West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-07-06
JUDGE LUCAS AS A .kIckER..

1
the Hampshire Review an interest,
ing letter from Hon. Daniel b,
Lucas, Of Charlestown. in which he
explains how he was induced tc
become an applicant for tho Portu.
gal ministry, and failed. He laws
the blame on Senator Camden, who
he says, opposed him openly and
actively.
Taking into consideration Mr..
Lucas action towards Mr.. Camden
in days gone by, it could not be
expected that Senator Camden
would have done otherwise than le
did In the present instance. The
writer has been n great admirer of
Mr.. Lucas, and befriended and
done battle for him in several polit-
ical contests prior TO the time of
which we write, but we must con-
fess he Is chronic kicker Of the
most virile kind. Although good
Democrat, it is difficult to keep
him within the traces, or in full
accord with his party.
There is an interesting history
connected with Senator Camden
and Judge Lucas, which shows how
one can down the other and then
be downed himself. 1t is worthy
of brief recital:
Away hack in 1882 Mr.. Lucas as
PRED to the Democratic nomination
for Congress from this district, and
he was opposed by Judge Hoge,
who was then in Congress. Both
gentlemen wero backed by strong
faction of the party, so evenly divi-
ded that both failed of nornina-
ton, and Mr.. VIM. l.. Wilson, then
President of the West Virginia
University, was taken up as a com
promise measure, nominated and
elected. Here Mr.. Lucas first
kicking propensities showed them
selves. He commenced TO kick
against everything that opposed bis
nomination in that congressional
convention, and he took it for
granted that Mr.. Camden had a
hand IN his defeat, though no one
believes that gentleman had any
thing to do with it.
However, later, in 1887, when
MIR. Camden was before the Legis-
lature as a candidate for tie United
States Senate, Mr.. Lucas and few
of his friends refused to 60 into the
Democratic caucus or abide by it's
decision. Mr.. Camden received
the nomination, and had Mr.. Lucas
and his friends supported the nom
inee of their party he would have
been triumphantly elected. But
the Lucas clan bolted the caucus
nominee, and caused a dead lock
mp to final adjournment. Conse-
quently there was no Senator elected
at that session, and Mr.. Lucas cut
notch in his stick.
Governor e. w. Wilson was a
warm friend of Mr. Lucas and, it is
said, helped him IN his crusade
against Mr.. Camden. After the
adjournment OF the Legislature
Gov. Wilson appointed Mr.. Lucas
U. S. Senator to serve until the
next meeting of the Legislature.
Another notch in the Lucas stick.
Now comes the joke on both
Gov. Wilson and Mr.. Lucas. The
Governor called an extra session of
the Legislature to transact some
important business which that BODY
failed to attend to in regular SEES
SION, and the Governor had no idea
the extra session would touch the
senatorial question. That WASH
what he called them together for,
and the State constitution says the
extra session must only transact
such business as is prescribed IN
the Governors proclamation but
the members believed it to be their
prerogatIye to elect Senator, and
did so. This was just after Mr..
Lucas was appointed Senator.
Now Mr.. Camden cut a notch in
his stick and sailed ia to knock Mr..
bncss out though he had no
chance Of being elected himself.
How he maueuverod things we
don't know, but everybody recol-
lccts that that extra session Of the
Legislature took up the senatorial