Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-24
WEST VIRGINIA CONTEST
Will Compete With C. w. Swisher
for the Nomination.
PRELIMINARY SLATE MAKING
Spirited Battle in Prospect for Con.
troll of Legislature and United
States Senatorship.
pecial Correspondence Of The Star

WHEELING, W. \ a., December %. 1914.
Or. III. +. Hatfield. president or the
state senate, this week announced his
candidacy for the republican nomination
for governor, subject to the state pri-
mary that will be held June 4, 1912 He
stated that he had decided To make the
race, and would later make formal an
nouncement, in which he would outline
some of the things he stands for.
The only other announced candidate is
Charles W. Swisher. ex-secretary OF
state, who gave up the regular conven-
ton nomination in 1905 on account OF the
dubious outlook for party success because
of the rival convention, backed by the
Lincoln-Scherr faction.
In those days Swisher was the machine
candidate. Now Hatfield is the selection
agreed on by the machine, and, there
fore. Swisher will have to fight his bat
tie TO gain the executive chair on new
lines. DIR. Hatfield was one of Swishers
leading supporters in 1905 and the Hat
field candidacy means Swisher cannot
look for much from the southern coal
counties unless he forms new alliances
and in no event can he expect TO beat the
bulky doctor in that section.
The outlook for Swisher is hardly more
encouraging in the northern counties
The Highland-Denham following in
Marion, Harrison and Wetzel counties,
which constituted the backbone of the
Swisher candidacy in 1855. has agreed TO
support Hatfield, the necessary promises
Of support having been made, il is said,
in recent conference in Washington
Outlook in Northern Panhandle.
The northern Panhandle counties,
which never were for Swisher, may be
for Hatfield. unless there is candidate
from that neighborhood or a candidate
that will appeal more than either Hat
field or Swisher does at present. Hat
field promises TO get acquainted with
the people of the northern counties and
intends to do most of his campaigning
there. III. {. Ogden, the Wheeling re-
publican editor. has agreed to support
Hatfield to head off Swisher. and is in
line with the other machine leaders for
the first time since he entered politics.
Recently he criticised the republican
state committees plan of primary, al
leging it was TO be in the interest Of
Hatfield and for the purpose of rolling
up big majorities for machine candidates
in the black-belt counties, but as "A
choice between Hatfield and Swsher he
chose what he evidently considered the
lesser of undesirables
With the prospect staring him I'm the
face of the organized machine opposition
for the first time in any of his candi-
dacies, Swisher must be Of stout heart to
expect success. People are wondering
il he will accept the alternative of pos
ing as an anti-machine man. This would
necessitate a right-about-face step on his
| part The desertien of him, by the ma
chine is due to the conviction that he
could not be elected and to the necessity
of putting up new man.
DIR. Hatfield is regarded highly in his
immediate section, and his generous i'm
pulses and physical courage have at
tracted to him an ardent following. He
is a fighter to the core. He comes by
that naturally, being closely related 10
Devil Anse' Hatfield of the noted Hat
field feud family.
Seeking Another Term.
Aside from Attorney General Conley.
who intends to be candidate for Con-
gress in the second district, the other
elective state officers will be candidates
to succeed themselves. These are Audi
tor Darst, Secretary of State Reed.
Treasurer Long and School Supt. Shaw
key. Treasurer Longs candidacy may
be complicated by the fact that DIR. Hat
field and he come from Mcdowell coun-
ty. Abe Lilly of Raleigh. who tried u
win the nomination from Representa-
tive Hughes in the fifth district has An
nounced that he is a candidate for at
tOrney general.
The republicans will likely put up ex-
Representative Joseph II. Gaines
candidate for representative at large. and
Prosecuting Attorney Avis of kanawha
county, who tried vainly to beat Gaines
for the nomination in the third district
last year. will probably get IT this time.
and endeavor to down Representative
Adam Littlepage. The expected ALI
nouncement of Howard n. Ogden of Ma
rion will make three candidates for the
republican congressional nomination in
the first district
The people will be called on to elect
state commissioner of agriculture next
year, an Office created by the last legis-
lature, and the outlook is that James IL.
Stewart Of Morgantown, a former demo-
crat, will get the republican nomination
and that Speaker &. NJ. Wetzel. demo
crat. of the house of delegates, viii be
the opposing candidate. Wetzcl lives in
Jefferson county.
Lively Legislative Fight.
Incidentally, there is going to be a spir-
tied battle for the legislature, more