Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-11
THE RACE FOR MAYOR
On the Republican Side Close and
Hot One.

nell Coming Down the Home
Stretch Neck and Neck-The
Sergeancy and Clerkship Cut No
Figure in Popular Interest.
Tomorrow the long agony which has
prevailed in regard to the Republican
Mayorality contest will be ended. Then
the defeated candidates, as well as the
successful one, will rest with greater
case, for the campaign has been
most telling one on their nerves.
Many years have passed since there
has been witnessed such a deeply in
teresting and closely contested fight
for party nomination for the chief
municipal Office. The absorbing inter
est in this contest has practically left
the City Sergeant and Clerk fight far
in the background. There is no doubt
as TO the outcome Of the latter, but the
struggle for the Mayoralty nomination
WAKES warmer and warmer as the days
proceed and the time draws near when
and three others will see their hopes
disappear as the mist before the noon
day sun. Who that person will be is a
matter Of conjecture, and one that can
not be positively predicted. At the
beginning Of the campaign the consen-
sus of opinion favored one candidate
and none other was taken into serious
consideration. The progress of events
since then has been somewhat proof
OF the wisdom of the scriptural pas
sage. And the first shall be last and
tho last shall be first" At that time
Maxwell seemed to have everything
pretty much his own way. But there
are others, you know, and when Messrs.
Connel, Schultze, ct al, entered the
field and began to make an active can
vass, q great deal of uncertainty began
TO appear on the horizon. This was
followed up by determined attack on
Mr.. Maxwell, by friends of his rivals.
and since that time the fight has been
q hot and interesting one In addi-
ton to this Connel has made a remark,
able canvass and shown unexpected
strength. He has supporting him
nearly all the younger element of the
party. There seems to be q decided
tendency to introduce new blood into
our local politics, and the success in
the last campaign of the younger men
in the contest for the nominations and
elections is a striking example Old
men and old politicians have been
brushed aside. and It may not he sur
prising if the process is repeated in the
future. ConneIs strength is particu-
iarly noticeable in the lower wards of
the city, and especially. as said before.
among the young men and the mill
men. He has the element back Of him
who will be sure to attend the pri-
maries and work Loyalty in his sup
port.
A third candidate whose strength
will be felt on Saturday, and who is
widely known and popular over the
city, is Squire J. W. SchuitZe, Of the
Eighth ward. The Squire has made
clean. straight campaign. and has re-
ceived assurance of substantial support
in more than one quarter lie is NOR
ally sure of carrying his own ward,
which casts one Of the largest votes
OF the city. He will also poll a large
vote in the other wards south of the
creek. and confidently expects to carry
all three, the Eighth Sixth and Fifth.
There is no doubt that the Squire Will
be q considerable factor in the re-
suit.
J. Randolph Butts. Councilman from
the Fourth ward, and a member Of the
Bricklayers Union. has also figured eX-
Al,
waged While Mr. Butts is made OF
excellent material for Mayoralty can
didate. the indication is that he will be
compelled to nurse his ambition for
some future time He will carry his
own ward. the Fourth. possibly the
Third. and will set a god vote in the
Second Els friends claim the Second
as certainly as they do the Fourth.
They base their claims upon the fact
that the cOlored vote decides the re-
suit in that ward, and that the cOlored
bricklayers and hOdCarTiers will bring
their friends into line for Butts. The
friends of Butts claim that the labor
vote will give the nomination to Butts,
and upon this alone base their conf
dence. Stephen Mccullough, while q
RC0U man, Will Ntl llhtiN NplAlt HH
vel! in the rear. MaXwell's
chances have been put in a very unfav-
orable light by the general understand
ing that ne is the ring candidate. and
every day brings forth the evidence Of
an intention TO strongly oppose all eff
fort to centralize the political power
of the party in the hands OF few men
and distribute the Offices accordingly.
This element which are opposed to
such a condition of affairs viii surely
control the result on Saturday and
nominate a man who is free from
political combinations and deals.
Last evening the following table of
the probable vote cast at the primaries.
and its division by wards among the
four candidates for Mayor, was pre-
pared for the Register by a close OBJ
server of the fight. 1t will be noticed
that the result is figured down 10
pretty fine point, with Maxwell very
slightly in the lead and Schultze sec
ond. Here is the estimate by wards: