Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-05-28
Washington Letter.
From Coo. w. Summers.

VIom O90s ". oummeHA. 80
Washington. May 26th. Jefferson
was the first county in. the State in
which u straight out contest was made
for the delegates to the State nominal
ing conventions, and the first county in
the Second District to select its dele
gates to the Congressional nominating
convention. For that reason the results
there are regarded as significant Col.
W. Wylfs Beatl, Of Wellsburg. and Hal
w. DePue, of Spencer, We're the can
didatcs for Congressman at Large,
whose names were on the. ticket. Col.
BvalI winding over DePne by So votes
and thereby being privileged to, name
the delegation from Jefferson county to
The State nominating convention Con-
gresham Brown swept the county,
getting majority of more that 900
out of total Of about 2, 600 votes. Col
BealI telegraphed Senator VIM. Camp
bell. Of Charles Town. his most active
campaign m 4nager in j Jefferson County,
congratulating him on the result and
expressing his qualification over what
the Democrats of Jefferson bad done
for him Friends of Mr. Brown believe
that his victory in jefferson means
that all opposition to his nomination
will fade away before the time for the
nominating convention which meets at
Charles Town ] une II. The oyerwhel-
ming enforcement Of Jefferson being
regarded as an evidence that his popu-
larity has suffered nothing SINCE hesWas
nrsr 7eiected to Cong Fl o. the fs3s:5-5
ond District TO succeed g. Sturgiss.i
IN the fight for Congressman at Large,
Jefferson may be regarded as q typical
county. and the result there Is espec-
Tally encouraging to Col. Beall. Meth
Ell he nor Mr.. Depue was personally
known in the county till few days
before the primary, the voting follow
lowing campaign Of only about four
days BY them.
Progressives who nave been asked to
"amalganlate' with the Stand Pat
party in West Virginia are wondering
what the inducements are to be, par
ticalarly since the Republican State
convention was held at Charleston last
! week. The one thing that Progressives
insist upon is the right Of the people to
control their own parties and their own
political matters Their whole fight in
West Virginia has been against bossism
and the handling of the parties by self
constituted bosses. such as have been
in control Of the Republican party for
| years and are still in control. The Re
publican State convention voted down
a proposition to allow the people to as
sist in the selection of their party off
GERS and the candidates of the party,
leaving the manipulation Of all party
matters in the hands of d few. In
other words the. convention went on
record as approving the old Stand Pat
policies and repudiating the reforms
which the Progressives have been adj
vocating. Had the Stand Patters rec
ognized the principles for which the
Progressives have been fighting, there
might have been some hope Of analga-
nation of two parties. but since the
foundation stone Of Progressiveism has
been repndiated by the State Conven-
tion Of the Republicans there is not
m4ch chance that the two parties will
amalgamate. In the meantime who is
the Republican National Committee
man from West Virginia
Progxessives In Monongalia county,
where the report had gone out that the
/ Progressives and Republicans would
combine, met Saturday and nominated
a full county ticket. naming delegates
to Senatorial. Congressional and State
conventions. The efforts of the Re-
publicans to put the Progressive party
out Of business seem to have signally
failed.
/ George NJ. Bowers, of Martinsburg,
says he is out Of politics, yet friends
of his say he can have the Republican
nomination for Congress for the ask
ing. Mr.. Bowers IN discussing the
matter speaks like man who would
not decline to run if called upon to do
so yet says he is not in politics. YER
1 non Johnson. Of Berkeley Springs, Sam
Montgomery, Of xingWood, and Taylor
fyaorrS ~ yol,;lsr.,s44 $50 la. b;sssv H.