Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-11-10
Washington News.
From Geo. w. Summers,
"A Post r hiding

their opposition to the primary election
plan devised by the same old machine
which has so long dominated the Re-
publican party in West Virginia,
and whose object is well understood to
be its own perpe uation. In state.
ment Issued from the Progressive Re-
publican headquarters in Washington
this assertion is made:
1.-The demand for primary became
so great in West Virginia few weeks
age that the State central committee
could ignore it no longer. A majority
OF the committee members are stand.
patters aud were opposed to primary
OF any kind, out in order to throw a
sop TO the people an agreement was
reached whereby primary would
be held This primary, however, would
apply only to State offices. The com.
mittee expressly refused to permit the
people to express their choice for Pres.
ident in voting for delegates to The ma
tional convention aud they likewise
refused to incorporate in the primary
plan AN opportunity for the people to
have direct vote on the United States
Senatorship,'
The Washington Times, official or
gan of the Progressive Republicans at
Washington, referring to the same
condition, says:
"fais has angered the Progressives,
who are convinced the primary will be
a farce unless the rules are most care
fully devised and who insist it shall
include the -Senatorship, delegates 10
The national conyention aud Presden-
tial preference.
From these extracts it may be seen
that the Republican leaders in West
Virginia, the machine members of the
State committee, have not succeeded
very well in deceiving the people rs 10
the primary election they intend to
hold Even at this distance it is appar-
ent to those who have Investigated the
situation that the purport of the call.
ing of the primary election was, as
stated by the Progressives, to "throw
sop to the people," while perpetual
ing themselves in control of the party
machinery.
Strong intimations are made by Pro-
gressives here that West Virginia is
expected to go Democratic lunless the
demands of the Progressives for pri-
mary on the matter of delegates to the
national convention are granted, and
the stand Patters in West Virginia are
already accusing members of the
State committee of secretly working
for the defeat of the Republican party
last year On the other hand it is
charged that Etandpatters in West
Virginia and Federal office holders
would rather see the State go Demo
cratic and leave former Senator Scott
ID control of the Federal patronage
than to have Republican admins
tration which might be unfriendly to
them.
That Charles W. Swisher will be the
Republican nominee for Governor in
1912 is the opinion expressed here by
M. T. Roach, of Fayette county, large
coal operator and receiver for the
Charleston Mail. 81 believe he would
make the strongest candidate the Re-
publicans could name" said Mr..
Roach. This information follows the
recently made assertion of State Chair
man Sam Matthews that Swisher is
the only candidate and probably wi II
he nominated. With Matthews and
Roach asserting that there is not an =
other candidate ii is pretty strong evil
dence that Swisher IL to be the ma
chine nominee-w whether primary is
held or not.
Four additional votes III the nation
al convention for West Virginia, max
ing twenty instead of the sixteen the
State viii be entitled to under the
present rule, is whst Senator Jonathan
Bourne, Progressive leader, is trying
TO get the State. To obtain these addi-
tional votes for West Virginia, Senator
Bourne would establish the plan of
giving each State two votes for each
senator and Congressman it has and
would give it instead votes proportion
ed TO It's Republican vote at the last
general election. This would decrease
the representation of Southern States
which have good sized representations
in Congress but cast a small Republic
can vote, and which President Taft is
expected TO have stroug support. The
West Virginia member Of the nationa
committee, who lives in Washingto n
although he formerly represented West
Virginia in the Senate, will be called
upon to vote on this proposition and it
will be interesting to note whether he
considers the nomination of Mr.. Taft
or the proper representation of West