Evening star., 1942-10-20
West Virginia Trend
Indicates COP Will
Pick Up House Seat
Only q Political Miracle
Gould Defeat Nicely
Representative Randolph
Mr.. Lincoln is taking a pre-
etectlon suing around the coun-
try. This is another in a series
OF articles on election prospects.
BY GOULD LINCOLN,
Star STAFF Writer.

That this trend will be of a
sweeping nature here, even Re-
publican leaders do not expect
The most they really hope for is
to wrest one seat in the House
delegation from the Democrats
the seat which is now held by
Representative Ramsay. 1t was
held in the previous Congress by
former Representative A. c.
Schiller, Republican, who is
again a candidate against Mr.
Ramsay this year.
OF course, should this trend
toward the COP really 60 places
there, might be a chance for the
Republicans to pick up two more
congressional districts, the End and
4th. The Sd, 5th and 9Th districts
are rated too strongly Democratic
to be shaken from their present
party allegiance.
Gov. Matthew M. Neely, a DOM
tnant figure in West Virginia Dem
ocratic politics for years, decided
two years ago to leave the United
States Senate and return to West
Virginia as gubernatorial candi-
date. His purpose was to smash
the more conservative Democratic
factions headed by the then Gov.
Rocky Holt and by former Gov.
kump. He did very thorough
job.
Today he is the Democratic NOM
1nee for the Senate and he undoubt-
edly will be elected. Only a polit
ical miracle, it is said, could bring
about his defeat and the election
OF his Republican opponent, Chap
man Revercomb.
Slowed Down by Recount.
Mr.. Revercomb was only declared
the Republican nominee for Sena-
tor three weeks ago. A recount OF
the Republican primary vote was
then finally completed, showing Mr.
Revercomb leading his opponent, R
J. Funkhauser, by about $50 votes
This interfered to some degree with
the beginning of the Republican
senatorial campaign.
Gov. Neely's hold upon the labor
vote in the State, particularly the
mine workers, has been remarkable
for its completeness. He is a poll
tician par excellence, in addition
AS Governor he has taken over the
Democratic State machine and he
will use it-as other Governors have
done and will do-for his own politi-
cal ends. On election day it will be
hitting on all four cylinders.
This support of the labor vote for
Gov. Nicely has stood with him in
elections for the House. for the Sen
ate and for Governor. For years one
of his chief aides was Van Bittner,
who headed the West Virginia United
Mine Workers. Mr.. Bittner, how
ever, has been thrown out OF the
Mine Workers organization by John
j. Lewis and has stuck, in an official
capacity, with the CIO.
AS a political factor, he is out OF
the picture in this State. Mr.. Lewis,
who hates the New Deal administra-
tlon and its head, is suspected OF
being lukeWarm toward such ardent
New Dealers as Gov. Neely has
shown himself to be. At any rate,
Mr.. Lewis so far has made no decla-
ration of support for the Governor
However, Gov. Nicely confidently be-
lieves that the mine workers will 20
along with him no matter what
and so do most of the observers here
COP Hopes for Strife
Some Republicans hope that the
desperate fights which have gone on
between the Democratic factions in
recent years will initiate against
Gov. Nicely in the coming election.
They also believe that many Demo-
Gratis and independents will be re-
volted by the Governors thirst for
political power, which has led him
to Jump from the Senate to the
Governors chair and then back to
the Senate in two-year space.
One argument which the Repub-
licans are making against Gov
Nicely is that If he is elected to the
Senate it will cause a special elec-
tion for new Governor, costing the
State from $250,000 to $500,000, or
that West Virginia will be repre-
sented in the Senate by only one
Senator for more than a year, be-
cause Gov. Nicely will continue to re-
main here as Governor and not
present himself to be sworn in as
Senator.
West Virginia has no lieutenant
governor. If a Governor dies or re-
signs, his place temporarily is filled
by the president Of the State Sen
ate. However, the president OF
the Senate may not hold Office as
Governor without an election for
more than a year. Governor Neely's
present term of Office does not ex-
pire until January, 1945, more than
two years hence.
Some of the observers believe that
Gov. Nicely, if elected to the Senate,
will hang on to the governorshir
until the president of the Senate
can take over. The president of the
Senate will be Democrat at that
time, it is confidently expected.
They say that Gov. Nicely, having
returned to West Virginia to take
command of the State House. is not
likely to give 1t up and risk the
election of candidate put forward
by the factions opposed to him.
West Virginia is heavily tax-rid-
den, with personal income taxes, a
gross sales tax. consumers sales
tax, not to mention gasoline and
all the other forms of taxation.
With an upturn in business in
recent years and especially now,
revenue rolls into the State treas
ury.
instead of building up surplus
for q rainy day, the Democratic ad-
ministrations. including that OF
Gov. Nicely, have spent the money
freely. The cost Of State govern
ment has increased, outside Of all
national defense expenditures, more
than $38, 100000 in 1910 over the
expenditures for 1888.
There has been great increase
IN the number Of State employees
In this period. Tho Republicans
are making these issues against
the Democrats, but how far they
will get with them is another thing.
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