Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-16

the Republican ofacehofders on the T
side and the balance of the Republican
voting population 81 the other. With
but a rev notable exceptions all the
Republican officials and employees in
West Virginia, both State and federal,
belong to a kind of officers protective
association or officers trust, and it be-
comes the duty of this officers trust
to labor ~zealously for the retention of
every other oficeholder in his pres
ent position or a better one. It is a
fact worthy Of note that every Repub-
lican elected or appointed to any Of
flee in West Virginia, either federal,
State or county, with but few excep-
lions, is a candidate for reelection or
reappointment to his present position,
so that there appears to be no room
for any Republican on the outside.
Once in office, always in Office" is the
motto of the Elkins ring. 1t is the
outsiders who desire places either for
themselves or their posterity who are
behind the opposition movement.
Every Republican looks forward to the
time when either himself or some OF
his children or grandchildren may hold
some kind of office Oh position, or in
some way get on the public pay roll.
But under the present policy of the
Elkins ring no Republican on the
outside has any reward for his fidelity
to his party.
Republican oficeholders in West
Virginia are all alike; they are all,
except a very few. supporters of the
machine and the machine candidates.
Throw a brick at any Republican OFF,
cial in West Virginia and in ninety
nine cases out OF every hundred you
will hit a supporter of A.. B. White, 1t
is this condition of affairs that has
given strength and point to the move
ment of the ants.
The fight between White and Freer
having reached the mud-slinging stage
it has been suggested by conservative
Republicans here that they both be
withdrawn and another man nomina-
ted-One on whom both factions may
unite, but the White men are unwill-
ing to do this, and the Freer men are
more opposed to it than the other side.
They say that they have set out to
break up the Elkins ring in this State
and they propose to prosecute the
fight to a finish; they will never cease
their labor till their work is accom-
plished and the Republicans of West
Virginia are resuced from bossism and
ring domination.
Gene Campbell, of Huntington,
who is to be Mr.. Freer's Secretary of
State, in the event of his being elected
Governor. will lead the fight for his
chief in the Fourth district. There is
to be a showing of hands on the third
day of March, they say, when county
conventions will be held in at least
o%ne-third of the counties of the Fourth
district to appoint delegates to the Re-
publican State convention. The Freer
men will endeavor on that day to Sc
cure for their candidate such a list of
delegates as will give him prestige in
other sections of the State and thrill
the Freer supporters everywhere with
enthusiasm. But the White men will
be on hand at the several court house
meetings on March 3, and endeavor to
turn the tide toward the Parkersburg
patriot and squelch the Freer boom in
its infancy. Watch the Sd of March.
The contest for the Republican nom-
inaticn for State Auditor is also grow
ing interesting. This contest will
bring on another fight; mainly because
of the unusually large number of as
pirants. Among the contestants spo-
ken of are James X. Hall, of Wheel
ing; c. W. Hall, of Charleston; S. A.
Hawk, of Huntingdon; Arnold Scherr,
of Mineral county; C. w. Swisher, of
Fairmont; Denham, of Clarksburg;
Getzendanner, of Charles Town. and
l.. NJ LaFollette, at large.
Peter Silman, ex-Sheriff of Kama
wha, formerly an aSpirant for the
Authorship, is looming up as a can
didate for State Treasurer.
c. w. Dillon, prosecuting attorney
for Fayette county, who deliberated
for a long while on the question wheth-
er to become a candidate for the Re-
publican nomination for Congress in
the Third district, has decided not to
be a candidate for that Office, but to
give e. p. Rucker a tussle for the At
torney Generalship. Dillon is an ex-
ceedingly popular young man and If
he goes after the nomination for At
torney General he will likely get it.
The present Attorney General has been
unfortunate enough to ALLEVIATE a great
many of his friends since he has been
in office, and they will naturally seek
the nomination of any other candidate
before Mr.. Rucker.
j. III. Gaines,
the present U. S. District Attorney, is
a candidate for Congress in this dis
trict. and he appears to have a cinch
On the nomination. His opponents are
Judge G. w. Smith, of Mercer. and
Mike Roach, of Fayette. Judge Smith
was onc a Democrat when the Dem
ocratic party was on top, but he left
the Democracy when the Republican
party was in the ascendancy. The Re-
publicans accuse Smith of having come
over to them in order to better his
condition in life. and for this reason
they do not look upon his candidacy
for Congress with a great deal of ia
vor. He is not likely to prove a for
midable opponent of the winner.
Mr.. Roach is C. & o. yardmaster at
Thurmond. He is said to be a good
man in the position he holds, but as
the peculiar talent necessary in a rail-
road yardmaster would be a little out
of place in the halls of Congress, his
candidacy is looked upon as something
Of a joke. However, he will have the
big delegation of Fayette instructed
for him, and that will be something of
a starter. The fact is Gaines candi-
dacy is the only one looked upon seri-
ously.