The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-22
I(ByI Charles Brooks Smiths

him and the best that he could ge.
out Of 1t was a draw. Which is pre-.
liminary to say that Senator Chiffon
appeared before an audience of about
three hundred scribes at the National
Press club the other night as a con.
testant In a tiddlers contest. The
senator brought with him the old
alleged Stradiyarius that was given
him by Senator John q. Kenna, had
rosined up the CUTS and bow. and was
ready to get that sack Of flour II
fancy flddlin' could secure It. There
was Just one man who had the nerve
to challenge Senator Chiffon for the
honor, and he was Byron E. Newton,
assistant secretary OF the treasury.
Senator Chiffon led off with Seven
miles up Kauawha" and It looked
pretty much as II he would be a win.
ner right there, until Mr.. Newton
bowed of avery fine rendition OF Pop
Goes the Weasel" with an artistic
"pop" with the forefinger, that seemed
to make such hit with the audience
that it began to look as though Gill.
toms chances for winning the sack OF
flour were very dark. Chilton's 1rienos
were plainly discouraged. But, the
senator pulled himself together and
rallied magnifcently, with marvel.
Gus rendition OF "Sour Wood Noun
tain" He explained that this tune
had never before been within one
hundred miles Of railroad, that It
had been created In West Virginia,
and this was its first time across the
border. Sour Wood Mountain" as
fiddle tunes 30, was certainly "hum.
dlnger." Not only that, but it was
"kitush." The audience just stood up
and danced, when the senator sawed
off that classic. 1t was plainly to be
seen after this that Mr.. Newton's root.
ers were depressed and bowed down.
1t was left to the audience to decide
which had won. 1t was also left to
the two contestants to make the clos
Ing arguments In their own behalf.
Senator Chiffon said that his opponent
was not an amateur fiddler, but had
gotten into the contest through mis-
representation. He charged that Mr..
Newton was O near violinist; that he
had distinctly heard him ask the &C.
companist to play in three sharps;
lie said that that proved that New
ton was not fiddler because there
wasn't a fiddler living that knew any.
thing about flats or sharps. By this
time the argument got down into the
audience and became so heated that
1t locked as though the police re.
serves would have to be called out to
control the situation. At this juno.
ture President Theodore Tfller,
Jumped into the breach and an.
nounced that the contestant was a
draw, and TO end all the rumpus tnal
the club would keep the sack Of flour
for its own use. There were num-
Der of other fine numbers on the pro-
gram, but nonet or all them caused
the merriment that the !hddler's con,
test did. - = go
The following changes In fourth
class postmastcru have been uit
nounced: Stephen fully for Boone,
W. Va; Get:ge B. Alley, Lyncamp;
Andrew l.. Powers, for Whitman. q
new office In Logan county.
The women OF the Congressional
Union. with headquarters in Washing
ton, are jubilant over what the asso.
citation counts as victories for the
cause since, the beginning OF the year
The action OF the sixty-third congress
lin breaking all precedents and allow.
ing tho woman's Suffrage amendment
TO come to a vote, is having a marked
effect on a majority OF the state leg.
islatures. Since the vote was taken
in the house on January 18th, suffrage
successes have followed on another IN
the history Of the movement. Seven
states in the legislatures have taken
favorable action in one or both
houses, and in others, the amendment
has passed the committee stage and
Is now pending.
West Virginia was the leader In all
these satisfying Developments for tho
year. BY the passage on January 26th
by both senate and house, to submit a
suffrage amendment West Virginia
has put herself on record as the first
state of the year to become cam.
palgn state, though since the amend.
ment will not be voted on until the
next general election, 1t will not be
voted on till 1916.
1t might also be stated IN this con.
nection, that II the women in West
Virginia are not more active in their
own state for the proposed amend.
ment, that success will not crown
their efforts. This statement Is made
In view OF the fact that little or no
expression came from West Virginia,
concerning the discussion in the
house. There were comparatively few
requests made to the West Virginia
delegation for their interests In the
matter, and although the delegation
voted for 1t, with one single exception.
1t was because Of their own belief In
the matter, rather than any urgent
plea from the women Of the state.
Considered in that light. It is all the
more remarkable to the energetic
workers in Washington, that West
Virginia women have obtained by the
sanction OF both house and senate the
opportunity to submit the question to o
popular vote. The states have fallen
in line with surprising rapidity. With
the West Virginia vote on January
26; on January 81, the favorable re-
port Of the committee on constitutions
al amendments Of the Texas house:
r.....~..g oo.t. 49, ,,ata q, tho frnn, \.