The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-23
TIVE colo DUST TWINS OVER.
HeASheo THEMSELVES AND
indications Now For q Solid Repub.
FsIi-ceos g,cn. in sifts
fsy Charles Brooks smith


WASHINGTON. ID. C.. March ~
According 10 the opinion OF one OF Col
McCrau's army OF unemployed In any
ontce under the Wilson administrs :
ton. the Watson billion duo OF party
bosses made a serious tactical biund-
er when they threw their influence
behind = Democrat for state chair
man Of the Progressive party. lie
says they overpiayed themselves and
exposed their hand. They were too
anxious. he declares. According 20
him they could have worked the thing
under cover and brought about wha'
they desired. without exhibiting the
fact OF their dominancy OF the Nhird
party's machinery and causing n
wholesale desertion from the ranks
But they were afraid to risk putting
their trust In any other than a Dem
ocrat, and one OF their own kind. said
the McGrawite.
There aren't a handful OF Demo
Gratis allied with the Progressive
party In West Virginia." he declares.
What they are OF them are pretty
itself as being spies I'm camp. What
there is left OF the Progressive party
In the state Is Republican at heart.
and In the windup. when they see
that the third party farce IL ended.
they will be found following their
heartfelt sympathy by returning 10
the Republican reservation. When
Joe Handland. a Democrat. succeeded
In getting the state chairmanship. the
real back to- the old party. movement
began That was too much for the
self-styled Progressives who are born
and bred Republicans. They began
to cold storage their third party ardor
and put themselves In shape 10 get
back in line under the old nag. The
rrh hao h.a
ever since. and the recent meeting a.
Charleston. and the more recent one
at Parkersburg. Il sufficient to prove
that the sinking ship is all but de-
serted. save by its Democratic cap
tain and a few OF the crew who seem
bent on sinking with IL. This Is not
so tragic as II might appear. since
all OF them are long ago politically
deceased. and hence have no life in
them TO lose.
Was Too Raw.
1T is my opinion this wholesale de-
feciion from the third party and its
consequent imminent dissolution.
could have been prevented had a Dem
ocrat not been forced into the chair
manship. That was too raw for even
the most rabid third partyites. A
blind man and a blockhead could see
that play. who made IL and what IL was
made for. Right then IL when the
get.together suggestion became a pop
'ilar slogan. and made the chances OF
there being two tickets in the field
20 glimmering. And that Is the reas-
on ] say that the Watson-Chilton PEG
pie committed q fatal blunder. The
Progressives sprung from the ranks of
Republicans and will never be led by
a Democrat any more than II they had
sprung from the Democratic ranks
they would abide being led by a Re
publican. That sort OF thing isn't in
the blood of the body polite. II
would have been their game TO have
got control by working through ex-
Republicans. They could have done il
with their resources all right. But
hy putting a Democrat i'm control they
defeated the very purpose that they
desired above every thing else to ac-
Complish'
Republican Delegation.
w. as now appears likely. Republl-
cans and still-so-called Progressives
In West Virginia vote one ticket this
year. prediction is freely made here.
and not confined 10 Republicans either.
by any means. that West Virginia will
return solid delegation to the house
OF representatives next November.
with unity perfected the present Re
publican incumbents are pretty Ger