The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-01
JUDGE BENNETT
Is Growing In Strength is tic As.
sertion Of u Democrat
WHO IS VERY WELL INFORMED
On the situation In tho Democratic Camp.
y Is Said cahs,i. Delegation viii DO
S,ynnE to the Levitt, Man-sesond Dis
8 trlet Not Solid for smith iisileyes Watts
will be Defeated and tina, pennstt viii
DO the Nom,n,s.,

"A well informed Democrat, speaking
sot the flght In the Democratic camp for
the gubcrnatorial plum that will be
awarded At the coming Wheeling con-
ycntions said yesterday that the Intel.
hsencer'stable OF preferences Ia attract.
Ing attention and interest all over tho
state. He believes, however, that Judge
Bennett Is not credited with the strength
with which he Will show UP when the
ballots arc taken. lie said, among 9th.
er things:
~ know that Bennett Is stronger than
Your table Indicates ind his strength is
growing daily. 1t Is going to be a three
eornercd fight. l believe Watts will he
sNdeefated and Bennett nominated. He
occupies n peculiarly favorable position
personally, politically mud geographical
~. PERSONALLY, he Is clean and strong,
politically he has no record to haunt
him. while Watts Is shaky on the money
question and Smith was against the VII
son tariff bill. The First district has
nevnriha a governor or senator.
II think your table Is wrong In the fol-
lowing particulars: Bennett will have a
part OF Brooke, probably one-halt. ca.
bell Is uncertain, but one thing IL GER
tain, Ralphsnyder will not get Overcome
fourth. A good many OF the delegates
committed themselves before they knew
Bennett was In the field. Four years
ago Bennett had this county solid and
he Will unquestlonably have strength
there now. but II may not manifest itself
until the second ballot. Doddridgo will
give Bennett four: Grcenbrier will give
him at least seven: Hampshire will be
divided between Smith and Bennett, pro-
badly seven for Bennett and the balance
Tor Smith. Hardy will be divided equal
,lSg between Bennett and Smith. Jeffer-
son will give Bennett one-halt or more.
& Marshall Will give him nnc-half sure.
Monroe will give him one-third on the
first ballot and two-thIrds on the second.
Putnam will give Bennett one-third,
Randolph one-third or more; Rosne and
Taylor one-half each. Bennett will get
one-third of the Writ delegation and
Wood will give him nearly one-halt OF
her thirty.
This Is a very conservative estimate
Of Benefits strength. based on n thor
ough canvass OF the state. Rnlphsny-
der will not have the strength you credit
him with. and the second district Is by
no means solid for Smith. Bennett has
a strong following In that district"
Time Will tell.
Yesterday three counties were added
to the ~lntelligcncer's showing OF hands
on the ~guhernatorial nomination. Ohio
oounty's .titty-three votes are divided
between Watts and Bennett, Mr.. Watts
getting the lions share. thlrty-1ve This
appears TO be the sentiment OF the dela-
CATION at present, but matters may
8change considerably before the conven
IS ton meets. The other two counties
reported. Wayne and Wyoming. give
their votes. twenty-seven. to Watts. 1t
was good day for the Kanawha man
and correspondingly bad for alessrs.
Smith. Ralphsnyder and Bennett. The
figures: