Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-13
|IBE WAR AGAINST DORR. ]
Certain Republicans Determined to
Knock Him Out.
An Interesting Sketch of the Con-
CHEESEMAN'S Career, and Some
Side Lights on Politics in That
Congressional District,

| Special to the Register.
| Charleston, w. Va, December r.
| The mention made of the probable
| defeat of Congressman c. p. Dorr for
| a denomination in this district next
year, as found in an interview with
prominent Republican of this city,
and published in the Register of last
| Thursday, has stirred up the friends of
Dorr here and moved them to protest
most vigorously against the charge
i, that he is weak before the people or
! that his chances for a denomination
are not first class. They ridicule the
| idea that eX-Congressman ]. H. HUI
| ing has any chance Of being nomin-
| ated. 1t is true that Mr.. Huling with
drew from the contest in 1896 early
| in the engagement, but they say that
! it was not until he took a trip to the
back counties to look after fences and
| found that the
Willy WIRE-PULLER FROM WEB
STER
| had gotten possession of the strong
holds and could not be dislodged.
to do but to return to Charleston and
throw up the sponge, so to speak, till
more convenient season. The
withdrawal of Mr.. Huling at this in
Opportune time threw the opponents
Of Mr.. Dorr into disorder. They were
dismayed at the prospect of a rene
gade Democrat carrying off the NOM
ination for Congress while there re-
manned so many true and tried Re-
publicans actually furnishing for the
honors and emoluments of Office.
But what could be done? The district
was canvassed for man to beat Dorr.
But every prominent Republican
spoken Of seemed to be laboring I'M
der some disability or other, or was
afraid to enter the arena. The gal
liant Rucker was a candidate for at
torney general, the generous and af-
fluent Col. Davis, Of Greenbrier, who
had had so much experience in run
ming for Congress in this district and
never refused to enter the race when
asked to do so, had become a hopeless
victim Of the free silver craze and
thus incapacitated for standing on a
gold standard platform.
FRED. M'GINNIS AND HIS MULE
had been lost in the wilds of Raleigh
county, and had not been heard from
for years. Joe Gaines had written
Dorr a letter sOlemnly promising him
net to be a candidate, and so on
through the list. But something had
to be done, and done very quickly
Mr.. Gaines was informed that the
necessities Of the case required him to
break his promise to Dorr and forth
with announce himself for Congress.
Mr.. Gaines demurred, but there was no
use. A desperate case necessitated q
desperate remedy. The wires Of the
Western Union Telegraph Company
were soon hot with the messages flying
over the district announcing that Mr..
Gaines was a candidate and calling
upon the faithful in every county to
foreswear their allegiance to Dorr and
fall in line with Gaines. The faith
full we're slow in falling in line, and
i'll the meantime Dorr sat serenely
behind the breastworks, holding the
fort at
ALL THE STRATEGICAL POINTS.
The day Of battle came on in the
shape of Congressional convention
at Montgomery. The leaders of the
party, great and small, were all there.
They watched with eager expectancy
to see Gaines mop the earth with
DORIS carcass. The battle was fought
with vigor and persistency on both
sides, and when the smoke had clear
ed away Dorr was the only one Of
the prominent leaders that was visible.
Every other conspicuous Republican
who had fought him was numbered
among either the dead, the wounded
or the missing.
DORR IS A PUZZLE
to his political associates. They ap-
pear TO be unable to correctly esti-
mate his ability or account for his
success With scarcely no learning or
capacity for craftsmanship, without
power as a public speaker and unable
make political canvass with
all the powers that can be ar
Taigned against him, he has, new
theless, a strong following, and
has been successful both in politics
and business. Coming to this State
from Chic about fifteen years ago so
poor that he could not buy a decent
suit OF clothes, he has amassed quite
little fortune, his assets in money
and real estate being about fifty
thousand dollars. His advancement
seems to have dated from the time of
the Senatorial contest in the Legis-
lature of 1882 when Dorr was a DEM
Ccratic member Of the lower house
and John e. Kenna was a candidate
for reelection to the United States
Senate. kenna was the caucus nom
inee of the Democratic party. Dorr
CAUSED A DEADLOCK
in the Legislature by refusing to vote
for Kenna. and all the threats and
intimidations that could be EMPLOYED
were powerless to induce Mr.. Dorr
to vote for the Democratic caucus