Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-09
FAlRM0NT FIGHT.
Some Inside Facts and Some Lively
Comments On Elkins and Dayton.

----
Special to the Register.
Fairmont, w. Va, November S.-A.
L. Heffner returned from Baltimore yes
terday, where he attended meeting of
the joint Protective Board of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Firemen, and
when seen by the Register correspond
ent, said:
"The appointment of a postmaster at
Fairmont and the methods used, will
prove a large factor in decreasing the
popularity of our two-sided Senator and
no-sided Congressman Since the peo-
pie have become acquainted with the
inside, of the business the appointee,
Col. Howard Fleming, is beginning to
fear the effort on foot to have the Pres
ident refuse to make the nomination,
and l have even heard it limited that
Capt. Tom Reeds influence may be
heard from. Dayton's personal re-
marks in his letter to county chairman
Arnett, which is not given out yet for
publication, is sure to cause trouble in
the rank and file, and combined effort
to turn down Elkins and Dayton may
be in order.
Listen to Dayton" he continued,
when he says in his letter to me that
when Elkins came to the petition bear
ing the names of forty Flemings he
couldn't stand the pressure. Now Elk
ms writes me in letter received few
days ago, and says: In justice to you
will say, that l never saw the petition
of forty Fiemings and no petition of
the kind was presented This shows
conclusively that Dayton was afraid to
come out openly and turn down the
laborers, but tried to hide behind Elk
ms. Now that he is shown up he could
get about as many miners votes in this
county as Grover Cleveland could. II
regard to the Fleming petition, which
Elkins claims he never saw, | know it
was circulated and that it was given
out in this county as being signed by
two score of Republican voters of that
name. l have it on good authority,
however, that the principal name on the
list was that of A. B. Fleming, for
merly a Democratic Governor of this
State. No doubt it will please Judge
Golf to know that his opponent in
the gubernatorial contest named the
postmaster in his own town under a
Republican President.
Notwithstanding the petition for an
election which the miners and other
laborers so generally signed, it was not
granted, as one of the persons in ques-
ton is quoted as saying that if they did
allow it the miners would come in
and actually name the postmaster. OF
course. this would be an awful thing
and clear out of line in Elkins-Dayton
politics, as working people cut no figure
apparently with them"
Heffner returns to Baltimore on the
18th. and is determined to show up the
principals in the matter not as personal
revenge, but at the request of the most
influential Republicans of the county
and Congressional district.
Dayton's four-page letter to County
Chairman Arnett is very interesting and
when it is given in our next letter the
faithful will open their eyes. There
is nothing that will compare with it,
Heffner says, unless it is the willie
boy" speech of Tom Parks Fleming, de-
livered to Senator Elkins recently in
New York. This told of how he had
been turned down as minister to Cripple
Creek or some other foreign country,
and will be given in full in the book
Heffner is getting out and which is
promised to be on sale at an early date.
1t also explains the special favor Powell
did for Elkins-the securing of the
Sturms vote in the Legislature.
E. E. NJ.