Evening star., 1940-10-23
Talk Of Lewis Stand
Against Third Term
Stirs West Virginia
State, In the Bog for
Roosevelt, Might Become
A Real battle-ground
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n Keol oottIe9Toun0
Continued From First Page.)
of the Democratic leaders said, too,
that Mr.. Lewis advocacy Of Mr..
Willkie, if he goes that far. might
hurt the Republican presidential
nominee with businessmen and 9TH
ers in this State who hate Mr..
Lewis and all he stands for. That,
however, sounds little like sour
| grapes.
For the Republicans to carry West
Virginia they will have to upset a
1886 Roosevelt plurality in the
State of 177000 votes. Despite the
fact that they admit swing to
Mr.. Willkie has begun to manifest
itself in the State, have found no
Republican or Democrat who be-
lieves the Republican presidential
nominee will win the electoral votes
of West Virginia. According to the
Republican leaders, speaking off
the record, victory for Mr. Willkie
over Mr.. Roosevelt here is not in
the picture. The Democrats eX-
press the utmost confidence they
will win but admit that the Roose-
welt lead may be cut materially.
This northern panhandle section
of the State is the Republican
stronghold. 1t may give MI Will
kie lead. but the belief is ex-
pressed that the Roosevelt vote in
the sections where the coal mines
and some other big industries are
located will go strongly for the
President and assure his victory.
Two years ago this congressional
district, the first, did a flip-f flop po-
litically. 1t elected A. c. Schiller,
Republican, to the House and gave
him 10000 margin over his Demo-
cratic opponent, former Representa-
tive Ramsay, who had carried the
district with a 25,000 lead in 1896.
Schiller Reelection Is Seen.
Representative Schiller, it is con-
ceded by the Democrats, is likely
to be reelected. The Republicans
hold only that one House seat from
West Virginia today They may
have chance to pick up another in
the fourth district, and here and
there is talk of fighting chance for
them in the second district, now
represented by Jennings Randolph
Such victories for the G. o. P.
could happen only it is said, if
there is real Willkie sweep that
will either give the State to the
G. o. P. or reduce Mr.. Roosevelt's
lead to mere handful of votes.
1t was largely the old. tried and
true Republican protective tariff
argument that resulted in a Re-
publican victory in the first dis
trlct two years ago. An intensive
drive was put on to show the work
ers in the pottery works and mills
making goods which come in COM
petition with cheaper similar goods
from foreign countries under the
operation of the reciprocal trade
agreements negotiated by the New
Deal administration. The drive was
effective, and today Wheeling is
spotted with exhibits of pottery,
cotton goods and other materials
that come into this country from
abroad to compete with American
made goods, with a greatly reduced
tariff duty.
The Republicans are given no
chance at all to win the guberna-
torlal race against Senator Matthew
M. Nicely Indeed, in some quarters
it is believed that Senator Nicely
will run ahead of President Roose-
welt. notwithstanding the bitter
fight which he waged in the primary
campaign for the gubernatorial
nomination against the Gov. Homer
A. Holt faction of the party. Sena-
tor Neely has the whole hearted
support of the mine workers and of
labor generally, although William
Green, president of the American
Federation of Labor. sent letter
here asserting that Senator Nicely
was not acceptable to the A. F. of
L. because he had been so whole
hearted friend of the C. I. o. and
John l.. Lewis. The Green letter
was addressed to Volney Andrews,
Virginia State Federation of Labor.
Dawson Opposes Neely.
Senator Neelys opponent is
Boone Dawson, mayor of Charles
ton, Republican. In the race for
the Senate seat now held by Neely,
Judge Harley M. Kilgore, Democrat
is pitted against State Senator
Thomas Sweeney, who won a sur
prising victory in the G. o. P pri-
mary last spring against veteran
Republican leaders. Mr.. Sweeney
is conducting an active, almost house
to house campaign and making
headway. Judge Kilgore, judge
advocate of the States National
Guard is on duty aiding in the
administration of the draft act
in West Virginia Under the op-
Grafton of the Hatch clean politics
law, he is unable to engage in politi-
cal activities and so has had to
leave his campaign entirely in the
hands of his friends.
Mr.. Sweeney is the only Republi-
can running for Statewide office
who is given chance by the politi-
cal wiseacres here He is only 81
years old, a graduate of Yale,
former newspaper man working for
Time and for the New York Herald
Tribune, and now a district manager
for an insurance company. John L.
Lewis ieutenantS in the coal miners
union in this State are appointed
by him, including Van A. Bittner,
who has been a union leader here
for some time and who has been
actively supporting President Roose-
welt for reelection. If Mr.. Lewis
comes out against Mr.. Roosevelt,
he will put Mr.. Bittner and his
other ieutenants here on the spot.
They are appointees of Mr.. Lewis
they are not elected to Office. The
result might be. even If Mr.. Van