Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01

December 81. 1910.
Two weeks hence the democratic ma
jority Of the legislature will be in the
throes of a struggle to name a success
| sOr to Senator y. B. Scott. 1t is q contes
| chock full of uncertainty at this stage
The democrats have no OrganiZa ton or
machine to slate candidate. The
| senatorial plum was thrust uneXpect-
eddy on them by the November land
| slide, and the wishes of the rank and
| file may or may not be respected by
the democratic 1egiSla tors. who. for
| the most part, are an independent set
| this year. Many of them did not seek
| the Legislative nominations and many
| likewise did not expect election.
Will Be One of Three.
| Hence the difficulty in getting a line
| on the situation. Likewise is the pros
pect Of handling a sufficient number
puzzling to the managers OF the sena-
tOrlal entrants. This much is clear
| the winner OF the senatorial stakes will
be one of three. Clarence W. Watson
of Fairmont, National Committeeman
John Il. McGraw or John J. Cornwell
of Romney. Perhaps it could be said
accurately that the race stands Watson
against the field. He was the first to
announce himself and to make an ener-
=
dentally perfec.ing a personal orSani-
Eat Lon and using printers ink extern
sively to laud his aspirations
Cornwell this week announced his
receptive candidacy in characteristic
cally frank statement of his position.
| He declared himself anxious and will
| ing if the Legislature considered him
desirable but that he had not solicited
| legislative or lay support. and only an
nOunced his Willingness to be recep-
tive candidate because OF the urgent
requests for definition of his position.
Cornwell took occasion also to say that
| he had so far taken no active interest
| for or against any of the others men
| toned. reports to the contrary not
withstanding.
Cornwell's Real Meaning.
What Cornwell really meant was
that he was not endeavoring to help
the McGraw candidacy nor declining Il
| be a candidate to keep out of Watson S
way, reports to the contrary having
been made with more or less elAbora-
ton in different parts of the state.
Cornwell really took a fling at Wat
son by asserting emphatically that no
candidate should be considered VINO
was not willing to divorce hlmselI
from the interests" and he added an
other rap in saying a man who should
have more than the qualification OF con-
sidering himself as hopeful of being
of some service to the state. a SEN
tence in some extent forming the Key
note of the Watson press propaganda
CornweM insisted Throughout That ms
announcement came from the rank ana
file, expressed in scores OF letters, ana
his statement was to be regarded as an
answer to them ALL His statement fol-
lowed a few days ON the announced can
didacy of Andrew Edmiston OF Lewis
county, for twelve years chairman or
the state committee, and a man hlshly
regarded personally in his own section.
There has been some comment because
w. E. Chiffon absented himself from
Charleston during Watson's recent visit
there. One construction was that Chill
ton wanted to be free to enter the lists
himself. A likely deduction is that Chill
ton preferred to have business elsewhere
so as to avoid the appearance of an en-
tangling alliance with Watson. He could
not have remained in Charleston with
out meeting Watson and dropping some
remark to give his followers their cue
So his business elsewhere was timely.
The burden of the McGraw argument
is that throughout the party's lean years
he never faltered-that for his services
and liberality he has never had any
thing substantial. receiving only the
empty honor of the minority nomination
for the Senate-losing to Scott the first
time by one vote in a contest which in
volved the legality of two republican
legislators-and the honor of represent
ing West Virginia successfully on the
national democratic committee. In other
words, his friends assert that his party
owes him a debt which in all fairness it
should pay now. inasmuch as the Senate
Is the prize he has looked forward to for
fully sixteen years.
To date the fight is between McGraw
and Watson. between the seasoned leader
of minority and the younger warrior,
who enters the lists with apparent album
dance of sinews. McGraw is known to all
democrats by name or in person-WatsOn
is just becoming acquainted.
Strong With the People, But
If there was a primary to decide. Corn
wells name, like Ben Adhem's, would
lead all the rest. His wonderful race
for the governorship in 1904 made him
conspicuous Because of his hold on the
popular regard and because of his ac-
tivity on the stump. in the legislature
and through the columns of the paper
he edits In Hampshire county his boost
ers insist he is the logical candidate,
and If sentiment counts in United States
senatorial battle he will win. provided,
as seems probable, that the balloting
will be extended.
Lawrence +. Tierney. another cand-
date. has hardly as much prominence as
EdmistOn, but may have more votes.
There are reasons for believing there Will
be a McGraw- Tierney combination. And,
indeed. this combination may take in the
Cornwell votes rather than see the sue
cess OF the Watson-Chilton faction, and
include also Edmiston's support.
There has been tendency to get per-
sonal despite the striving Of the leaders
to avoid friction which may endanger
the supremacy already secured by the
democrats. and everybody looks for an
old-time democratic scrap in Charleston
in little over a week. The targets will
be McGraw and Watson. There will be
bad blood lett after Watson victory.
Republican interest in things political
is still. suffering from the election jolt.
WheeiinSites are wondering who Senator
| Scott will recommend for postmaster of
| Wheeling 10 succeed the incumbent,
| James X. Hall. who is q candidate to sue
| coed himself 3. w. Peterson and some
| OF Scott's business associates are boom
ing Hullihen Quarter. an .ex-democrat,
| who, 1t Is said. never took sufficient in
| terest in politics to attend primary. H
| c.. Ogden, he newspaper publisher. is
said to be hacking John Cummins. Bal
| timOre and Ohio engineer: while Deputy
| Revenue Collector A. r.. Campbell is
| hustling hard for himself. There are
| some other a. pirants. including William
| Simpson. ex- Representative B. &. Dove
ner and c. ". Brockunier
1t is reported that Scott is in doubt
| whether to make a personal or political
| appointment. and that he has in mind
| Maj. Gehring. former business asso-
lett. who managed his primary fight
against Representative Hubbard. Scott
| is expected to move soon, as his term ex-
| pireS the 4th Of March, and definite action