The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-28
west vlrrIn,a senatorial question.

Corr spondenee PItuburgh Ielegraph.
WHEELING, December ga gentleman
conversant with the senatorship from this
State says there is great deal Of noise
sbout the contest for that prize, but that
there Is no trouble about the result. The
avowed candidates are johnson n. Cam
dem, OF Parkersburg, Henry N. Mathews,
OF Lewisburg, the present Governor OF
the State, and Frank Hereford, the Senator
whose term expires on the fourth Of
March.
Among others mentioned for the place
are Congressman Ben Wilson, OF the First
District, ex Governor Price aud Charles
James Faulkner, Buchanan's Minister to
France. The State is divided In senti.
ment and interest into two sections, ira
versed by the Baltimore & Ohio and the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroads. The Ohes-
apeake & Ohio traverses the Third Con.
gressional district, lying along the south
ern border, and this section claims one ot
the Senators, Senator Davis, who holds
over, being from the Second district, and
living at Piedmont, on the Baltimore 4
Ohio. Governor Mathews lives in Green.
brier county, the wealthiest In the south.
ern portion OF the State. ..y-
Senator Hereford lived in the adjoining
county OF Monroe, which is fairly pro.
ductive county, mostly devoted to grazing.
Hereford is undoubtedly the greatest acci-
dent In American politics. He was elected
TO Congress by an accident, and foisted
into the Senate by Q still greater accident.
He was elected to fill the uneIpired term
~ fAR al los IN
him, an election occurred at the same
time, The old Confederate element rais.
ed the question Of disloyslty to the Con-
iederacy against Henry G. Davis, who was
q Union man. and then held seat in the
Senate OF the United States. Ex-Governor
Price represented the rebel sentiment in
Hereford's locality, and Faulkner in the
northern section of the State: Davis was
acceptable to the Republicans in the Leg.
islature, and to rebuke the Confederates
entered into an arrangement with the
Democratic supporters Of Davis to elect
the latter, and Hereford slipped in under
this agreement along with Davis. Here
ford's career in the Senate has given him
no strength In the State, and he stands no
chance OF a re election.
Mathews is weak man who has made
q passable Governor. He is stronger than
Hereford in his district, but too weak to
be even dangerous candidate.
Camden is from the First Congr essional
District, and has in his canvass TO encoun.
ter the prejudice OF locatian. He was
cheated out ofthe Senatorship when Caper.
ton was elected by q confederate combina.
ton, and was not candidate when Here.
lord was elected. The Democratic party
owes him more than any single man in
the State, for he did more TO break the
Republican hold on the State than any
body else, except Senator Davis. The
First and Second Congressional districts
furnish the majority OF the members OF the
Legislature, and they are practically solid
for Camden. He has besides quite fol.
lowing In the Third District. He Is very
wealthy man. He Is President OF the
Camden OIL Company, an uffshoot Of the
Standard, and It's largest branch. He is
also heavy stockholder in the Standard.
He was formerly lawyer. He is strong
man with good heart and level head. he
is more acceptable to the Republicans
than Hereford or Mathews, and II by any
chance the vote should be close between
him and any other candidate they will
support Camden. He and Davis are the
wealthiest men in the State and have
strong business and social relations. II
Camden be elected Il will 90 far 10 elevate
the representation Of west Virginia In
Congress.