Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-07-25
Our washington Letter.

west tHRlHidHS III w oo""H
greatly pleased with the Democratic State
ticket nominated by the Huntington con-
yention last week. In strong contrast 10
the Republican conventions of this and
other years, the Huntington convention
was entirely Embossed and the nomina-
lions were made by the delegates them
selves, representing the people who sent
them to the convention, without dictatlon
from any person or persons. No effort
was made at any time to control the con-
vention, as Republican conventions have
often been controlled, and it was pure
case OF the people ruling and making
their own nominations. The progressive
idea is that the people shall rule and IN
that respect the Huntington convention
was the most progressive ever held by
any party in West Virginia. The people
ruled and made their own nominations
and the convention declared for the pro-
gressive principles for which Democracy
stands and always has stood. The re-
suit of the State convention is that Inc
part is thoroughly united and ready 10
work in harmony with spirit OF con-
fidence that the whole State ticket VIII
be elected and that Woodrow Wilson
will carry West Virginia by large ma
iority in the November election.
The friends OF President TAFT in West
Virginia are in most peculiar situation.
Mr.. TAFT was nominated for President
upon the regular Republican ticket, and
his name will appear at the head OF that
ticket in the November election. But
the people do not vote for the candidate
for President. They vote for electors
who when elected vote directly for Pres
ident. In West Virginia the candidates
for electors on the regular Republican
ticket are friends of Col. Roosevelt, were
nominated in a Roosevelt convention,
and if elected will vote in the. electoral
college for Roosevelt for President. This
means that every vote cast for the reg
ular Republican ticket headed by TAFT is
a vote for Roosevelt and not for TAFT.
There seems to be no way by which the
Taft people can get Taft electors on their
ticket and there seems no possibility OF
| getting a single electoral vote out OF the
State for Taft in any way. There IS
nothing 10 bind the candidates for cleo
tors to vote for any person for President
except their moral obligation, and it the
Taft candidates for electors should also
be nominated by the Roosevelt people
for electors, and if they should be elected,
there would not even be moral obliga-
ton upon them to vote for Taft. Appar-
emily the only way in which a vote can
be cast against Roosevelt is by casting It
| for Wilson or one of the minor candi-
dates. With no Taft electors nominated,
the voters must choose between Wilson
and Roosevelt or vote for one OF the
minor candidates or refuse to vote at all.
The illness OF Senator Chiffon, which
has kept him at home since the Baltimore
convention, is deplored not only by West
Virginians, but by his colleagues in the
Senate and others. Senator Chiffon has
received letter OF sympathy from Wood
row Wilson, Democratic nominee for
President, in which Governor Wilson
says he is much distressed to hear OF the
Senator's illness and hopes he will soon
be able to resume his duties in the Senate.
| The word which comes from Charleston
is to the effect that Senator Chiffon is i'm
proving and will be able to return to
Washington soon.
Now that the campaign for Republican
nominations is over, the confirmation OF
several persons whose nominations for
postmasters in West Virginia have been
held up at the request of the Republican
State committee may be expected. The
first of the appointments which were held
up at the request OF the State committee
has been confirmed, the objection OF the
committee having been Withdrawn. This
appointment was Claude Shinn Randall
to be postmaster at Shinnston, who will
now assume the duties of postmaster,
since the primary campaign has ended.
The rivers and harbors bill which pass
ed the House and was amended by the
Senate has been agreed to by both Houses
and will become a law as soon as it is
signed by the President. The bill carried
with it every item for West Virginia pro-
vided for in the House bill, and also au-
thorizes survey of the Great Kanawha
river with view to increasing it from
six-foot depth to nine feet, so as to con-
form to the present depth of the Ohio
river. Through the attention of the West
Virginia Senators and Congressman, pro-
vision is made in this bill for work Of
some kind on practically every river in
West Virginia which by any possibility
could be made navigable.
Senator Watson was the only member
of the West Virginia delegation in Con-
gress who attended the Democratic State
convention in Huntington last week.
Senator Chiffon and Congressman Ham
ilton were both prevented by illness from
being at the convention, while Congress-
men Davis, Brown and Littlepage were
detained in Washington by important
public business.
Whatever may be the result of the gen.
eral election next November, the second
district of West Virginia will have two
Congressman. The indications now are
that Ben H. Hiner will be the Congress-
man-at-large and w. g. Brown will be
the district Congressman. The Republi-
can nominee for Congressman-at-large
also comes from the second district, so
that whether the Democrats or Republi-