Evening star., 1912-04-28
MAJORITY AGAINST TAFT
CONTEST NEXT

Active Preliminary Campaign by the
Supporters, Respectively, Of
Clark and Wilson.
Special Correspondence Of The Star
WHEELING. w. Va, April q, 1912.
| A solid delegation from West Virginia
for Roosevelt is indicated by the return.
| from the counties that have so far had
| test of strength between the Taft ant
Rough Riders forces. but the Taft mer
have not given up all hope of slipping
away with two delegates from the frs
| district. They figure that IL they car
carry Harrison, Brooke and Hancock
counties. which are yet to vote, they
will have enough to control the district
convention, which meets at New Martins
vile in May.
The fact that Cabell county went fol
| Teddy this week without the semblancl
of a contest seems to foreshadow an un
expected Taft loss in the fifth district
The first and fifth districts are, respec
| lively. in the northern and southern ex
tremities of the state, and not long age
| were considered almost certain fol
Taft. The third, likewise. had Taf
| look, with ex-Representative JOSEPH
H. Gaines leading the President's
cause but it is said now that
Kanawha. the biggest county in the dis
trict. will go for Roosevelt without 9
struggle. Taft has secured a minority
| of the delegates from Fayette, which ad-
| joins Kanawha, and some of the delegates
| claimed for Roosevelt will be contested
| but the situation in Kanawha seems tc
settle the thing.
In fact certain Taft leaders privately
admit that West Virginia has gone te
| the colonel. The Roosevelt leaders SAY
| there is nothing more to 1t and that
| they will have the sixteen delegates, and
| follow up their victory by succeeding ex.
Senator N. B. Scott, as national com
mitteeman, with w. S. Edwards, ex-Rep
resentative w. P. Hubbard or ex-Gov
| w. M. o. Dawson.
Battle Was Desperate.
Much interest was felt throughout the
state in the result in this Ohio county
The contest came off Tuesday. ani
Roosevelt got thirty-eight Of the forty
nine delegates in a desperate battle. The
| Hubbard and Scott factions divided tc
certain extent on the issues. but the
HSUL WAS HOt a VlCCOIy tHc I1uUD6IO
| following in that sense, as the old lines
| overlapped in many ways. The Roose.
| welt victory was due largely, 1t is de.
| clared. to opposition to the so:called Ogden
| bosship Of the local republican organiza.
| ton and to q certain undercurrent In op.
| position to Taft.
most significant feature of the out.
come in this county is that many of th<
| successful Roosevelt delegates say they
really prefer Justice Hughes. and that
hox lro~, TSodI 70 to- hot
| end. Indeed, certain wise ones assert
that Roosevelt himself, will eliminate
| himself In the final hours In favor OF
Hughes.
In the Democratic Camp.
| West Virginia political interest has
shifted to the scrappy doings in the
democratic family over the issue of
| whether Wilson or Champ Clark shall
capture the delegation to Baltimore.
The Clark Wilson contest in this Sec
ton hinges on the outcome of the fight
between delegates to the congressional
district convention. ]. Bernard Hand
Ian. prosecuting attorney, is running as
| a Wilson supporter. and has his slate.
while Col. J. A. Miller, candidate for
| treasurer on the last democratic state
ticket, likewise has a slate. but refuses
| to commit himself, saying he prefers to
L oOes~o >~S-Ss
more.
Milier's slate of delegates is not SO well
organized. but he will have the benefit
| of the Clark and Harmon sentiment. The
pected to help Miller, and Frank p. Nc
Nell, a democratic attorney Of promi.
| nence. and Bethany classmat0 OF
Clark's is working hard for the Speaker.
The Chiffon Watson following will be
able to help Miller more in the other
| Ohio county. containing Wheeling ani
being the largest in the district. always
figures it is entitled to at least ont
national delegate. and the Wilson
The Wilson followers will make grea
play to the dyed-in-the-wool Bryan men
and are pointing out that the opposition
| to Wilson comes from men who were In
different to the Nebraskan in his previou.
campaigns.
Wilson to Visit Wheeling.
Before the issue reaches its final con
clusion it is probable Wilson will pa,
Wheeling visit. He was booked to bt
here this week, but was unable to arrang'
his dates. The Wilson-Clark contest ha.
injected renewed life into the West Vir
ginia democracy, coupled with their livel,
hope of victory all along the lire in No
VemDer, ana IHlS cnanSeQ SITUATION wal
strikingly reflected in the ward and dis
trict meetings of the week held to ar
range for the preliminaries.
| Representative John w. Davis, who, by
the way, has kindly feeling for tn,
Underwood boom, is receiving replies t.
several thousands of circular letters h,
addressed to many of his constituents
asking them for views on pending ques
tions of moment. such as parcels post
lower duties on wool. steel and chemicals
and their presidential preferences. III,
solicited expressions from republican,
and democrats Unfortunately. and hi
novel inquiry has undoubtedly won hin
increased popularity.
The contest for the republican nomina
tion to oppose Davis wakes between
George A. Laughlin and Alexander r
Campbell somewhat prosily as the gen
eral feeling is that the winner will draw
a lemon. The personal popularity o
Davis is responsible for this belief. rathe
than any particular weakness on the par
of his prospective republican opponent.
ANCIENT HOUSES ARE DUG UP
Excavations in Pompeii Reveal an
Interesting Fresco.
6