Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-08-30
ELECTORAL VOTE
IN THIS STATE
GIVEN TO WILSON
Republicans Have No Hope of
Carrying the State.


Also Hopes to Wear the Toga-Dem
oeratic Success Is Assured Through
out the Country.
Washington. August 26.-With the
electoral vote of West Virginia practl-
cally conceded by all parties as belong
ing TO Woodrow Wilson. and with the
Democratic state ticket almost sure
of election, the strongest fight which
| will be put up in the State during the
coming campaign will be for control OF
the legislature. OF course the nation
al and state tickets will not be allow
ed to go by default, but the Republi-
cans and Bull Moosers will make only
a half hearted effort to carry the State
for either the Presidency or the Coy
eTnorshir. since they know in advance
that any fight along these lines would
prove fruitless.
There are indications. however, that
/ the smoothest politician who has ever
been active in either the Republican
or the Bull Moose party in West Vir-
ginia desires to go to the Senate OF
the United States. w. NJ. o. Dawson
/ whose ambition has never yet been
/ satisfied is making a vigorous effort
to have nominated and elected to the
Legislature men who would support
/ him for the senatorship. On the other
hand all the political acuman which de
/ scended from the late Stephen b. Elk
/ ms. to say nothing of a portion of the
fortune, which also descended to the
/ younger Senator, will be used in the
/ coming campaign to elect Republicans
to the Legislature. who II given the OPP
porunity, would vote for Davis Elk
ms for Senator. Unless the legislature
to be elected in November shall have
a Democratic majority. either Gov.
Dawson or Senator Elkins, will be
elected to the Senate.
Already the Bull Moose party under
/ the dictatorship of Gov. Dawson has
begun the work of electing the social
ed Progressiyes to the legislature and
of pledging them in advance to sup
port the Progressive Policies which
include the election of Mr.. Dawson to
the Senate. II. b. Buster of Charles
ton. one of tho active young lieuten-
ants in the Dawson cause. has been
sending letters to all the nominees of
tn Republican party for the legislature
asking them to pledge themselves be-
fore the election to the support of Pro
gressive policies and the Progressive
candidate for the Senate. The infer
enCe is that unless these men pledge
themselves to vote for a so called Pro
gressiVe candidate for the Senate
which means Dawson, they will be OPP
! posed at the polls by the Bull Moose
party. What the general tenor of the
replies received by Mr.. Buster may
have been has not been made public
but 4 good guess would be that a large
number of the candidates declined to
admit MI Busters rights to question
them. For .ong time former Sena-
tor Davis Elkins has been quietly but
actively at work bringing about the
nominations of persons friendly to
himself for election 70 the legislature
1t was only a short while ago that an
nouncament was made in Washington
that Col Isaac T. uann, of Mercer
county who has long been looked up
on as senatorial timber by West Vir-
ginia Republicans, had withdrawn
from the race leaving a clear field fol-
Davis Elkins. Since that statement
was published no one has challenged
it and 10 announcement of cadidacy
has been made 1t may be assumed
therefore that Davis Elkins will be the
unanimous choice Of the Stand-Pat
element of the Republican partly for
Senator and that w NJ. o. Dawson
will be the candidate of the Roosevelt
faction of the Republican party as
well as of those who may desert the
old party to become Bull Moosers.
The Importance OF Democratic leg.
islature at this time extends far be
yond the confines of West Virginia
Upon West Virginia's choice of a Sen
&tor next January may depend the po-
litical complexion of the next Senate
after the fourth of next March and the
importance to the entire country OF
the election of Democratic slegisla-
ture next November is apparent The
terms c. 81 Senator'S expire the fourth
of next March and their Successors
will be chosen between now and that
time, Should FIVE Republicans out of
this number be succeeded by Demo
Continued on Page Two)
erals and the poltical complexion of
the remainder should not be changed
the Democrats would have majority
In the next Senate. Democratic lead
ers in Washington are confident that
they viii gain in the next Senate one
Senator from Delaware one from New
Jersey one from Tennessee and two
from Colorado, total of five
which would change the complexion
Of The Senate, provided the Republi-
cans make no gains If these five Dem