West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-11-23
The California Vote

The Richmond. Va. Evening Jour
nal. whose editor was until recently a
resident OF California. tells OF the con-
ditions surrounding tho election and
the Republican blunders that made a
possible for Wilson TO carry Califor-
mia. while Hiram Johnson. on the Re
publican ticket. carried It by two hun
dred thousand. The Journal says:
Fully to comprehend the anomal-
Gus vote in California. which elected
Republican Uaited States Senator
by upward of 2o).O00 majority and de-
feated the Il , .blican Presidential
candidate by moro than 1900 votes.
the tremendous popularity OF Cover
nor Hiram Johnson. United States
Senator-elect. must be realized. Twice
elected governor. first as Republi-
can candidate, next as n Progressive.
despite the bitter opposition OF the
organized reactionary element OF the
Republican party. he controls n fol-
lowing OF nj least 100000 voters, men
and women, who will support him for
any position he aspires to fill.
This powerful balance OF power in
the state was. naturally, incensed
when the Old Guard Republicans, in
charge Of Mr.. Hughes itinerary In the
state, deliberately snubbed the COVER
nor when the Chicago nominee OF the
party reached California Chester
Rowell, Republican state committee
man, warned the leaders OF the eyre
gious blunder they were making. but
TO no effect They persisted I'm their
suicidal course. with tho result that
every Progressive, with his wife. sis
ter and daughter. could hardly wait
for election day 10 mark an X along
side Wilson and Johnson, which was
tantamount TO double-cross for MIR.
Hughes
Examine the returns from Califor-
MIA and they show to one familiar with
the political complexion OF the state.
that In the Progressive section, par
ticularly. tho Wilson Johnson vote
was paralleled. BY prodigious ma
jority was the snub for their state
idol revenged.
More stupendous folly than that
evinced by the regulars" was never
shown. in view OF the circumstances.
which were we'll known, and the re-
suit has been OF disastrous conse-
uence TO the party. costing Mr..
Hughes the election. II is, in effect,
a repetition OF the Buchard lapsus lin
guae that lost Mr.. Blaine the Presi-
dency.
In considering the heavy California
vote. the New York Sun falls into err
for in contrasting the $780, ,O99 votes
cast for Wilson with that given To
Curtin, Democratic candidate for gov
ernor In 1914, who received only 116.-
121, and asserting that the women had
no vote In 1912, ergo the increase is
due to the woman vote this year. or
course. the women did vote I'm 1912,
having been given the franchise the
year before, in 1911. The total vote
for Wilson in 1912 was 2S3 1876 and for
Roosevelt, 2S3,610. while 1914 only
wrote Mr.. Taft's name on the ballot
sheet. The popular vote that year
was 570.9G0 At least 100000 Repub-
licans did not 20 TO the polls. The
natural increase OF the voting popu-
lation in the state in four years. to-
gether with the influx from other
states. accounts for the difference that
so astOnishes the Sun In southern
California alone the population has
been augmented 200.00o since 1912,
much of 1t going TO Los Angeles,
Bitterly now the Old Guard papers
are blaming Governor Johnson for the
detection OF the Progresslves, but he
retorts that they themselves are TO
blame-in the way we have shown
and that Woodrow Wilson owes them
debt OF gratitude he never can ro-
pay. The stupidity OF Campaign
Manager Wilcox in sending Mr..
Hughes into California before the pri-
mary fight was settled between John
son and Booth for Senatorial nomina-
ton is apparent. Had Hughes waited
until that delicate question was sd-
justed, and then gone In 10 speak side
by side with Johnson It would have
been worth 100000 votes 10 him in
California, helped him elsewhere in
strong Progressive states and given
the Presidency to the Republicans.
II was folly OF the most stupendous
nature that planned Otherwise