The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-02-04
Policital
Situation
stcontihues from Pare one).

Sontthnea rom eske onel
Farkershnrg program Went through
with such q satisfactory degree Of
Celebrity that these Democratic eele.
brities are overwhelmed with such
confidence and assurance that they
larc claiming rythings with but one
lone exception: That Is the congress;
man5at7large. They evidently have
to concedesa doubt there. but are
forced to do 50. Recalling that
Howard Sutherland was elected by; a
majoritp OF nearly 5000 votes,
they will grant their Republican
friend a slight concession. u In; view
of the fact that Sutherland has
proved himself representative; OF e sxs
ceptional industry and ability. In
view of the fact that everybody who
comes in with a report as to the SEN
:iment prevalent in West Virginia
brings news of Suthedland'sN great
and steadily growing strength with
the public, they are willing to drop
q stitch there and concede that prob
chly they will not be able to prevent
Suthedland's reelection with the help
Of their Progressive party allies, but
they can make Il n hard and a close
fight for him. In all other respects,
however, (and this goes as to the re-
suit in the Fifth district. tool they
claim that the Democratic-Progres-
sive alliance will win. Which means
that they will take five Of the six
congressman. the legislature on=joint
ballot, land la great maioritys6f the
i county officials. 1t is as plain to them
as the alphabet, they say. For bring
ing this! about the. Progressive, party,
as party, is to get nothing. But cer-
tain individuals whose names twill
doubtless come out in time, when the
scandal is ripe for cxposure.a will be
WE'LL repaid for their services. In
brief: when the sunsets on the day
Of election next November, the Wat
son Chiffon machine is expected by
those who operate and ride upon 1t TO
be in control of the government Of
West Virginia excepting its executive
department.; to be so entrenched and
fortified, that with gerrymanderingi
of the district that will be doneEby o
Democratic legislature, with a law
enacted that will effectually disfran-
chise the negroes, with tile laws re-
pealed which the Watson-C Chiffon al
lance has promised corrupt corpora
ttons to repeal il they secure control,
hacked up by Lax. enforcement OF
the, prohibition laws which has also
llcen promised the whiskey interests
with all these conditions existent
end private agreements fulfilled, they
announce that they will not only be
able to hold the state of West vir-
sinia In. their clutches in 1916. but
for a good many years to follow that.
date.
One might think from all this
boastfulness of the Watson Chiffon
clement here that the stalwart Re-
publican leaders, and the men who
Lave so ably represented not only the
PARTY but the people as whole so
ably and faithfully would be reduced
TO a condition of pathetic hopeless.
ness. But such is not the case, While
realizing that "a third ticket in the.
field will make 1t hard for them, they
lave condolences in the acceptabiiity
Of their records and the fairminded-.
ness Of the voters. They have faith,
too, that what constituents Of theirs
are Republicans at heart and from
staunch .belief in the cardinal party
principles, no matter how they show
their preference in 1912 as between
Taft and Roosevelt, both Republicans,
will not walk blindly into the trap
which has been set for them this
year; will see the futility Of the plan;
TO establish and maintain a perma-
nent third party. and will step aside
from the pitfall that has been dug by
IA handful Of gentlemen Of .intemper-
ate political judgment combined with
another handful of practical poll
ticians, who find it compatible with
their prejudices and decidedly to their
pecuniary profit to stand In the fore
ground and push the plans of the
plotters who do the plotting for the
watson-Chilton organization.
AS already stated, it is by no means
hopeless situation. which confronts
/ the Republican leaders. Their in
formation is and 1t comes from mem
bers of the rank and file, those who
voted for Taft and those who cast
their lot two. years ago with Roose-
velt-that no new party is wanted,
and that a get-together program is
1 4.