West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-09-06
REPUBLICANS In
BERKELEY COUNTY
BADLY DIVIDED.
Henshaws and netzeIls are Warrine
With Each 0ther-Some
Side LIGHTS.
On the keyser Convention.
the Chief Cause Of the
Trouble.


Berkeley county is not without her
family quarrel in the party that
does things" Like most Of the
counties in the state they haye two
factions that never lose an oppor-
tunity TO give an exhibition of their
dislike for one another when there
is an appointive Office to be awarded
TO the faithful.
The Republican factions in Berke-
ley are designated as the Hen
shaws" and the Hetzells." Just
now the Henshaws are in the sad
die and are riding rough shod over
the Hetzells on account Of having
the ear of Uncle Steve Elkins.
The reappointment of Mr.. Alex.
Clohan as postmaster of Martins
burg is the latest vitrol injected into
the Hetzell sore. Senator Elkins
is credited with the appointment Of
Clohan, although it is said by the
Hetzell people that he promised TO
endorse their man. The appoint
ment was not made without fore
bodings of future squalls in the
Elkins camp.
The Hon. John j. Hetzell, who
is the leader of the opposition to
Elkins in Berkeley, is conceded by
friend and foe TO be one of the best
political generals in the country.
His lexicon contains no such word
as fear" He is Characteristic
Indian in politics as he neither for.
gets friend or forgives an enemy.
This was never better illustrated
than in the Keyser convention
which nominated Geo. G. Sturgiss,
when he took the floor and failed
Elkins in the house of his friends.
A less courageous man would not
have faced the enemy and invited
their fire.
1t was the fear of Hetzell's at
tack on Elkins which caused the
Sturgiss people TO not allow the
committee on resolutions to report
until Sturgiss was nominated and
delivered his speech of acceptance,
something unprecedented in po-
litical convention where there was
not the least semblauce of opposi-
ton to the candidate. They could
not have paid higher compliment
to Mr.. Hetzell and il was freely
commented on at the time. Here
was candidate (Sturgiss) accept
ing a nomination from a conven-
ton which was afraid to adopt
platform previous to the nomina-
ton Of its candidate. But there is
little bit Of unwritten history con-
nected with this that will show that
the Sturgiss people were not so con-
fident that they could nominate
Sturgiss, even though the other can
didates had announced their with
drawal from the race. There was
well organized opposition to the
machine candidate which would
have materialized when the COM
mittee on resolutions reported.
That portion of the resolution which
endorsed Elkins was TO have been
taken as the pretext to throw the
convention into turmoil and q
dark horse was 10 be flashed on the
convention.
The Sturgiss people got wind
of it few hours before the conven-
ton was 10 meet and it created a
great fuIor Of excitement amongst
them. In order TO avert such a
catastrophe to their idol there was a
hurried consultation held and de.
cision reached that the resolutions
were not 10 be submitted to the
convention until Sturgiss was nom
mated and had accepted the same.
They are still endeavoring TO create
the impression that they can elect
Sturgiss by a safe majority, but the
truth Is that they arc fearful that
he will be defeated. Their fears are
well grounded.
The postmaster dispute having
been settled in favor of the Hen
shaw faction the fight which is en-
gaging the attention OF the factions
is the legislative ticket. The Het-
zells are so numerically strong in
Berkeley county that they can de-
feat any candidate whom the Hen
shaws may nominate.
Like every applicant whom El-
kins has recommended he made
both factions believe that he would
recommend their man. This de.
oeption was kept up for some time