Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
Glance at the Statehouse With
Hope in Their Eyes.
SITUATION Is A SERIOUS ONE
One Candidate May Quit or Both
Possibly Will Drop Out to
Relieve Status.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

were held at which two tickets were
named. headed by Charles w. Swisher
and Arnold c. Scherr. respectively. IN
less there is a withdrawal of one of them
@ both little short of a miracle can pre-
vent Lewis Bennett. the prospective NOM
inet of the democracy, from succeeding
Gov Dawson.
The ticket forecaSted in these columns
months ago was named by the regular
or Swisher convention. 1t included w.
e. Conley for attorney, general. h. L.
Long for treasurer. Stuart f. Reed tor
secretary of state, J. S. Darst for AUDITOR
and NJ. Z. Shawkey for school supeFin-
terdent This was the Swisher STATE:
The rump. or Scherr. convention halneu
\. r. Stallngs for attorney general, New
ton Ogdin for treasurer. John L. Harns
for secretary of state, James X. Hall for
auditor and T. C. Miller for school su-
perintendent. The original Scherr slate
included Long for treasurer and Z. l..
Topping for secretary of state. but both
declined to consent to the use OF their
names in the rump convention. ana the
next day all the other nominees Dut
Scberr and Stallings. well as the other
candidates who hoped for nomination in
the regular convention, repudiated the
rump affair.
Expected to Stick.
declination was not made by himself per-
sonally. so lie may stand by the Scherr
convention. The rump convention. which
was called just as soon as the state
committee voted to seat the Hearne dele
cation from Ohio county instead of the
delegation picked by the county COM
mittee, also named a new state commit
tee which was empowered to fill any
vacancies on the ticket and 10 name,
fjul
While Scherr accepted the nomination
at the hands of the rump convention, he
left an opening for his withdrawal he
stated he would be willing to drop out
for new man, but 1T is not believed
Swisher can he persuaded to eliminate
himself Harmony seekers are hoping to
see compromise arrangement before the
first of October. They figure on getting
both Swisher and Scherr off and Repre-
sentative George c. Stursiss substituted
Sturgiss could be induced to accept. 1t Is
believed Little trouble would be eX-
perienced in inducing Stallings and Hall
to drop the rump ticket
Had Made Open Threats.
The bolt of the Scherr forces was not
unexpected. They had made open threats
of this action contingent on the state COM
mittee deciding the Ohio county contest
against the regular committee delegation.
They had their plans well laid and it was
the work of few minutes to issue the
call for the rump convention Immediately
following the state committees decision
The Ohio county contest was vital to
Scherrs success. as his supporters fig
ured it. Swisher has always claimed he
could be nominated with votes to spare
without a vote from Ohio county, and the
vote he received in the regular conven-
tion-529-would seem to indicate that con-
clusion. as he required only 443 for the
nomination. Hearne received Ohio 'coun-
Grin and
Scherr. without being placed in nomina-
ton. received 10. Scherr of course,
would have more than doubled this vote
had Monongalia. Mineral and other coun-
ties which supported him participated In
the regular convention.
Scherr could never have gotten Ohio
county's vote even had the committee re-
fused to seat the Hearne delegation. He
would have secured at the most 40 of the
-. There are grounds for believing he
could not have got more than 3o. exactly
the number he needed, according to the
closest estimates of the inside mathe-
maticians in the Scherr camp.
Use the Steam Roller.
Swsher's friends dominated the state
committee and they used the steam roller
to decide contests to their advantage. 1t
was the steam rolling tactics which fur
nished the excuse for the Scherr bolt and
the Scherr convention resolutions ex-
coriated Senators Elkins and Scott and
Gov. Dawson because of the fact that
federal and state appOintees of their
creation represented the large majority
of the committee membership. The two
senator's and governor were criticised dur
ing the mixup for absenting themselves
from the scene when their counsel was
necessary TO pour oil on the troubled
waters.
Underneath the entire affair is bitter
fight for control of the state Organiza-
ton. The recent Hubbard-Hazlett con-
test for Congress played the most promi-
nent part. Representative Hubbard lead
ing the fight for the Ohio county COM
mittee and Senator Hazett backing up
the Hearne argument BY the seating Of
the Hearne delegation HaZlett became the
first districts member of the state COM
nittee, and Sherman c. Denham the
Clarksburg postmaster. who Is charged
with pernicious political activity by Hub
Dard was a potent factor in resisting the
Hubbard plea and he goes back on the
state committee.
Fear of Trouble.
II is believed the Swisher men did not
want the regular Ohio county delegation
seated because Hubbard would then have
a seat in the convention. and they feared
he would make trouble. They recalled
the dominant force of his personality for
Dawson when he beat down all the Teter
% iSSAsSoh't " the dispensing Win
credentials committee four years ago
and they did not want TO see him leading
fight for credentials this time which
would have the effect of seating contest
ing delegations from Cabel county for
instance, for the seating of the Scherr
delegation from Cabell would have meant
The unseating of Elliott Northcott a
member of the state committee and a
luminary i'm the Swisher camp who placed
the aggressive young secretary of state
in nomination
They understood also that Hubbard
would have led the fight for the nomina.
ton of Representative Sturgis Under
the circumstances they realized the steam
roiHer was the thing and that a smooth
running machine would encounter serious
obstacles with Hubbard in the WAY Huh
bard did not take part, however in the
rump convention. He contentt.d himself
with fighting before the state commit. e
and the credentials committee of IN.
Swisher convention as an attorney for
the Ohio county committee. When lie
could not be seated as :, delegate regularly
he would not take part In an irregular
convention. incidentally his stature mea -
ured greater among the West Virginians
there assembled. and he stands con-
cededly the most striking and dis
tinguished parsonage in republican at
fairs Mention of him as n successor to
Senator Scott is likely to increase.
Sturgis Did Not Attend.
Representative Sturgis did not attend
the convention. Representative Gaines
cd ,t,af