Evening star., 1901-06-13
Real Issue in Virginia's Gubernatori a
Contest.
MONTAGUE EXPECTED TO WIN
If He Fails on First Ballot It's an
Open Fight.
S ITUATION SSED
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
RICHMOND, Va, June 13.-One OF the
| most exciting gubernatorial campaigns in
the history of Virginia is now rapidly
drawing to a close and before the end Of
June 1t Is reasonably certain that the name
Of the winner will be known.
Although there are four candidates in the
field, the real fight has been between At
torney General A. ]. Montague and Claude
A. Swanson. who represents the fifth Vir-
ginia district in the national House Of
Representatives. The other contestants
are Lieutenant Governor Edward Echols
of Staunton and Col. Richard c. Marshall
of Portsmouth.
The guberhatoral convention will meet
in the city of Norfolk August IA to make
nomination. which. in this state, is equiv
alent to election.
The convention will be composed of l.
467 delegates. and the votes of 734 will be
necessary for nomination. This being
the case, each of the leading candidates
is straining every nerve to secure the re-
quired number in order to receive the nomi-
nation on the first ballot.
The Present Indications.
From the present indications Mr. Mon
tague should prove an easy winner He
now has 421 delegates credited to him and
apparently enough votes in sight to carry
him over the mark.
Mr.. Swanson has secured 211 delegates,
and there is little chance that he will Sc
cure more than hundred and fifty addi-
tional.
Mr.. Echols has G6 votes to his credit so
far, Colonel Marshall has IS, there are Ia
uninstructed and So that claimed by
both sides.
Six hundred and fourteen delegates are
to be elected between this time and the
18th of August, but the great bulk of them
will be chosen within the next two weeks.
The friends of Mr.. Swanson have about
given up the hope of securing the nomina-
tion for their man on the first ballot, and
are now bending all their energies toward
preventing Mr. Montague from securing
the coveted plum. With this end in view
they have formed a combination in various
portions of the state, and have succeeded
In doing the leading candidate some lit
tie damage
During the rest OF this week 162 dele
gates are to be chosen. Tomorrow Char
lottesville elects seven; Sussex county,
seven; Isle of Wight county, twelve: Roam
ol1e county, nine, and Norfolk city, thirty
nine.
On Saturday there will be elections in
Nottaway. Clarke, Mecklenburg. Montgom-
cry and Russell counties and Roanoke city,
aggregating lightweight delegates.
May Be an Open Fight.
Should none of the candidates in the
race secure enough votes to be nominated
on the first ballot the fight may be won by
anybody except Mr.. Montague or Mr..
Swanson. There is such a bitter feeling
between the supporters of these gentlemen
that neither can hope to secure any re-
cruits from the ranks of the other, and
upon that fact the adherents of Mr.. Echols
are building great hopes, for the latter is
personally acceptable to nearly all of the
delegates. although his combination with
Mr.. Swanson may cost him some votes.
There is also much talk of some outsider
figuring in the convention, and the names
of Gen. Fftzhugh Lee and State Chair
man j. Taylor Ellyson are the ones most
frequently mentioned.
Mr.. Ellyson was q candidate for the nom-
ination in 1896, but so overwhelming was
the sentiment for the present governor
that his name did not go before the con-
vention. He is not candidate at this
time, but would no doubt accept If nomi-
mated.
Gen. Lee has just returned to Virginia to
reside, and his views on the subject are
not known.
A Peculiar Campaign.
This campaign has been an extremely
peculiar one Both Messrs. Swanson and
Montague stand high in Virginia. and the
fight between them would have been
even one, with chances probably favoring
the former.
Mr. Swanson, however, announced that
he entered the race under the auspices of
United States Senator Thomas S. Martin,
and the latter declared that he would take
Swanson's defeat as personal matter.
The people of Virginia thereupon came TO
the conclusion that it was a case in which
a political boss was about to foist a gov
ernor upon them whether they wanted him
or not.
Mr.. Montague was not slow to improve
his opportunity. and the campaign resolved
itself into battle between the people and
the machine.
Mr.. Montague was further aided by
United States Senator John w. Daniel, who
indorsed Mr.. Swanson before a Lynchburg
audience, declaring that there was no ma
chine in Virginia.
A few days thereafter Lynchburg and
Campbell, Senator Daniels home. city and
county, registered a protest by giving Mr..
Montague an enormous majority.
situation Summed Up.
To sum up the situation in few words:
Mr. Montague will either win on the first
ballot or the nomination may go to Lee,
Ellyson, Marshall or Echols
For the lieutenant governorship ii is gen.
orally conceded that Capt. Joseph Willard
of Fairfax, the young millionaire, who has
such large property interests In Washing
ton. has the best showing. Captain Will
lard has been training with the Montague
forces, and will no doubt go in should the
latter win.
For the office of attorney general there
are a number of candidates, but none has
yet developed sufficient strength to indi-
cate even family who the winner will be.
Death of Prof. Stafford.
NEW YORK. June 13.-Prof. Truman II.
Stafford, professor of astronomy at Williams