Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
HARRIS HAS OPPOSITION
WEST VIRGINIA MIx-UP ON TWO
LEADING OFFICES.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

4
/ WHEELING, W. Va, May 4 1901.
| Opposition has developed In his home
town to John T. Harris of Wood county
who aspires 10 the republican nomination
| Tor secretary of state. and 1t is said he will
have a fight on bis hands to get the dele
/ CATION As he has stated he would go into
| the convention II he has his own county be-
| hind him, his local opponents intend to
| make that contingency disastrous to his
hopes.
| 1t Is said by those opposing Harris that
| he left for Charleston the day before the
recent city election In Parkersburg. instead
or deferring his trip a day longer so he
| could vote. They say also he never took
an active part in local politics. and that he
| steadily maintained a position of doubt in
| the two great gubernatorial fights that agi-
| tated Wood county to the depths-the
| White-Freer and Dawson-Teter struggles
Every other republican. or nearly So was
aligned with one of the two camps but
| Harris appears to have kept himself re-
moved from the battle Moreover he is
| accused OF failing to warm up at election
! times when warmth was expected.
/ As against this reputed disturbance on his
own stamping ground Harris lays claim to
| a cordial following scattered throughout
| the state, and instanced by his successive
| elections as clerk of the senate since the
state went republican, more than a dozen
years ago. His popularity among the MEM
| democratic minority, which refused to put
up nominal candidate against him, al
though doing so for the other places. Har-
ris Is son of the late Gen. Thomas NJ
Harris who was on the commission that
tried the conspirators to the assassination
| of President Lincoln. His qualifications
for secretary of state are unQuestioned, and
his popularity elsewhere Is conceded, yet
his local opponents have declared war on
him for state convention honors on the
ground of lukewarmness to the local or
ganizatlon, and they may get the better of
him.
Whyte of Mcdowell in the Race.
Still another candidate is in training for
the secretaryship of state, the office which
has developed a large field and which
threatens to become the storm center in
stead of the governorship. w. w. Whyte
| of Mcdowell, member of the state senate
! is the latest to receive boom. and his
candidacy Will mean heaps of trouble for
Judge Sanders, from the same section, who
| Is an avowed candidate for governor. The
connection between the pressure recently
brought to bear on Whyte and the friends
| Of other candidates for governor Is some
| what evident. 1t would indicate that Can
didate Swisher Is beginning to give addi-
tional indications of his political strategy.
The gubernatorial atmosphere did not
| show any decided change when Judge
proved his boom. He was moved to admit
| the soft impeachment because his silence
/ was giving strength to the latent senti-
| ment for Arnold c. Scherr, the state au-
dttor. There are men and interests who
| will support Sanders who would just as lief
| get behind Scherr II he would say the
/ word, but Scherr backs away from the
! prospect Of a strenuous contest on the adj
vice of his physicians. If, however, the
| nomination can be handed to him In the
| name Of harmony he will consent.
The gubernatoriai situation is thus sum-
med up. Charles w. Swisher will win the
/
| man whom the victor must beat. The prin-
cipal obstacle to his success at present Ia
the probability OF Elliott Northcott being
| trotted out. Although Northcott expresses
| q positive refusal and admits his ambitions
are judicial, It IL believed that he will emu
late Secretary Of War Taft in due sea-
son.
Governors Attitude.
There is an interesting story bearing on
Gov. Dawson's attitude toward the Swisher
| candidacy which has popped up out Of the
| legislative aftermath. Dawson has not ex-
| pressed himself 50 far, and Is certain not
! to be committal for some time to come, but
It is reported he has charged Swisher
| with q breach Of faith relative to the liquor
| license law enacted by the legislature last
winter.
The story goes that Swisher agreed to a
5000 license rate for the saloons, whereas
the governor wanted $3.50 rate. SO as to
provide sufficient revenue under the rev
of state, had the job of personally rep
resenting the administration, and he was
instructed to work hard for the higher rate
of Increase. but he agreed to compro-
mise, which was an increase Of only 800
| O year over the old rate instead of working
for an increase two and one-half times as
| much.
Administration followers declare that
Swisher put the administration in a wrong
| light by his attitude among the admin
istration supporters in the legislature, and
also would have put the administration in
q hole financially had not the governor
come to the rescue by looping off the APP
propriations for normal schools and other
state institutions. ,.a-
Followers Of Swisher profess to believe
that on the Anal roundup the Swisher or
ganization will be SO strong that the gov
ernor will have to come in. but they admit
the doubtful present look of things. Sena-
tor Elkins~ has been Swisher's hacker
throughout his political career, and they
have much In common in business way.
but Elkins owes much to Elliott Northcott, .
and he would be forced into a peculiar posi-
ton If Northcott should run. Northcott
and Swisher have always been close, and
Swisher did not announce himself until he
learned that Northcott would not be a can
didate, SO 1t is difficult to figure out how
Northcott is to run. There Is certainly
an understanding between the two which
Is still holding.