Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-04
BOTH IN THE FIELD VALLEY OF virginia
Senatorial Aspirants Pursuing
the Elusive Voter.
WEST VIRGINIA CONTEST
Scott and Hubbard Conducting
Active Campaign-Representa-
tives Have Opposition.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
WHEELING, w. Va, April 8. 1910
Senator Scott followed Representative
Hubbard into West Virginia last week,
visiting Parkersburg to attend q hearing
before the federal board of river and
harbor engineers relative to locking and
damming the Little Kanawha river. He
repeated his willingness to let the re-
publicans decide between him and Hub
bard for the Senate by primaries. but
made 1t clear that he could not insist
on primaries in a county against the
wishes of county committees not de-
sirous of primaries. Wherever the pri-
maries could be arranged he wanted
them, and he expressed no doubt Of the
outcome.
The Little Kanawha river Improvement
ordinarily would not have attracted the
attention 1t did this week. There was
unusual interest aroused because Of the
charges made by Judge Reese Blizzard
Of Parkersburg that appropriations for
the rivers Improvement were opposed by
Senator Elkins, and that Representative
woodward suffered from the potential
Elkins influence.
Blizzard Statement.
Blizzard asserted that the senior senator
feared the river improvement would d.
vert coal traffic from the Coal and Coke
railroad. which is an enterprise in which
Senator Elkins and his father-in-law.
Henry @. Davis, are the principal own
ers. Richard G. Kerens, United States
minister to Austria, has also an interest
in the railroad. The river drains coal
counties whose deposits have not as yet
been touched, and 1t is dream of the
towns bordering the river that an inn
proved waterway will give the valley
remarkable business activity and prosper
ity whereas. now it is somnolent.
Senator Elkins did not attend the ses-
sion, but he sent letters, which were
read, containing correspondence between
himself and DIR. I. c. White of Morgan
town, state geologist. and he stated posi-
river appropriations and did not have the
slightest desire to oppose them. Rep
resentative woodward likewise declared
himself as champion of the Little Kama
notable, incidentally for again displaying
Judge Billiards. opposition to the reten-
ton at Washington of Elkins and Wood
yard.
On the scott-Hubbard question Blizzard
hes maintained neutral ground, with
ieanings sometimes toward Hubbard and
at other times away from him. He had
always been Scott supporter until he
failed to get the senatorial Endorsement
for another term as federal district at
for this disappointment, but is rather
cold to Scott for the same reason. main
tanning that Scott should have stood out
against Elkins In his case.
Congressional Primary May "a.
Woodyard's committee has declared for
a congressional primary May "a, and re-
liable sources unite In saying he will
have little trouble in defeating Mike
Duty Of Richie, his only opponent. 1t is
said freely that Duty did not contem-
plate a canvass of the district as a pri-
mary will necessitate when he first an
nounced himself. but figured on getting
the delegates from his own county to a
convention and making some combina-
L. j. Forman finally broke his crust
candidacy for the republican nomination
against Representative Sturgiss. He was
not the man the anti-Sturgiss people
wanted. and it is likely other candidates
will be trotted out. Forman and Stur-
gtss belong to the Dawson outfit and
their views and actions have been too
much alike to commend them to the old
Dayton guard and to the new crop Of
disgrunttled fellows who want to down
Sturgiss this time.
They Have a Choice.
1neSe antl-SturS1SS men would prefer
to line up behind Senator Howard Suther-
land, Attorney General w. G. Conley or
Senator Fred o. Blue, in the reverse Of
the order named. Between Forman and
Sturgiss they will prefer the man from
Grant county, but they can't get en-
thusiastic for him. and they figure, fur
thermore, that Forman would ask for q
second term. provided he beats Sturgiss,
which would further delay their desire
to supplant Sturgiss with one of their
own faction. For that reason, unless
they can unite on somebody else, their
support of Forman will be of the ardor
that picks the lesser Of two evils.
Supporters Of Senator Scott held an
old-time rally in Wheeling Thursday
night to give voice to the sentiment that
the business interests Of the upper Pam
handle wanted him kept in the senate.
The meeting grew and expanded from
its original purpose of being for Ohio
county republicans alone. and embraced
party men from Hancock, Brooke and
Marshall counties, with ex-uov. A. B.
White as the star speaker, he coming
from Parkersburg to do the gallant.
Lilly and Hubbard Combine.