Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-19
Swisher and Scherr Divide Party on
Personal Lines.
TAFT IS CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT
No Question Raised as to Attitude on
National Issues.
len OF ALL SORTS OPPOSE BRYAN
Business Men, Farmers and Mechanics
Express Themselves a. Intending
TO Vote for the Repub-
licRn Nominee,

WHEELING, w Va. Aug. B-Cspecial
Telegram divided as the republicans OF
West Virginia are over the gubenatorial
situation. no question exists in the minds OF
well informed politicians that the electoral
vote Of the state will be cast for William
II. Taft for president.
have made careful investigation OF
the political situation and find It has ele-
ments which warrant the careful attention
OF the republican managers. In the first
place, there seems to be an almost ire
mediabe split among the state leaders OF
their party over the governorship There
are two tickets in the field, one. the res
ular." headed by c. w. Swisher. who has
made politics a business and the other.
described as the Lincoln" which carries
the name of Arnold c. Scherr. who has
served as state auditor. Both men have
strong support but neither has much, II
any, standing with the thousands of voters
who are seeking somewhat blndly for the
moral regeneration Of the state. The dem
ocrats, on the other hand. are united. They
have put in nomination Lewis Bennett, who
belongs 10 an old and respected family,
who served once as speaker Of the legisla-
ture and who is wealthy by Inheritance.
Bennett has no taint of corporation inter-
est or service, a matter of recommendation
to the people OF this corporation ridden
state, while charges are freely circulated
that Swisher has been and is controlled
| by the interests" II all that is said be
| true. Scherr has better record in this
respect, but he is not looked upon as a
particularly strong man and his standing
with the business community is not as good
as that Of Bennett.
situation PIeases Democrats.
It is a very much mixed up situation
| from a republican point of view, and 1t is
| important nationally because OF the pos
! sible effect upon the chances of Mr.. Taft
| and Mr.. Bryan. The democrats have been
| content, up to this time, quietly to sit back
and let the republican Kilkenney feud pro-
! ceed. They have been collecting the vari-
Gus charges and counter charges which
| have been hurled by the swisher faction
| against Scherr and by the latter's ad-
herents against Swisher for use in the stir
| ring prediction days. AS one OF their
| leaders remarked to me: THE republicans
are repeating the performance of Sinbdd
! the Sailor, and opening the bottle out OF
which has come the terrible genh which
| will make to their undoing. We do not have
/ to give them any assistance" What the
! democrats are doing among themselves,
| however, is to organize not only in the state
/ at large, Dut IN every ulslIltN anu 'ItS
propose TO watch the southern tier Of
counties to prevent negroes from being
rushed over the border from Virginia to
vote the republican ticket
Efforts mt settlement.
| There is reason to believe that national
pressure will result eventually in the elimi-
| nation of either swlsher or scherr. Confer
ences have been held at Hot Springs, Va.
| between Mr.. Taft and the West Virginia
| senators with Scheer. and with representa-
tives of Swisher, and both Mr.. Hitchcock
| and Mr. Vorys are well acquainted with
| the facts underlying the bitter strife that
! Is in progress The Scherr people are anx-
! ious to secure recognition from the re-
publican national candidate by obtaining
his consent TO the printing of his name
on their ballot Z. NJ. Grant chairman OF
the Scherr committee, Immediately after his
return from Hot Springs few days ago
| made a statement to the effect that the
supporters Of Scherr had every reason
to be gratified with the attitude OF the re-
publican national committee, since not only
the presidential electors, but also all the
congressman would be instructed Ito take
advantage Of the opportunity to have their
names placed on the scherr ticket
The swisher faction is in arms against
anything Of the kind. To meet the move
s V Matthews chairman of what may
be called the swisher committee, wrote
letter 10 the various republican congress
sionaI candidates, saying: 1T is rumored
and believed in portions Of the state that
some members Of the delegation in con-
gress from West Virginia are opposed TO
the regular republican ticket named az
Charleston, headed by c. w. Swisher for
! governor or at least indifferent TO its
success at the approaching election in
November" In order to correct this
rumor, described as hurtful TO the ma
tional and state ticket, the state commit
tee asked each congressman to report his
, | attitude toward swisher and his desire
, for the success Of that candidate. This
: notice is described by the Scherr newspa-
! ! pers and supporters as an implied threat
Every one of the five republican candi-
, dates for congress was nominated with
out factionaI dispute. and every one Of
| them would prefer not 10 become involved
in the gubernstorial row. Even the sena-
tors, Scott and Elkins, are sidesteppinS
as hard as they can though both have
been quoted as opposed to Swisher
The latter, it is claimed was nominated
not by the people, but by certain coal
companies, and the way his home people
look upon him is shown, IL Is declared,
by the fact that out Of $500 republican
voters in Marion county, where he had
no opposition, 100 scratched his name
before the convention was held. A like
. attitude was adopted by other counties
where he Is known. Scherr, on the other
, hand. is much more acceptable to the re-
publican voters, and II primaries were
held IL Is asserted would win over
Swisher
Voters Favor Taft.
The intelligent voters Of the state realize,
! however that the sins of the state party
should not be visited upon the national
candidates. Thus have heard republicans
talk Of scratching the republican candidate
for governor or voting for Bennett, and
! casting their ballots for Taft. AS to the
popularity Of the former secretary Of war
there is no question. All one has to do IL
, ! 70 stop men OF different walks OF life upon
the street and ask their views Of the two
presidential candidates. ana he vii Ga 60