Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
Extra Session of Legislature
Entails Unusual Expense.
WEST VIRGINIA SITUATION
Five Vacancies Among States Law
makers to Be Filled.
GOSSIP ON U. S. sENATORsH1P
Representative Hubbard Accredited
With Ambition to Secure Seat
in Upper House.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star
WHEELING. ". Va, October %, 1909.
The fact that five special elections
would be necessary to fill as many va
Gated legislative seats is said to be
one particular reason why Gov. Glass
COCK is hesitating about calling tle
West Virginia legislature in special SEES
sion in the near future. There is ire
mendous amount of interest in the gov
ernors intentions. speculation being
keen and persistent and heightened by
the chief executives failure to allay
anxiety by a definite statement.
The five existing vacancies in the
states lawmaking arena have been
caused. strangely. by removals with a
view to material benefits. First of all,
Speaker Strickling removed within the
year from Tyler county to Huntington
because he saw better opportunities for
his law practice. Delegate NJ. V. Cod
hey of Roane and Delegate P. II. Muir
ply of Braxton were likewise attracted
TO Charleston by its superior promises,
and in the same way A. G. Fickeisen
of Wheeling, elected as one of the four
delegates from Ohio county. heard the
call of Gotham Fickeisen, however,
pulled up stakes before the legislature
convened in regular session last winter,
and therefore. never qualified Fifth
in the list, Delegate George G. H1nzman
of Lewis county resigned, but not be-
cause of his desire to leave his native
heath.
Special Elections Necessary.
Before a special session could be held
it would be incumbent on the governor
to issue a call for special elections to
fill these vacancies, which would neces-
"a
inflict. 1t is understood he has in mind
also the acknowledged fact that the
neople at large-the business interests
in particular-are not clamoring for
special session. Indeed. the people new
er welcome regular session with de-
light.
IF Gov. Glasscock goes ahead with the
special session idea there VIII be con-
test for the house speakership equal in
intensity to the affair which put James ii.
Stretching i'm the chair Edwin r. Kings
lev of Parkersburg, his leading Compel
itor last winter. has already conducted
canvass with that end in view. Delegate
Bente of Ohio county also wants the
honor. as do Sherman Robinson of
Richie A d. Williams of PocahOntas
and Alfred Bell of Clay. The leader in
the race would undoubtedly be Kingsley.
who at the present is also setting up his
pins to 60 to the state senate from his
district next year. in which matter he
will oppose the present senator. Thomas
Gartlan and perhaps Capt. Milton r.
Lowther who tried for the place three
years ago.
Not Regarded as Probable.
Senator Commodore Perry Craig of
Peasants county, after a talk with the
governor this week. said he did not think
there would be special session. The
senator supplemented this statement with
the remark that the people were a unit,
however. in indorsing the governors
stand for tax on natural gas, which
proposition is the whole works in the
new governors line of reforms.
The gas people do not seem to be as
much concerned over the prospect of
seance at Charleston as do the liquor in
terests. Fear of legislation which will
restrict their business is continual with
the liquor people, justified by the events
Of recent years. Gov. 0lasscock has said
he believes the republican party should
stand by it's platform plank of giving
the people the opportunity of voting
q prohibition amendment to the constitu-
ton or of enacting county unit local
option law The liquor men would ac-
cept a compromise of a municipality unit
but prefer to let we'll enough alone, for
they have been hit hard by the dry wave
as ii is.
Want Senators to Help.
Everybody who has an interest, or feels
he has, in preventing a special session
has appealed to Senators Elkins and
Scott and other factors ascribed to have
influence. And there are those who be-
lieve in justifying a special session by
introducing a tax on gas. These would
oppose the session if the bars were let
down for the consideration of other pro-
posed legislation. So. the whole, the
governor is besieged on all sides, and
the continued silence and delberation
on his part only serves to whet the in
terest in what he will decide eventually.
Rumors and gossip connecting Repre-
sentative Hubbard with a determination
to go to the United States Senate do
not down. His recent jaunt over the
southern counties has revived and ampli-
fed speculation. One of the latest dope
stories is that ubbard does not expect
to succeed Senator Scott. but hopes to
profit by SCOTS defeat two years hence
How the Dope Runs.
The dope runs something like this: Hub
bard, realizing that a fight with Scott,
melting a bad blood battle between two
Wheeling men. would result in the choice
Of a senator from the southern part of
the state. He hopes to encourage the
coming out of d southern man against
Scott. Hubbard remaining more or less
actively in the background. Then two
years later. when Mr. Elkins case comes
up, Hubbard would have the argument
that northern county man was the log
zeal consideration, and with a combna-
ton with the man he had Indirectly
help beat Scott he could hope to separate
Elkins from his toga.
The southern section man in this gossip
is always Isaac T. Mann of Buetield al
though once in a while Representative
Joseph II. Gaines is mentioned. 1t is
said Grant +. Hall of kanawha would
help the Gaines-Hubbard combine so he
could realize his burning ambition of sue
ceeding 1aines In the lower house.
The dope is given for what il Is worth.