Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-09-24

The result In Maine, where a Demo-
cratic governor was elected, ard
legislature Dem ocratic on joint ballot,
with Democratic gain of 20 per cent
over the vote of two years ago, has
dsheartened the Republicans and
driven them TO bring out some new
issue. The increased Democratic vote
in Maine indicates approval of the
Democratic tariff. currency law, and
administration measures generally.
On these issues the Republicans fear
terrible disaster at the polls in No
vember and filibustering against the
river and harbor bill and attacking
1t as pork" they hope to raise a new
issue. AS matter of fact, the great
er part of the river and harbor bill
merely carries out the policy of for
mer Republican congresses, and every
project in the gill has had the approx
al of the army engineers and the war
department. The Democrats are not
epliolu VI Suc LEW ISSUE WHICH Lue
Republicans woald force on them. and
are willing to stand upon their rec
ord in the present congress and I'M
der the present administration. And
they have confidence that the rest of
the nation will approve that record
even as Maine did
The result in Maine has brought
new fear to the hearts of the Repub-
licans, who have been asserting that
there is no longer a Progressive
party. The results in Maine show
that while the Progressive vote did
fall off considerably, a large part OF
it went to the Democratic party. 1t
is usually true that when new par
ty is formed by split from an old
one, those who split seldom return to
the original party. 1t was true in
the split in the Democratic party in
1896, when the Gold Democrats start
ed party and put up ticket of
their own. Many of those who left
the old Democratic party at that time
are to be found now among the lead
ers of the Republican party. And the
results in Maine show that the Pro-
gressive party is following the same
course. ProgresSiyes who left the
Republican party, if they desert the
Progressive party at all, do not gen
orally return to the party they left
in 1912. They are following the prec-
edent and coming over to the Demo-
cratic party rather than go back to
the Republican PARTY, whose princi-
Piles, still unchanse ed, drove them from
it two years ago. 1t is this new fear
that has alarmed the Republicans of
West Virginia, who have been hoping
and asserting that the Progressives of
that state are returning to the old
party; that they never really split
from it anyway: and there was no
Progressive party and all that sort of
thing But, REP embering how they
gained members of their party from
the Gold Democrats when they split
from the old party of Democracy, and
seeing the tendency in Maine for the
Progressives to join the Democratic
party rather than return to the old
Stand-Pat party, the Republicans are
becoming greatly alarmed over the
outlook.
West Virginia stands far ahead of
any other state in the production of
natural gas, according to figures made
public by the United States Geological
Survey. In fact, West Virginia pro-
duces almost as much natural gas as
all the other states of the Union
combined, and yields more than twice
as much as Pennsylvania, it's nearest
competitor. West Virginia, however,
does not consume it's own gas as well
as other states, but sends it out to
enrich the industrial companies Of
other states. Pennsylvania is the
greatest consumer of natural gas,
with Ohio second. In spite of the
fact that natural gas has been regard
ed as temporary fuel, the produc-
ton in 1918 was the greatest in the
history of the industry, and it's value
was the greatest. The average price
in the country at large for gas for
domestic use is 1910 per thousand
feet, while for industrial use it is
9.4 cents.
Slowly the results of the civil serv-
ice examinations for fourth class post
masters in West Virginia are being
announced. So far the announcements
have been almost entirely from the
southern end Of the state. Senator
Chiffon has recommended a large
number for appointment, in each case
recommending the person who stood