The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-13
DEMOCRATS A GROVE
OF WEEPING WILLOWS
When They Heard the Election
Returns from the Second
Congressional District.

WASHINGTON. May 1.-THE
state of feelings Of the Democratic
party leaders resultant from Col.
George NJ. BowerB's romp home with
the congressional bacon In tho Sec
ond district, should be seen" to be
appreciated. At long range, and with
only typewriter to do such q de-
scriptivo Job OF this kind the reader
will have to reinforce the script with
his imagination to sense tho situa-
tion and glimpse the picture. The
night OF the fatal ninth" and tho
dawn Of the day succeeding. the
Democratic layout hereabouts re-
sembled more grove OF weeping
willows after dreary drizzIe than Il
militant array of the unterriHed.
Bowers's election was, indeed, a
blow The Democratic state poll
ticians may have felt sad and dis
heartened over the loss OF the Second
district. They probably did. But
| for sadness that Is sad and discour-
agement that Is profoundly abysmal,
and gloom SO thick and dark and
tangible that 1t could have been cut
UP in slices with bandsaw, one
should have seen the eminent gentle
man at the headquarters OF the ma
tlonal congressional committee OF
the dominant party It was, indeed,
a blow. At the White House Offices,
Secretary Joe Tumulty's Irish wit
had gone on days vacation, his
usual smile was lacking, his blarney
wouldn't flow. and he acted quite like
he was having his valet sew band OF
crepe upon the sleeves OF his coat.
There have been some famous
blows dealt. fallen and blown told
about in history, political and other
wise, but the blow handed to the
national administration by the voters
on the eve OF an important presi-
Dental campaign, will take rank
with the foremost and most cele-
brated among them. The justly re-
nowned blow that almost killed
father holds a high and merited
place in historic annals; the big wind
in Ireland in '56 was also and like
wise some blow: and that which was
delivered by great unknown to the
late Billy Patterson was no SLOUGH as
famous blows go, but without SEEM
ing to detract from their illustrious
records and universally accorded
fame. The Bowers's blow deserves
to rank along with them. 1t may
not have been fatal to tho Wilson
administration-ume and events will
settle that-but from the looks of
the leaders, and from remarks in
which they have INDUCED since the
blow fell they appear to look upon
II MS fatality inherent with signitl-
cant meaning OF more of the kind to
follow.
The Second district is historic
ground. II has been the battlefield
of more than one contest of nation
wide interest. When William l.. Will
sons tariff policies were repudiated
in 1894. by the voters of the district.
1t carried It's fame In a national
sense. In no congressional district
in tho state have so many contests
been waged on strictly national is- |
sues and national issues alone. The
late Col. Thomas B. Davis carried 1t
in 1906, but it was personal and |
late Junior" Brown swung 1t back
into the Democratic column and re-
pcated in 1912 and 1914. 1t was
looked upon by the Democrats as
their own property, or at least tho
beat fighting congressional ground
they had in the state. When Brown
died he left to the party the best and
strongest congressional organization
they had in the state. 1t was manned |
to the guards and the gunwales with I