The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-29
RANDOM POLITICAL NOTES.

The estimates of the strength OF the
various Democratic candidates for the
nomination for governor, which have
been published In the IntellIgencer from
time 10 time have attracted a great
deal Of attention. not only from polfli-
clans and the friends OF the candi-
dates, but from all those newspaper
readers who nrc apt to be Interested In
keeping track Of the progress OF II guess
Ing match. The estimates published
have not been gucSses, however, since
they have been based upon adviccs re-
CeivSd from the counties direct. and arc
In most Instances the figures OF Demo-
Gratis wk0 should be In a position to
know the sentiment prevailing in their
respective communities. But since the
lntelliScnccr began the publications,
II since the earlier advIces we're
received new conditions have arisen In
many Of the counties which have ma
tcrially changed the relative standing
Of thu candidates. These conditions
have largely been caused by the active
canvass which has been mad. by the
opposition to Mr.. Watts. whom the In
tclligcncer'S figures have given as being
far In the lead. Colonel Clarence L.
Smiths determination to become an
active candidate Was announced after
many Of the figures were sent to the
lntcllisrncCr, and later advlccs from re-
liable sources Show that some OF the
Watts calculations havc'becn badly up
set, and 1t may be necessary to make n
radical revision Of the table based on
the returns OF the thIrty-Scvcn counties
previously heard from. The Bennett
FlIN.UA.FI hu+ Al To-" a--l-It- A. -.
tcrIcrc with thu Watts calculations To
some extent.
In the table published in the Intclll-
Gcnccr OF Wednesday 1t was shown that
out of $50 votes from thirty-scvcn coun-
ties Watts had $40, Ralphsnydcr 1l3,
Bennctt 10 and Smith So. Since then |
have received Information from n
source III which | have the greatest ON
Iidcncc that the Watts boom has re-
ceivcd n very black eye within the past
few days. and tn, man who has ldeliv-
cred the blow has been the gallant and
popular Colonel Smith. Colonel Smith
has not been making Il brass band cam
paiGn, but his friends In all parts II the
STATE have been getting in some quiet
ana effective work. which may have 4
telling effect on the result when the
forces line up at the state convention. II
Is not probable. III view of develop
mcnts, that Watts will get n single vote
In the South Branch Valley counties,
while, It Is said. since Colonel Smith Is
In the field he Will not get any votes
worth speaking OF from the SccInd con-
Src%jiOnIl district. which may b. relied
upon to stand by it9 " candidate.
While Watts ~ claiming the entire vote
III Harrison county In the FIRST dis
irict. 1t Is reasonably sure that he CAn-
hot control more Than unr-thlrh If that
number and perhaps one at al, The
lntalligcncur'B table has been giving
Watts four votes IN Calhoun, which VIII
90 10 l]'rnnett, If he IL n candidate. In
SOmC uG The counties which have been
instructed for Watts tho votes VIII 20
tu~'lICnnctt In case hiS name E1CS hrinr"
the convention. mud in others the Kant
whit man cannot hold lAs strength aftrr
the first bnIlnt, when II viii he divklc''
between Smith and Bonnet. notably
| the vote of GilmCr county. Girrcnhricr.
which the lnicliIErnccr has been giving
aOlIdly 70 Watts, viii probably not give
him more than half. II Bennett is a
candidate Watts will not get the ten
votes In Marshall which have been
counted for him. and for the same rca'