The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-03-28
NEi BUSY IN THE LUII OF THE
CAMPAIGN TO NOMINATE
LEADERS.
Thompson Looms Up
AS Probable Nominee for Governor
the Woods Boom Not Having Re-
ceived Proper Encouragement
hatfield to Have Opposition At
Home

Obscured for the past several weeks
I by the heat of the presidential CON-
I i1roversy, the gubernalorial contest
ants in both parties took advantaea
/ OF the lull in the Roosevelt-Taft en-
broglio during the week and Develop
! ments appeared above the surface 10
indicate that those aspiring TO the
! Governorship had not been idle.
| Quietly and effectively, throughout
! the whole southern section of tho
! state, the boom Of William r. Thomp-
, son, of Cabel county, for the Demo-
cratic gubernatorial nomination, has
| been circulating and growing; and
while the state convention is four
! months away, Thompson is nearer to
| the gOal than any other of the ambi-
uouS persons who are aspiring to sue
ceed William Ellsworth Glasscock
The announcement Of Thompson for
| the GoVernorship followed that of
| State Senator Samuel V. Woods, of
Barbour county, but the Democratic
| leaders did not take kindly to the
Woods candidacy and it was not given
the proper encouragement to make it
blossom and bloom. However, Sena-
| tor Woods is still in the race, and if
| there are other candidates his strength
IN the central portion of the state will
be a factor in the final hour of the
contest. =,
With the strength that Thompson
| has exhibited in the early stages of
the contest, his friends claim for him
/ an easy victory. His campaign has
already reached the button stage, and
throughout the whole of the Third
| and Fifth Congressional districts Or
CARNATIONS are being perfected in his
! interests. With the aid of powerful
politicians an equally vigorous cam
paign will be waged for Thompson
delegates in the northern districts Of
| the state.
! In 1904 Thompson was a candidate
Tor Governor, but was beaten in a
| stormy convention by John ]. Corn
| we'll, of Romney, to whom Colonel
John T. McGraw threw his strength st
critical time. In that convention
| thompson was backed by William e.
| Chiffon, who has since been returned
| to leadership in the Democratic poll
| tics OF the state and given a seat in
the United States Senate by his party.
| Although the two West Virginia
Standardization and Watson-arn
| making no public fight in the interests
OF any gubernatorial candidate, they
| feel kindly toward the candidacy of
| the Huntingtonian, and if Thompson
runs away with the gubernatorial
| nomination it will be construed as a
victory for Senator Chiffon. Many OF
the friends of the two Senators open,y
| advocate the nomination Of Thompson.
believing that he is the strongest avail
| able candidate with no past political
activity to answer for.
| ~ 10 ooi' 'ldI lIOulS Benne(t, OF
| Weston, the gubernatorial nominee in
| 1908 who opposed Governor Glasscock.
| was anxious to make the race again
this year, but has not received suffi-
cient encouragement TO this time to
| make an announcements of his candi-
| Gacy, and many Of the Democratic
| Of ho
l'ett will not consent to make the race.
III his former campaign for the Gov
ernorshiD Bennett was materially aid
| 1ed by George |. Neal, vice chairman
Of the Democratic State Committee
who was the Bennett campaign mac
ager. For several reasons. not the
| nails from the same county as ThomD-
son, the vice chairman will be unable
to manage the Bennett campaign #
1912 if the Weston man decides .r
enter the race.
| Before the convention date Thomp-
son may be the only candidate in the
race. There are persistent rcDorls
that the Democratic leaders. who dc
not believe Senator Sam Woods 10 be
the first gubernatorial timber. wou'
like to see him on the state ticket be.
cause Of his aggressive method o.
campaigning, and it is asserted that
he could have the nomination for AT.
torney General If he would consent tt