The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-29
NeWspapers for Taft.

a b
ParkeTsburg have come out for Roos
welt.
Newspapers for Taft.
Published statements OF leading r
publlcans have been few. Taft hi
practically the unanimous support
the party newspapers in the Stat
Yet with this the quartet Of int
Eyiews out Of Washington have bee
the sum total in his behalf. On tn
other hand, the statements of tn
Governor and ex-Goyernors are til
d total Roosevelt interviews. Both side
seem to be short ON publicity materia
] orfubliaity means.
The Taft forces are really not vel
Iiorgani7ed in West Virginia. In 100
4 pfactlcally.ialli Republicans in ;thc
State were for him, but Roosevelt hal
split his organization The Roosevelt
forces are altogether. unorganized
However. an organization has beer
started, and here, again The hand q
,GlassSocli is seen, Just before the
Governor started East two rather mys
FERROUS conferences were held in the
executive Offices. They we're secret
and the minor details have not vel
leaked out.
THE result was a. committee ap
pointed to arrange big Roosevelt
meeting and to receive members into
a Roosevelt club. In fact, the club
was organized at the conference. vii.
liam Seymour Edwards was chosen
chairman and Ex-Governor Dawson
vice chairman, Bylaws were drawn
TN, and It Is said that this is to be the
chief Roos evelt club OF the State, with
subordinates in various sections.
Just why the meeting was kept a
secret is being debated, but itis Ger
tain, that not "a few Republicans have
felt the slight OF not being invited In
arranging the conference the Govern.
or advised with Isador S#abe. presl
dent of the Kanawha County Repub-
,lican Club.
= Edwards After Scott, !,
The entry of Edwards into the
Roosevelt campaign is no little gain.
Edwards is the owner of the William
Seymour Edwards Oil Company, which
has been drilling in few gushers in
the Blue Creek, Kanawha County, oil
field. He is a wealthy capitalist, ana
is a. cousin Of Roosevelt. He was a
delegate to the Republican National
Convention in 1908 and voted for Taft.
Edwards is practically certain to be
a candidate for delegate to the nation
al convention this year and he will
run on Roosevelt platform. But
Edwards will not stop there. IL he
goes 10 the national convention he
will aspire 10 the, office of national
committeeman from West Virginia, a
job now held by ex-senator Scott.
Edwards is not new in the political
game. In 1900 he was candidate
|, for the Republican nomination for
Congress in the Third district, and
when Gaines won the nomination he
carried it to the National COMPRESSION;
al Committee, which decided against
him. ,7 sos saa ~.
Now that theaR Roosevelt movement
is on the question arises ras to who
was the original Rooseveh.tElahAn the
state Samuel. B, MsntgamerS who
asplres To- be .Goqgressman,&t.largei
claims the honorUq %. ~. .at
~ Watson-chlIton Rivalry.
The rivalry between Colonel John
7. McGraw of Grafton and United
State Senator Clarence w, Watson for
The Democratic State leadership zig.
zags in its course. For the past few
weeks McGraw seemed TO have the
best of it, dating from the meetings
OF the Democratic National Com.
mittee, of which he is member. Nc,
Graw's popularity consists in his abil.
ity to get on the popular side of ques-
tions, But Watson got the upper hand
in the matter Of Q primary to deter,
mine whom the Democrats should
elect TO the United States for the term
beginning March 4, 1918, in case OF a
Democratic Legislature.
( McGraw has, been the advocate Of
a primary all along, but takes the
stand TINT It should be held oh the
day of the general election, Watson,