter-
esting happenings in this states po-
litlcal arena. There has been con-
tinuous performance and things have
been going at a lively rate. Apathy
has been shooed of the perch and
from the mountain tops and in the
valleys the preachment of the spell
binder is heard. The partisan news
papers are teeming with arguments
land appeals, stirring their readers to
heated debate and controversy. Gum
shoes have been thrown into closets
and the big stick is scattering polit-
ical noise and excitement broadcast.
All of which was as unexpected as it
lis satisfying to the managers of a
Campaign, which at the outset gave
no signes of being other than list
less, Indifferent and apathetic sort of
affair. Especially pleasing that it
has turned out otherwise so far in
advance is 1t to the Republican party
managers, who believe that a domi-
nant party has much to gain and
nothing whatsoever to lose from an
opeu-and-above-bo red-hot fight.
The most sensational events of the
week were pulled off in this city and
the state senatorial district of which
this city is a part. Here are Grant
P. Hall and Ex-Governor William A.
MacCorkle, the latter the last Dem
ocratic chief executive this state has
had, contesting for a seat in the state
senate. Their contest has got right
down into the muck of personalities.
Each in public addresses this week
has charged the other with a yari-
ETY. of ofrenses, some of them border
ing on criminal allegations. The
principles for which their respective
parties stand have been forgotten
and personalities have taken their
place, Such contest is calculated
to stir up sharp feeling and much ex-
element; also, to attract large audi
ences of interested and curious peo-
pie. No meetings have been held in
the state this week have come any
where near approaching in size and
intense interest the meetings that
| Hall and MacCorkle have addressed.
In their personal campaign, there is
only one subject that arises to the
dignity of an issue involved. That is
prohibition. Hall. despite affilia-
tions, this year comes to the front as
a rabid exhorter for tetotallsm. He
favors the submission of a prohibit
ton amendment, local option law
with the county as the unit and, IL
neither one of those laws can be Sc
cured, statutory prohibition. Mac
Corkle is less radical. He favors
the largest measure OF local self
government, something like magis-
terial district local option, or, if not
THAT, the next best thing, emempt-
ing twons and cities OF a certain
size from domination OF the counties
on the license question.
Hall has accused MacCorkle of be-
ling corrupted by corporations when
he was governor; OF being tool of
the whiskey ring in Kanawha coun-
ty; of stealing Republican primaries,
and score of other things of equal
seriousness and salaciousness. Mac
Corkle comes back at Hall, charging
him with endorsing paper for the
whiskey ring; trying to bribe coun-
ty commissioner with $500; with
rank duplicity and insincerity; with
falsehood and with perjury. These
are just a handful of charges that
these prominent party men. whose
regulations are state wide and whose
leadership in their respective parties
has covered long period of years,
have uttered against each other.
Hall has majority of 900 to go on,
but party lines have been pretty
much severed by the prohibition
proposition. In the next three weeks
this contest is conldentially expected
to furnish one continuous sensational
thrill, and it may result in physical
las we'll as political damage to some
of those prominently engaged In it.
A comprehensive supplement is
sued by the Republican state COM
mlttee printed in all the newspapers
of that party, has served to acceler-
ate the vigorous campaign that the
Democrats have made, and is full
and complete report OF the party's
stewardship to the voters OF the
state. It is the most comprehensive
and reliable campaign document
ever issued by the party in power.
and its leaders say that 1t sweeps
laway every proposition that the