Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-30
VACANCY IN SUPREME COURT
GOVERNOR OF WEST VIRGINIA
IN A oUANDARY.
Half Dozen Republican Aspirants for
Place-Former Senator Davis
Doomed for Governor.


WHEELING. W. Va. September 90. 1907.
There are half dozen republican law
yers mentioned and doomed for the va
Cancy on the supreme bench, caused by
Judge Sanders resignation, and as the
selection Is to be made by Gov. Dawson
the subject is of paramount concern to him
at present to the exclusion of other things
more or less political. For some intangible
reason there is a prevalent feeling that
the governor will choose Pau! Scott,
young lawyer of Huntington, who comes
from Sanders congressional district, but
other things being equal the governor
would probably prefer to select William
Erksine of Wheeling.
When Gov. Dawson a year or so ago
picked on Judge Frank w. Neshitt 10 sue
coed the late Judge Thayer Melvin on the
upper Panhandle circuit he OVERRIDE the
wishes of a majority of the bar of the four
counties in the district The lawyers by
an Overwhelming margin petitioned the
governor to choose Erksine, and his fall
ure to-1lo so made a tempest which lasted
for several months. If he could see his
way clear to the appointment OF
Erksine to the supreme bench he would
completely eliminate the hostile criticism
over his disregard of the majOrity's wishes
in the circuit judgeship.
The selection of Erksne would cause
some complications in Ohio county pros
poets, since in William II. Hearne and
James X. Hall the county now has candi-
dates for governor and auditor. re-
spectively. Providing Erskine is appointed
he would have to stand for denomination
by the convention next year for the rest
of his term and with him scheduled for
place on the state ticket the chances of
Hearne and Hall would naturally be I'M
paired, in addition to the fact that the
county's two seats in the national leglsla-
ture are regarded by some other counties
as sufficient recognition.
County a Storm Center.
Ohio county, therefore, is at present
mild storm center of state politics. This
week Postmaster Hall decided to become
an active candidate for auditor, which de-
cision will inject new life in the scrap for
convention delegates. That Hearne Will
get the countys Endorsement is considered
certain and Hall should fare equally well
II oyiGeu Haarne doesn't get the nominal
ton, tut the two may not agree on the
rlC,Ius operandi. AS the primary plan
Will be followed there can be no lnstruc-
lions unless informally done at the pre-
liminary suggestion meetings, so that TO
guard against subsequent mantpulations
the candidates will want to make personal
selections of delegates: a clash between
Hearn" and Hail, therefore, is not i'm
r:obable.
Although Cognizant of the effect his
chances of the prospective Erksine judge
supporters for the place. He declares that
thu harder lie is fought the harder he
Will fight back. All of which amplifies the
outlook for a merry time in Ohio county
2ncut the republican state ticket
Marion county has Endorsed Winfield
Scott Meredith and Taylor county boosts
Ira +. Robinson to succeed Judge Sanders.
Wetzel county may do likewise for Thomas
Perry Jacobs who was Il supreme court
candidate before the last convention. 1t is
not Cinch that Paul Scott will land, or
that William Erksine will, and the contest
may cause Gov. Dawson to Shift the mantle
to a lawyer whose boom has been unsung,
although a dark horse choice Is most re-
mote conjecture.
Method of Railway Valuation.
There are signs which indicate that an is
SUE in the state campaign will be plank
calling for new method Of railroad valua-
tons Henry G. Davis has introduced and
vitalized this point by complaining that the
state board of public works assessed his
new Coal and Coke railroad at figures
which took ~ per cent of the roads in
come or approximately $4,000 every month
of the twelve. Ex-senator Davis wants
railroads to be taxed on their gross earn
ings, that proporuonate tax Will FOL
low. instead Of a system which makes a
railroad pay proportionately, regardless Of
its earning capacity.
The late vice presidential candidate is ex-
pected to hammer further along this line a
few DAYS hence at Elkins, when the state
board of trade convenes in annual session.
If Gov Dawson is present an interesting
debate will be in order since they ex-
changed words on the subject when both
were speakers at the Wheeling home-com-
ers' exercises early this month.
As a rule the democratic oracles are dis
posed to play on the Davis grievance, and
even republicans recognize the hardahlps OF
the new road which Senator Davis built
rSelv Gptf lp1 n
try at enormous expense, there being some
thing like a dozen tunnels on the road. The
construction is said to have cost S6O,oO a
mile
Henry. G. Davis activity in this respect is
reviving mention of him to lead the dem
ocratic state ticket next year. That he is
three or four years beyond the four-score
mark is not considered, In view of his mar
yelous physical and mental powers, while
he is tremendously more popular than he
was when he became Judge ParkerS rum
ming mate He has delivered more ad-
dresses and mixed more with the people
since the last campaign than he old lor Two
decades previously.
History Recalled.
Mention of him for governor recalls some
political history, since 1t was all cut and
dried that he should be the candidate for
governor in 1904. The unexpected circum-
stance at st. Louis, which gave him second
place with Judge Parker, changed all that
and incidentally saddened those democrats
who regarded him as a winner for gov
ernor because of the part he played in
drafting the original tax commission bills
which were the great state issue that year.
As the state standard bearer there could
be expected a multiplying of the influence of
Senator Elkns, either justly so or not, since
the senator could not reasonably be expect
ed to oppose stoutly his distinguished
father-in-law Whether not it is to be
Candidate Davis for governor. certain re-
publicans who are not partial to the an
nounced candidates of their own party are
holding up Davis as a bugaboo to frighten
their party men into digging up a new cam
didate or causing Messrs. Swisher. Scherr
and Hearne to make positive pronounce
ments of where they stand on state issues
of some moment.