The New York herald., 1922-10-09
CLOSE CONTEST ON
IN WEST VIRGINIA
Chief Menace to Republican
Chances Lies in the Eco
nomic Conditions.
EFFECT OF COAL STRIKE
Democrats Trying to Make
Senator Sutherland Suffer
the Penalty.
EFFECT OF COAL STRIKE
BY LOUIS sEIBoLD.

By LOOlS SEb DOLDs
Special Dispatch to THE NEw YORK HERALD.
WHEELING, w. Va, Oct. S.-The chief
menace to Republican chances in the
struggle between the two parties this
year turns on the effect of disturbing
economic conditions.
The majority of the $4,000 men and
women voters in the flfty-five counties
of West Virginia seem TO be looking
for goat" AS the Republican State
officials still have two of their four
year terms to serve, the battle between
the two parties will be fought out over
one Senatorship and six members of
the lower house, which offices are now
held by Republicans.
West Virginia ordinarily thinks in
Republican terms. President Harding
carried the State by more than $4,000
over Mr.. Cox two years ago and Mr..
Hughes beat Mr.. Wilson by a frac-
ton under 5000. With this margin
the Republicans, who are on the de-
fensive. are striving to hold the ad-
vantage by keeping the 10000 negro
voters in good humor.
OF the half dozen issues which figure
,sporadically in the charges and coun-
ter charges over the Senate seat and
the six jobs in the House the most inn
portant is actually local rather than
national. 1t revolves around the coal
strike, which lasted six months and
threw more than 125,000 workers out
of work.
Dodging Responsibility.
The tremendous losses to operators
as well as workmen struck at the very
roots of individual welfare. 1t is not
surprising, therefore. that the rival
candidates for the Senate and lower
house are seeking to pin or evade the
responsibility for the resulting eco
nomic conditions. The Democratic
managers and candidates very natu-
rally assert that the Harding Admins
tration was responsible for the unde-
sirable consequences resulting from
the struggle between the operators
and their employees.
Unable to strike directly at the
Harding Administration, the Demo
Gratis are making a determined effort
to take il out on Senator Howard
Sutherland. Mr.. Sutherland's Demo-
ratio opponent seems to enjoy the
advantage of an unusually pronounced
degree of party harmony. The two
tf,rn No
former Senators Watson and Chiffon.
who when working in harmony. as at
present, have carried the State against
the Republicans. are wholeheartedly
supporting II. NJ. Neely. their party
candidate. for the Senate.
Mr.. Neely is conducting a vigorous
campaign. devoting much of his atten-
tion to the mountain sections, where
Republican thought is dominant or
has been for several years. He is
energetically brcadcasting charges
against Mr.. Sutherland and the six
Republican Representatives for the
conditions which make for popular dis
content. Mr.. Sutherland. who could
not have settled the coal strike II he
had wanted to, is compelled to bear the
burden of the Democratic assertion
that he did not want to do so except on
terms favorably 10 the corporations
directly or sympathetically connected
with the coal Industries.
tsutherIand's Political Skill.
Mr.. Sutherland, who is rather moro
OF a politician than statesman, Is
therefore compelled to trim his par
tisan arguments to meet the shifting
and vagrant winds of expediency. It
is no small tribute to his. ability as a.
politician of the log rolling type that
he has succeeded 10 large extent in
drawing n red herring over his own
trail in Urging personal alibis
The Republican Senator. with the
characteristic shifting of present day
candidates. has attempted to- match
the Democratic opponent at every de-
batable opening. He has properly fixed
the responsibility for tho coal strike
where Il belongs. He contends that