Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-17
THE M'KINLEY MEN
Appear to Have Been In Majority
at The Parkersburg Meeting, Judg-
ing by ReSUlts----Mr. AtkinsOn's
Candidacy.
Special to the Register.

Special to the Register.
Parkersburg. w. Va. February 1G.-
People who are in a position to know
whereof they speak claim there was
quite breezy time during the last
hour or so of the session Of the Repub-
lican state Committee, Friday night.
The trouble is said to have started
through an effort by some of the more
enthusiastic admirers of Mir. Elkins to
launch his Presidential boom by adopt
ing a resolution which would put the
Senator before the country in the as
pect Of a fayorite son. OF course, this
did not suit the Mckinley folks a little
bit. and as a result there was a good
deal OF eloqueuce, ending in the final
withdrawal OF the resolution. The Nc
Kinloy men were led by Mr.. Hart,
who. although not a member Of the
Committee vas in the room at least
four hours out OF the I'VE the Commit
tee was in session. The excuse for
not endorsing Mr.. Elllins as q good man
was that he had said he was not q
candidate Perhaps this is true. and II
the Republican Executive Committee
Of his own State can't see its way clear
10 endorsing him by a resolution, he
will continue 20 say he is not can
didate. The fact is, the Mckinley
contingent became alarmed very easily
so easily indeed, as to give rise 10
the suspicion that they were afraid
Mr.. Eilins' disclaimer was not sincere,
and that any little encouragement
which might be shown him would re-
salt i'm embarrassment to the Wheeling
gentlemen who are building hign hopes
Of a foreign ministry or at least lat
c0nsulship on the contingency of the
election of Ohio's Napoleon le petite.
Extracting the cube root Of this phase
of the Committee meeting, we find
that in the eyes of the majority of the
Republican leaders present at the ses-
sion of the Committee, Mr.. Elkins' re-
ward for opening his barl and tapping
those of mis- friends, in the last cam
paign. is not to extend beyond the
Senatorship. In the language of Mr..
Hart. nothing should be done which
would probably embarrass any West
Virginian."
The general statement that Hon. G..
W. Atkinson practically has the Gu
bernatorial nomination in the hollow
OF his hand is undoubtedly correct.
The only opposition in sight comes
fro mthe venerable Judge J. H. Brown,
of Kanawha, whose friends are urging
his claims 10 some extent. 1t is pre-
dicted, however. that the Judge viii
be withdrawn before long. Even with
his candidacy in full force and effect
friends of Mr.. Atkinson claim that
Kanawha will be for the Ohio county
man in the convention, and that back
ed by the Panhandle, WOOD. Harri-
son, Grant, Mineral and other coun-
ties having big Republican vote, no
one can wrest the prize from his grasp,
try as they may. Mr.. AtldnsOn's phe-
nOmenal personal acquaintanceship
stands him in good stead at this time
He knows more men by name than any
man i'm the State. ana has more than
once stumped every county in the State
in behalf of his party. AS a result
everyone knows him, and with such a
backing his friends profess no anxiety.
whatever. It must not be forgotten,
however, that Mr.. Atkinson has many
enemies within his own party, and
some of them would be glad to go to
The extent Of tripping him up If they
got a chance, and some Of these are to
be found in Mr.. Atkinson's own county
and others in Kanawha.
There is a rumor going about that,
in the contingency of Mr. Atkinson's
election, William " O. Dawson might
become Secretary Of State Just how
This got into circulation is unknown;
it may have emanated from some Of
Mr. Dawson's friends as a "feeler,"
and then again it may have no respon-
sible source; at all events it is an in
teresting contribution to current polit-
ical gossip. Some folks think. however,
that Jacob S. HER or Stuart Reed would
fill the bill better. but they possibly
nave not the pull possessed by the
genial Chairman Of the State Commit
tee.