The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-12-12
FROM OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL
George w. Summers Tells What Is
Transpiring.

u
Transpiring.
The calling of the. legislature Z
meet in special session on the earlies
possible day when it could meet un
der the law and his threat to call Il
again in special session at the close
o: the@Eegular session, indicates the
belief Of Gov. Hlasscock that the com
bination of Republicans and Pro
gresssives who together have a ma
jority of the members of the legisla
ture will experience great difficulty In
effecting their organization and elect
Ing Senator. Heretofore the forty.
five days OF the regular session have
always been sufficient to organize
eject a Senator and pass the neces.
sary legislation. But this year the
Governor seems to have some inside
knowledge that there is trouble
ahead and he Is preparing for 1t in
advance by frightening the session
a. both ends. The Governors atti-
tude based on such information as
many persons that the legislature
may get into a deadlock over the
election of Senator and not be able
to select any successor to Senator
G. w. Watson. The State of Colora-
do has only had one Senator for the
last two years because Of the inabil-
ity of the legislature to agree upon
the Senator. 1t is possible that West
Virginia may find itself in the same
situation as Colorado. Friends of
I'ayis Elkins who claim that he has
pledged to him a majority of the
combined Republicans and Progress
s!ves Of the legislature seem deter
mined that these members shall not
be taken away from him and switch
ed to any other candidate. They
claim that the Republican party Is
entitled to the Senatorship and that
they do not intend to assist the third
party in taking the place, Of the old
Republican party in West Virginia.
At the same. time the Progressives,
who probably. have as many members
Of the legislature as the Republicans
have claim. that they are responsible
for defeating the Democrats, and
that therefore they are entitled to
the Senatorship There are enough
other candidates, each with more or
less strength, to cause aadeadlock if
they can hold their men in line
But with three millionaire candi-
dates for Senator, 1t may prove diff
cult for the other fellows to hold any
OF their men. At present 1t looks
from here as though there might not
be a Senator elected and as though
the principal fight would be between
Elkins and Dawson, with the chances
favoring Elkins in case a Senator is
elected at all
Although 1t is neary three months
before the new President will be in
augurated and it will probably be
nuch longer than that before the dis
tribution OF federal patronage wi
be commenced, still there are ma
candidates already for practically
every Office which the President will
have to fill in West Virginia. The
principal offices are: Internal Rev
enue Collector for the State and the
District Attorney and Marshal for the
Northern and Southern District re-
spectfully. For each of these posi-
tions from six to dozen prominent
;wio rot nd
stood to be applicants. There may
be other positions filled by West VIZ
ginia men which are not strictly
state positions. No doubt there will
be many applicants for these places
also but the list of those known to
be DESTROYS Of obtaining either the
position Of Collector, District nAttor-
ney or Marshal numbers already
some thirty-dve or forty of the active
West Virginia Democrats.
Senators Watson and Chiffon will
make vigorous effort when the war
claims bill is in conference to have
some Of the West Virginia war
claimA reinserted in the bill. All
UuL SlA VI LucuI WSIc SLIlCh5Jl Dul "
the Senate Committee ald rather
than open up the question in the SEN
ate the leaders agreed to pass the bill
as reported by the Committee and so
before the Conference Committee in
behalf of such items as they might
especially desire to retain in the bill
While 1t has been seven months
since the sherwood Pension bill was
passed the Pension Bureau has acted
upon comparatively few Of the
claims filed under this law. 1t is
stated at the present time that they
are turning out about 1900 pensions
a day but that at this rate they have
Only after this date will have to wait
a while longer before they are reach
de.
Judge Maynard s. F. Stiles, of
Charleston, who took very active
part in the National Convention of
Democratic Clubs held in Washing
ton last week, was given something
OF boom for the Governorship of
West Virginia four years hence by
delegates to this convention. He is
probably the first Democratic candi-
date brought out for the Office which
is not to be filed until January 4,
1917.
8Senator Watson in the Senate has