Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-04-26
A BATTLE
ROYAL FOR
GOVERNOR
Swisher Will Again Try Tor
Honor and viii be 0ppos-
ed by Senator Blue.
IS An ISSUE
Delegates Weir Predicts
Senatorial Happenings,
In West Virginia.

James w Weir. member OF the
legislature from Tucker County
writes an interesting letter TO tn,
Wheeling Sunday Register. ia
which he predicts a bate royal be
tween C. w. Swisher and Fred o
Blue for the gubernatorial nomina-
ton in 1912. Mr.. Weir says:
by James w. Wcir.
Political CRYSTAL gazers see pic
lures in tho flmy, milky depths o.
that sphere one OF me bitterest
most acrimonious battles for the Re-
publican nomination for governor
that has ever been played on the
West Virginia political cheaaboard
with Fred o. Blue. OF Philippi. and
Charles w. Swisher, OF Fairmont
ald Charleston, the central agurel
in the game.
In the three years that will ell
apse before the campaign for the
nomination reaches a head, Swish
er's bishops, knights and castles, as
well as his small army OF puwns.
wild be strengthened through the
assistance OF friendly administra-
tion and a disciplined army or CO.
horts will present a formidable
front to whoever has the temerity
to pit themselves against htm.
The handwriting on the wall,
then. points not to Swisherism and
Scherrism 80 much as the issue as
II does to prohibition and anti
prohtbition--with all the attendant
bitterness such an issue Is almost
certain to engender.
Blue, having been the sponsor foa
the various real local option laws
that found their way into the sem
ato hopper, becomes at once tho
logical candidate OF the element IN
the party favorable to the princI-
pies OF the Anti-Saloon League. In
point OF ability the strongest men
In the senate, Blue directed the par
lame ntary battle for local option.
but was overwhelmed through gu.
perior numbers and the combination
OF various interests. 1t is natural
to presume then that when tho
proper time comes Blue will be look.
ed to as the next Republican Oliver
proceeding on the theory.
OF course. that the state Gnachius
regards Charley Swisher as the
Real Claimant TO the Throne,
and crown him Charles the First. II
will not then be 80 much a matter
of men as 1t win DE OF principle.
though the so-called insurgents IA
tho last campaign were struggling
to free the state OF the domination
of Federal officeholders, and to
purge the Republican committee, In
neither OF which they were success
full.
However calm and untroubled the
Republican waters may appear to
be now, 1t requires only the gentlest
OF political trade-winds TO whip and
rand them into fury. On the sar.
face internicene warfare appears TO
have been eliminated, but no such
harmony as Is apparent really ex-
lists, in many counties Of the state
at least.
So long as the politics OF West
Virginia are modelled In the Raj.
eigh Hotel at Washington, so long
as as the state Is governed from
that hosiery, just so long, according
to the bitter comment OF many Re-
publiCans, will a large faction, grow
ing larger each year, kick against
the pricks and emulate Mt. Vesuvius
every four years.
Should such q complication arise
as pointed out in the beginning OF
thds letter, II would place the two
two West Virginia senator's in a
rather awkward position. They re-
spect Blue and appreciate the In
fuence he Yields, but, at the same
CONTINUED on Sixth Page