Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-08-06

The scramble for the Congressional
shoes of Capt. Danford wakes warm and
furious in the district over the river.
From surface indications it would ap-
pear that Hon. C. L. Weems. of Bel
mont county, stands the best chance of
winning, as Belmont is the largest
county in the district with 81 votes
in the convention-Within 20 of enough
to nominate. To capture these %, ordi-
narily, would not be herculean task,
but conditions may render it almost
impossible at this time. The friends OF
other candidates insist that Weems can
not secure the needed 23-in fact, they
assert that Weems will not be able to
hold his own county in line, that the
friends Of Gen. Hollingsworth in Bel
gates are selected. in several large
townships, who can be handled when
the time comes
In support of this assertion, they
cite the grooming of Judge ]. w. Hol-
lingsworth, of st. Clairsville, as dark
horse. Another potent factor in the
fight, they claim, is the financial ina
bility of Weems to go into long drawn
out contest with men of wealth like
Scott, Hollingsworth and Gill.
If these statements are correct, then
indeed will Mr.. Weenls find the road
to Congress a rocky one However,
detection and treachery in his own del
egation will much more speedily ter
inmate his career, than the wealth of
all the candidates combined. With
Weems thus summarily disposed of,
how will the fight stand? Mr.. Gill will
go into the convention with Jefferson
county practically solid, notwithstand-
ing the fact that Erskine led the fight
against Danford at the last convention,
and his friends insist that he is justly
entitled to Jefferson county without
contest. Judge Mansfield is regarded
as a Hollingsworth annex, with the
prospect OF limited number of dele
gates. Mr.. Gill owns jefferson county,
but with the solid vote of Jefferson he
is still shy of the strength of Weems.
1t is claimed that he has a first mort
sage on Monroe county. His manager
scored first blood in liking the Con-
gressional committee, so that the Mon
roe county committee could select the
delegation to the convention. The Hon.
Thomas B. Rouse is the committee, and
Thomas is reported to have fixed
things for Gill and Thomas. Then the
supposed friendliness of the admins
tration is hoped to help Gill, and every
federal officeholder is expected to shed
his coat and hustle. or quit.
Candidate Scott has never been re-
garded as a strong probability. does
not so regard himself; but he is having
lots of fun and winning a great deal
of notOriety upon which he seems to
fatten.
Candidate Hollingsworth will have
the 26 votes of Harrison county solid,
and is reported to have made peace
with the Kurtz element in Carroll
county represented by the Hon D. A.
Rutan of anti-Hanna fame. and ex-
poets Rutan to deliver Carroll county
at the opportune moment. But Mr..
Rutan has troubles of his own and will
be kept busy to pull down renomina-
| ton TO the State Legislature in the
Harrison-Carroll district. If Rutan
should be renominated it will give
foundation for the charge that Hol-
lingsworth has laid down to the anti
Hanna faction and may eliminate him
from the contest.
AS the fight now stands no candidate
can be named without assistance from
Belmont county, and while Gill may
win, it all hinges on the loyalty OF
Belmont county to Weems.
The friends of Mr.. Weems will doubt
less endeavor to select a delegation
that can neither be delivered to any
other candidate or tempered with in
any event. All in all, the situation is
very much complicated, and the out
come is a matter of conjecture.