Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-28
West Virginia Democrats
Nominate Him to Lead
Their State Ticket.
TWO FACTIONS WRESTLE
For Supremacy and Make the Con-
vention Quite Lively.
BENNETT. THE FARMERS CHOICE,
Pushes the Leader for First Place. but Falls
a 1rifle Short. -
LIVELY SCENES AMONG THE DELEGATES

ESPECIAL rELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
PARKERsBURG, w. VA, July 27.-The
Democratic State Convention met here to-
day and was remarkable for lack OF
harmony caused BY the bitter factional feud
which has grown out of the contest for the
Gubernatorial nomination. The three
leading candidates, w. A. McCorkle, of
Charleston; p. o. Eastman, of Mason
county, and Judge George Bennett, of
Lewis county, have made an active canvass
and their boomers are here in great num-
bers. McCorkle is the leading candidate,
but lacks 100 votes of enough to nominate
him.
The Eastman and Bennett men have
formed combine against McCorkle,. and it
is possible that one or the other of them
will receive the nomination. The prelim-
inaries to-day have been characterized by a
bitterness which cannot but bode ill for
the Democracy of West Virginia. In ad-
dition there are contested delegates from
Wayne county and, no matter which side
the Credentials Committee favor, bitter
fight will be transferred from the commit
tee room floor to the convention.
Three Thousand Were There.
The convention met in wigwam, built
Tor the purpose, which seats 5000 people.
It was packed to suffocation this morning
at 10 o'clock when State Chairman Reilly
raped the Convention to order and intro
duced Governor Fleming, as Temporary
Chairman. Colonel Payton was made Tenn
porary Secretary. Governor Fleming made
brief speech on taking the chair,
in which he denounced Repub-
icanism and predicted Democratic
ment Of the committee the convention
adjourned until o'clock.
On reassembling United States Senator
@. j. Faulkner was made Permanent Chair
man and Cal Peyton, Secretary. The Com
mittee on Credentials was not ready to re-
port and the report of the Committee on
on basis of Representation was called for.
Then began the war of factions. The
majority report fixed as the basis of repre-
sentation the votes received by Fleming for
Governor in 1888. A minority report
recommended as the basis the vote cast for
Cleveland in the same year. The majority
report would give McCorkle two more votes
in his own county delegation than the
basis recommended by the minority and
would decrease the representation in Jeffer-
son county.
Attempts to Steal in Votes.
This vote is divided between Bennett and
Eastman. The McCorkle men declare that
the rejection of the majority report would
H.. 20 he Sc
did not believe Fleming's vote for Governor
was honest and that the Republicans were
right in their assertion that Fleming's ma
jority over Goff as finally fixed by the Leg
islsture was q clear steal.
Every McCorkle speaker made this asser-
tion. The Bennett Eastman combine fought
savagely for the minority report, and the
feeling in the convention increased with
every speaker. Intense excitement reigned
all afternoon and order was almost fargot-
ten. The wrangle occupied all afternoon,
when a recess was taken until tonight
At the evening session of the convention
the exciting scenes of the afternoon were re-
peated, and there was battle royal between
the McCorkle factions and the opposition. |
A ballot was taken on the majority and |
minority reports of the Committee on Basis |
of Representation. The majority report |
won, the vote being 327 to 449, and the Nc
Corkle faction went wild.
Confusion stm Reigns Supreme.
The confusion and excitement was so
great that it was nearly 10 o'clock before
the vote was completed. The Credential
Committe Unexpectedly settled the WAYNE
hye hot oil |
allowing them half vote each.
Nominating speeches for Governor began
at 10 o'clock. Senator Arbuckle, of Green
brier county, placed in nomination John NJ
Sydenstricker for Governor, urging as one
Of his chief merits that he was a brave Con-
federate soldier and farmer
Ex-senator Floutnoy, of Kanawha,
placed in nomination W. A. McCorkle, |
whose name was greeted with great enthus-
asm. G. II. Chidester placed in nomina-
lion Judge George NJ. Bennett whose
name was greeted wish considerable en-
,husiasm by the anti-Corkleites. Ex-Con-
yressman b. +. Martin placed in nomina-
ion Hon. Presley c. Eastman, of Mason |
county, as farmer candidate.
The result of the first ballot was Nc
Corkle 29S, Bennett 2S4, Eastman 132,
Sydenstricker14. 1t was midnight when the |
second ballot was begun, and when few
counties were called the electric lights were
,urned out. The 5000 people were in
,otal derkness for several minutes but kept |
,rder. The lights were presently turned
IN and the ballot was resumed.
The second ballot had not proceeded far
Until the counties began to change to ,
NcCorkle. The convention was stampeded
md it was 1 o'clock this morning when he
vas nominated. The convention adjourned
until 10 o'clock to-day when the ticket will
,e completed.