Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-05-25

while the Federal patronage has been
definitely shown to be in the hands of
former Senator Scott and former Sena-
tor Davis EIkins.
On the one hand are the State Off
GERS, while on the other are the Federal
Office holders and all the stand-patters
of the Republican party. The big fight
for party control promises to come to a
head in the selection of delegates to the
national convention of the Republican
party next year. There win be two
candidates for the presidency, according
to present Observation-Disclosures Taft
and Senator LaFollette, the latter rep
resenting the Progressive" or I'm
surgent" Republicans and the interest
in West Virginia is in whether former
Senator Scott and his Federal Office
holders can deliver the delegation from
West Virginia to Taft or whether the
Governor and former EovernorDa Dawson
can deliver the State to LaFollette. q
Another matter OF State interest
which has been agitating the West Vir-
ginians in Washington is the secret cor
respondence in which Governor Glass.
cock, of West Vagina, and Governor
Mann, of Virginia, have been engaged
relative to the Virginia debt settlement.
Governor Mann has announced that he
has been in correspondence with Gov
ernor Glasscock in regard to the matter
but has declined to make public the
correspondence or to tell the nature of
it. People here are wondering what
can be the nature of the secret cores
pondence which neither Governor seems
willing to make public, and which,
nevertheless, concerns public matter.
All doubt as to the official dispenser
of Federal patronage for West Virginia
wrs removed when the nomination of
Frank L. Bowman to be.postmaster at
Morgantown was sent to the Senate by
the President. Morgantown is the home
town of former Congressman Sturgiss
and he had recommended J. H. Poster
for reappointment as postmaster. But
Senator Scott was not satisfied with
Posten and wanted Bowman, Mr.
Sturgiss saw the President in regard to
the matter and presented his side of the
case but the President accepted the
advice of the former Senators, Davis,
Elkins and Scott, and nominated Bow
man. Thus, the head of the old FEEDER
al Office Holders machine in West Vir-
ginia is still in control of the affairs of
the Republican party in the State,
Senator Chiffon has received num-
Der of the Year Books issued by the
of Agriculture They are
of great interest and value to farmers
generally and the Senator will take
pleasure in sending copies to those whe
show sufficient interest in having them
to write him and request them.
All the Democratic members of the
House of Representatives from West
Virginia have made plain their attitude
on the wool schedule. They have de-
clared themselves opposed to the re-
moval of all duty on wool SO long as
tariff duties are left on other articles.
In other words they do not want to see
the duty removed from the farmers
product and retained on the manufac-
tured products of the country While
they are willing to have the duty on
wool reduced and will vote to do SO, the
West Virginia Democrats in Congress
will oppose free wool unless the ar
ticles which the farmer consumes and
the manufacturer produces are put on
the free list at the same time. Appar-
entity they voice the sentiment of all
the Democrats in the House for the in
dications are that the duty will be re
duced but not wiped out. The West
Virginia Congressman are in full ac-
cord with Speaker Champ Clark and
Chairman Underwood, Of the Ways and
Means Committee in this matter.
Congressman Brown has been away
for some time, having been called home
by the death of a cousin. During his
absence the House was engaged almost
exclusively in the consideration of mat
tiers on which his position is we'll known
and no important vote was taken while
he was away. Since his return to
Washington Mr.. Brown has been regu-
lar in his attendance on Congress as he
was before, being one of the most reg
ular of all the members of the House in
his attendance on the sessions.
Mr.. brown has introduced a bill to
grant a pension to George H. Porter
field. Of Charles Town, a veteran of the
Mexican war. Mr.. Porterfeld is one
of the few remaining survivors of the
war with Mexico, and is quite old. He
is partially paralyzed and scarcely able
to write his name. He has been promi-
nent in affairs at Charles Town and
many friends would be glad to see the
| gallant old soldier of the war with
Mexico given substantial, though
tardy, recognition of his services to his
country.
Observation-Disclosures k*++++*A&1ct