Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-06
FIGHT OF FACTIONS.
TWO RIVAL REPUBLICAN COMMITTEES IN
PRESTON COUNTY.
Squirss Defeats Frseland for the Nomination fo
Superintendent Of Free Schools, and Then the
Dawson Crowd Seeks 10 Gust the
Mccormick Committee.

Dawson Crowd Seeks 10 Gust the
Mccormick Committee.
Special Correspondence Of The Reoisser.
TERRA ALTA, May 4.-The Mccormick
and Dawson clans met in battle array to
day in the convention called to nominate
Republican candidate for Superintendent
of Free Schools of Preston county. The
candidates were B. NJ. Squires, who asked
for a denomination, and William B. Free
land, of Portland district. For a month
the campaign has been on, but at the
primaries held last Saturday, in many
districts only a light vote was polled
Shortly after the convention was called,
ex-senator Dawson, of the Kingwood
Journal, espoused the cause of Squires, and
wrote to his friends in every district in the
county that Freeland was Mccormick
man and must be put under the sod il
time for the daisies to sprout from hi
grave.
McCor-4ick, it is said, took but slight
interest in the fight, merely lending hi
advice and counsel to Freeland, and NOW
and then whispering word in his favor
Freeland, however, was known as an &C.
tive Mccormick man, and was opposed by
the Dawson crowd as persistently, a:
though Samuel P, himself, had been in
the field.
Before noon to-day there were 500 Pres.
ton county Republicans gathered on the
the Alleghenies where cranberries used to
grow 200 feet above the sea- The con-
vention YVES to be held in the little white.
painted school house, and around that
building in the fresh, crisp air, were gath
cred the shiveriDg faithful, for tie snitor
had neglected to open the doors.
II was after / O'clock whsn Mr.. Glover,
of Terra Alta, wrapped his long fingers
around the bell rope and brought forth a
melancholy sound from the square tower.
Within two minutes every seat in the hall
WAS pre-empted. and delegation that ar
rived late remained standing until queer,
short-legged benches were brought up from
the primary room.
Promptly at l 80 o'clock Chairman s. p.
Mccormick, with large muller tied
loosely about his throat, stepped to the
desk and called the convention to order
He named John F. Pierce as temporary
chairman, and G. B. Burke, of the Terrs
Alta Times, as secretary. Mr.. Pierce ran
his fingers through his bushy black hair,
declined to make speech, and asked the
pleasure of the convention.
In response, ex-senator Dawson, of
Kingwood, moved the appointment of the
following committees: On Credentials and
Basis of Representation, Permanent Organ
ization and Resolutions. Without debate
the motion prevailed and each district
chose its representative:
Credentials and Basis of Representation
F M. Thomas. Kingwood; A. NJ. Moore,
Lyon; S. w. Hartley, Valley; John B.
Ford, Reno: Julius Archer, Union; W. II.
Glover, Portland; G.. A. Bishop, Pleasant;
d. T. Scott, Grant.
Resolutions-W NJ. o. Dawson, King
wood; T. f. Lanham, Lyon; G. NJ. Cobun,
Valley; ]. W. Hartley, Reno; D. s. Wilt,
Union; +. ID. Benson, Portland; j. j.
Martin, Pleasant; S. H. Conuer, Grant.
Permanent Organization-M. T. Powell,
Kingwood; U. S. Davis, Lyon; W. q. Co
bun, Valley; VIM. A. Watson, Reno; L.
@. Shaffer, Union; J. D. Rigg, Portland
W. c. Ringer, Pleasant; J. II. Feather,
Grant.
After recess of thirty minutes, the Com
mittee on Permanent Organization report
ed. julius Scherr WAS suggested for
Chairman and Mr.. Burke to be continued
as Secretary. Adopted
The Committee on Credentials recon-
mepded that B. f. Harvey, of the Lyon
delegation, be excluded from the conven-
tion on the ground that he was no Repub-
can; also, that the delegation from any dis
trict should cast its entire vote in the alb
sence of any members.
Mr.. Harvey attempted to gain recogni-
ton, but the Chair coolly ignored his
presence, and, with flushed face and
flashing eye, he resumed his seat long
enough to see the convention officially and
unanimously throw him out-then he left
the hall
Mr.. Harvey is known as Labor Repub-
lican. 1t is claimed that he represented
total vote of about 300 in his district, who
were by this extraordinary action practi-
cally distranchised. Mr.. Harvey returned
to his home to tell his own story of the
Republican convention, and his best ef-
forts now will be to see that IT is properly
and effectively rebuked.
The chairman OF the Committee on Reso-
lutions announced that the committee had
no report to make. This created some sur
prise to those who hadn't seen the neces-
sitv for such a committee in the first place.
The unusual report was privately ex-
planned by member of the committee.
Immediately after the committees or
ganizstion down stairs, ex-senator Dawson
introduced resolution annulling clause
in the first section of the ''plan of CAM
paignn governing the Republican party in
Preston, SO that the County Central Com
mittee should be chosen evesy year. 1t
will be remembered that when S. p. Nc
Cormick grasped the reins of power in 1888,
according to the rules his committee was
placed in authority for term OF four years.
This move of Dawson, therefore, aimed at
reducing the Mccormick crowd to the
ranks and substituting another of practic-
ally his own choosing.
The discussion which followed was
heated and exciting, and when division
was called the resolution was defeated by
vote of 6 to 2. Then DR.. Lanham tried
his hand. He introduced resolution de-
claring that it was the sense Of the con-
vention that in Preston county, postmas-
ters who were acceptable to the majority
of the Republican potrons Of the office
should receive appointments, and entering
a protest against Miss Paul at Newburg.
This was also voted down, Hrd for these
reasons no resolutions were reported to
the convention.
Nominations for Superintendent of Free
Schools were then in order, and Squires
and Freeland were named without any
rhetorical flourishes.
The ballot resulted: Squires, 7s; Free
land, AZ; DR.. Bright, !.
The result was announced amid trenen-
dous applause and loud calls for the sue.
cessful candidate, who modestly stood
chatting to tall man dressed in black
corduroy and holding a white stiff hat in
his hand. This was DR.. Lanham. The
Doctor was Just nodding his head to the
Young man, when the commotion arose on
the other side of the hall.
Samuel P. Mccormick at that moment
left his seat. His dark features were set
dissemination. A few passes with his
long arms, and the muller was twirled
L.r. his thrnat Then the oYeTcoat was