Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-08-08
SENATOR ELKINS
MAKES DENIAL
Makes an Appeal to All Republicans
to Bury Their Differences and
Train Guns on the Enemy.


Train Guns on the Enemy.
From The World Of Saturday:
Replying to question asked by a
representative of the Intelligencer as
to the truth of the statemnt made
before and since the Charleston con-
vention, that he had supported Swish
err in the recent contest, Senator En-
kins replied:
4 am glad of an opportunity to an
gwer this question. The statement in
all its forms is absolutely false. II /
had desired, had the same right to
support Swisher that any republican
had to support Scherr. and would
have done so openly and vigorously.
In the beginning Mr.. Scherr request
ed me to take no part in the contest
between him and Swisher. I told him
/ would not and | told Mr.. Swisher
the same thing, and neither gentle
man after that ever asked me to
take part. Both had always been
warm PERSONAL and political friends
and both had supported me, and ]
: could not very well take sides.
Swisher won his nomination without
any aid or assistance from me, and
| challenge any newspaper or person
in or out of the state, to say that !
took part in the contest, or helped
Swisher in any way, directly or indi-
rectly, or ever said a word or wrote
line in his behalf Whenever APP
preached on the subject, i always
made the same answer, that | was
taking no part, and stated to the
press and emphasized it in an inter-
view ! think N April or May.
Mr.. N. G. Keim, chairman of the
Randolph county republican commit
tee, will say if asked, when he told
me in Washington that the county
was overwhelmingly for Scherr, that
| replied, substantially, this being the
case let the wishes of the people gov
ern, and no opposition should be
made to Scherr. Randolph is my
home county, and l have large inter-
ests in Monongalia and Preston coun-
ties, and no republican can be found
in either county to say that l ever
asked him to support Swisher, and
it is a remarkable fact that Scherr
had no opposition in either Randolph
or Monongalia counties, and the del
egates by agreement were divided IN
Preston. Added to this, most OF my
best friends on the republican state
committee voted against seating the
Ohio delegation at the republican con-
yention at Charleston.
/ notice in a paper signed by q.
M. Grant, active in the Lincoln party,
this statement as to my supporting
Swisher is elaborated, and this is one
of my reasons for correcting it now.
/ rarely make denials in the press,
but feel that this falsehood should
NC corrected here and now, and do
so in justice to myself and all con-
cerned.
West Virginia is republican state.
The republican party for fourteen
years has overcome all opposition ana
maintained it's ascendency in the
state. Why should we through party
strife surrender the state to the DEM
ocrats now? I am confident, however,
the republicans of West Virginia will
settle their differences, and both the
national and state republican tickets
will be elected in November. | will
do all can for the success of both.
] stand by the regular nominees OF
my party. My advice to good repub-
licans all over the state, and there
are good republicans on both sides, is
to stop and think, be serious, get to-
Cether, sink all differences, stop call
ing each other hard names and stop
fighting each other. because in this as
in every election, you win need every
republican vote. Train your guns,
not on your brothers, but on the COM
mon enemy as of yore. Be friends
and comrades in the grandest and
best political party ever known, and
work together 10 keep the state in
the republican column.
Doing this will make our victory
in November easier and more certain.
What ] have said is no apology for
what did and is not intended as any
reflection on Mr.. Swisher. dts sole
purpose is to correct false state
ment.