Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-05-06
ELKINs IS HARD TO BEAT
Senior Senator Is Well Intrenched
In West Virginia Politics.
GoFF OUT OF LINE WITH PARTY
Has Been on the Bench So Long He
Would Be Handicapped In Fight
For Senatorship.

Currents statements about opposition
next year TO the reelection OF Senator
Isl b. Elkins are probably not as
serious as they may appear. No re-
publican can hold high office from
West Virginia without incuring
enmities from the disappointed men
of his own party. Politics are strenu-
GUS in this state. The mountaineer
spirit of great ambitions and great de-
Examinations is rampant. The office.
seekers are numerous. and conse-
queutly there are many failures to
aealize on political requests. Such
men are in the main behind the
Elkins opposition.
Voluminous as the talk has been
about bringing ont Circuit Judge
Nathan Goff as senatorial candidate
it is impossible that he will undertake
u serious contest. The politicians say
Judge Con has lost his grip on the
republican party. much as he was
idolized in the earlier days when fight
ing in the face of great odds. He has
been ON the circuit bench for 10 years,
and naturally is no longer in touch
with the party workers over the state.
Further more, he has an assured life
position, paying $1,000 annually.
While Judge Goff is rich man, to
whom the salery would probably be
MINOR consideration, he is receiving
more on the bench than he would re-
ceive as senator. But it Is notorious
in West Virginia that senatorship
costs much more than the salary for
entire six-year term. On the other
hand, Judge Golf likes political power
and If he tries for the senatorship,
will exhaust every effort to win it.
ELKINS IS RESoURCEFUL.
The judge is now SO years old, aud
would have to fight for the senatorship
against the most resouroeful man in
the state. IL is conceded that Senator
Elkins has no superior In West Vir-
ginia as political manager.
comes largely from the recognition of
the fact that he is the only man of
sufficient prominence to be brought
out against Mr.. Elkins. The latter
has had a remarkable career. Daring
almost twelve wears In the senate he
has become national figure. Sen
ators CT his own party sften differ
with him. bnt his conservatism and
good business sense are conceded. He
Is as sound an authority on the effect
of legislation upon general business
rs Allison is about appropriations, or
Hale about the navy. West Virginia
has sent several republicans to con-
Qress for years in succession without
securing men Of legislative promi-
hence. Senator Flkins stands out as
an exception in that particular, and
the rank and file of the party all of
whom are very proud OF their state.
will generally be averse to trying q
new man fot one who has made the
state respected In congress more than
anv other man OF the delegation.
| STRENGTH IN LEGISLATURE.
il Occasionally one hears that the re-.
publicans NAV lose the Legislature next
year. The war between the Dawson
ami Teter factions IL still acute. The
situation in several large counties is
unsatisfactory from the epublican
standpoint. State taxation, which
was the paramount issue in the last
campaign. and which would have lost
the state to the democrats but for the
RooseveIt landslide. is still. cause
of agitation. One can figure how the
, next legislature could have democra-
tic majority on joint ballot. because OF
the disaffection on local issues. unless
the Dawson administration does some
thing to materially mend matters dor.
ing the next twelve months. At the
same time the republican joint major
ity in the present Legislature 80 out
of a membership OF 1l6, anc several
of the the % republican state senators
|
course, will have personal supervision
over contests for legislative seats. ard
feven il Judge Golf becomes candi-
date AGAINST him. will be a tower of
strength for republican legislature.
Senator EIkins enemies will not easily
omit Their efforts at his undoing
will continue nnabated. II they can
not induce Judge Golf to enter the
race. they will find other ways of har-
lassing him, but the best judgment of
republicans who have an opportunity
to gnage sentiment is that the op-
position is far less formidable than it
appears.
| -------------------------
Atkinson Sworn In.
| Ex-Governor George W. Atkinson,