Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-08-17
That Senatorial Convention,

Republican convention held here
last Saturday was pretty fair spec
linen of modern Republican pol.
itics.
Of the FIVE candidates, Morris,
Mcknight and Maxwell withdrew,
and left Anthony B. Smith, of Ty-
Ter and Harvey W. Harmer, of
Harris to fight it out between
them. The withdrawal of the two
Richie county candidates gave
Smith the solid vote of that county.
The officers of the convention
were c. E. Haddox, of Richie,
chairman and P. M. Ireland, of
Doddridge, secretary.
The resolutions adopted en-.
dorsed every Republican Office
holder from Mckinley down. They
even swallowed the Dingley def.
cheney tariff bill and the bond issue.
Golf henchmen were on the
ground in great numbers, and
one of them proposed an amend
ment to the resolutions instruct
ing the candidate nominated by the
convention to vote for Golf tor
United States Senator. This caused
some discussion, but was finally
adopted with the proviso that he
would only be required to do so pro-
vided COTS name was before the
legislature.
When nominations were called
for delegate from Harrison placed
in nomination the name of Harvey
w. Harmer, and F. L. Blackmarr,
of Tyler, placed the name of An
thony B. Smith before the conven.
ton. Several persons seconded
each, and the applause seemed to
be about equally divided.
1t was known to be All equal
race and the excitement soon be.
came intense. Finally delegate
from Tyler threw a bomb into the
Harmer camp by charging him
with keeping Prof. Barnes, Dem
ocrat, at the head of the Fairmont
Normal School.
Here was the opportunity for the
Smith men and they grasped 1t in
minute. Instantly the chairman,
who was a Smith man, ordered a
vote taken Immediately. They
didn't want to give Harmer a
chance TO meet the charge.
The counties were called and a
vote taken. Doddridge divided her
vote and voted s IL for each cam
didate. At this time some delegate
from Richie bawled out that a
Doddridge delegate was trying to
interfere with their vote. He was
given leave to kick the intruder
out, which he proceeded to do.
Richie had adopted the unit rule
and cast her ~ votes for Smith.
Tyler then cast I5H votes tor
{ Smith and 81 for Harmer. 1t was
apparent that If Harrison county
divided her vote as she had already
decided to do, Smith would have a
majority. So the wire-puller from
Doddridge, who tried to interfere
with the Richie delegates, came
to the rescue and had Harrison to
adopt the unit rule, and her 80
votes were announced for Harmer,
which was enough to nominate.
Everything was In an uproar in
an instant. Pandemonium reigned
supreme. Cries of fraud and
bribery were heard on all
sides. All the delegates :ose to
their feet and started to the front.
Perhaps forty people wanted rec
ognition at the same time. Some
one asked if this was democratic
convention.
A delegate from Harrison chal-
lenged the vote Of that county.
Another yelled out that Harrison
county had cast Fl votes for Har-
mer and } for Smith. Then some
one challenged the vote OF Richie
and things were getting interest
ing.
At this juncture, after consi der
able effort, Harmer was recognized
by the chair, and in speech OF
some length withdrew and moved
to make the nomination of Smith
by reclamation, which was done.
Some one from Tyler told Harmer
he looked like Golf, which almost
knocked him down.
Smith then came forward aud
thanked the convention for the
~ La xyn,,Id vote fOr