The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-03-21

Virginia would send solid Taft del
egation to the Chicago convention.
One of the startling developments
Of the week in Republican politics
was the appeal from the Roosevelt
Committee to permit the negroes of
the country to dictate the Republican
candidate for President A statement
was given out from the Roosevelt
National Headquarters to the effect
that the negro voters of the country
would not support Mr.. Taft in the
event of his nomination. Comment
ing upon this Senator Dixon, leader
of the Roosevelt campaign, said ut
means the certain loss Of the Is
electoral votes in Indiana, 90 in IL
linois, 18 in Missouri, in Delaware,
8 in West Virginia, "a in Ohio, 10
in Kansas and 8 in Maryland. With
the elimination of these lis electo-
raj votes the nomination of Taft
would mean political suicide" Sen
ator Dixon added 1T is fact in piv-
otal Republican states like Ohio
Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia New
Jersey, Missouri, Kansas and Mary
land, the negro voters absolutely
constitute the balance of power be-
tween the two great parties. In
states like Massachusetts,, New York
and other states, in a closely con
tested election, they may also de-
termine the balance of power" Stat
inc in affant thof u;tbout fbo napro
vote West Virginia and the, other
states named cannot be expected to
give their electoral votes to the Re-
publican nominee and that unless
Roosevelt is the nominee the ne
groes of these states will not vote
1.-THE Republican ticket Senator Dix
on males piteous nlea to the white
, Fepu blcans of the United States to
allow the negroes to nominate Col
Roosevelt the man who invited the
negro teacher, Booker Washington,
to dine with him in the White House
A. plain proposition is put up to
the Republican party by Senator
! Dixon to the effect that it must allow
the negroes to name the Presidential
candidate or there will be a Demo-
cratic president 1t is not hard to
guess how the Republicans Of West
Virginia will choose between the
two alternatives.
The West Virginia Senators have
two very important measures, of in
terest not only to the people of West
Virginia, but throughout the country
as we'll, now before the Senate SEN
ator Chiffon has introduced bill
intended primarily to bring relief to
the coal operators of West Virginia,
who have been subjected in many
cases to unfair treatment by the rail-
road companies. His bill provides
, that no officer or director of rail-
road company may be made an Of
ficer or director of any railroad ope-
rating competing line. This it is
believed would effectually put a stop
to the consolidation of railroad in
terests now existing in West Virginia.
Each railroad void then be operat-
ed as an Independent concern and its
rates and methods of dealing with
the coal operators and other shippers
would not be dictated by the officers
of a competing line The bill has
been generally approved by the coal
. operators of West Virginia many of
whom have written Senator Chiffon
expressing their approval Of it. The
measure is now before the Senate
/ Committee on Interstate Commerce,
| of which Senator Watson is a mem
Der, and one meeting of the Commit
tee has already been had upon it. 1t
is believed favorable report on the
bill will be made to the Senate.
Another measure which will affect
almost all West Virginians as we'll
as the people of other states, is Sem
ator Watson's amendment to the
tariff bill providing that potatoes be
admitted to the United States free of
duty until the first of September,
1912. The potatoes of American
growth, now in the market are said
to have been bought up by specula-
tors and held until the price has be-
come unusually high. Several West
Virginia papers have contained mo-
tees in the last few days of the inn
portation of potatoes from Ireland
70 meet the local demand. A tariff
duty of 25c a bushel must be paid
on all of these imported potatoes
and ii is to reduce the cost of. this
necessary food product that Senator
Watson has offered his amendment
. His amendment was offered to the
only tariff bill now pending in the
Senate, which is the steel tariff bill.
AS the Repu blican majority in the
! Senate probably will not pass this
bill, Congressman Davis has intro
duced Senator Watson's amendment
as separate bill in the House. 1t
is believed it will pass both House
and Senate and cut at least Csc a
bushel from the price of potatoes
from now until September, when the
new crop should begin to come into
the market
Senators Watson and Chiffon have
succeeded in having admitted to this
country Phillips Fochalis, a brother
of Monophon Fochalis, prosperous
business man of Parkersburg. Phil
lipos who is only II years old start
ed to this country to ioin his brother
but was detained by the Immigration
officers. The Senators were called