The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-01-30
NEWS NOTES
From the Nations Capital, of Interest to
West Virginians.
(By George w. Summers)

ie'u anu are sui having ~ re-
gard to the state candidates and
the right of the State machine to
dictate them to the rest of the
party, the Republicans of West
Virginia have entered into a fight
in regard to the presidency
which bids fair to overcome all
state issues in the party. Cover
nor Glasscock fired the first gun
in the warfare when he made the
declaration that the sentiment of
the West Virginia Republicans
was overwhelmingly for Roose-
welt and that he was in entire
sympathy with il. The opening
fire was made with a volley from
Senator Scott. Congressman
Hughes. State Chairman High
land, former State Chairman
Matthews and others who assert
just as positively that the senti-
ment of the Republican party in
West Virginia is not for Roose-
welt as against Taft, and that a
solid Taft delegation will be sent
from West Virginia to the nation
al convention. Among the first
assurances of support which Gov.
Glasscock received was a tele-
gram from former State Senator
Sam B. Montgomery of Preston
County, who is the original
Roosevelt man in the state. Mr..
Montgomery, in his telegram to
the Governor congratulating him
upon his decision to support
Roosevelt and rendering his own
assistance called attention to the
fact that he had in September,
1910, given out an interview in
Washington, which was widely
published in West Virginia, an
nouncing at that time that he
would support Col. Roosevelt for
the nomination for President in
1912. Mr.. Montgomery is a can
didate for the Republican nomi-
nation for Congressman at large
and if the opinion of Governor
Glasscock is correct, Mr.. Mont
gomery, as the original Roose-
welt man, should naturally ex-
pect to receive the nomination at
the hands If the Roosevelt sup
porters. 1t will be interesting
to watch and see how the other
prominent Republicans of the
state will line up in the fight
which has now been forced upon
them. Some of them may under
take to evade the issue, but it
will be forced upon them in such
a way that everyone in the party
will have to line up one way or
the other, and it looks now as
though the fight of the postmas-
tiers and other federal office hol-
ders to force Taft upon the par
ty in spite of Gov. GIasscock's
statement that Welt Virginia is
overwhelmingly against him will
cause a contest surprising any
which has ever taken place in
the famous fighting history of
the Republican party of West
Virginia. In the Taft column
will be found the federal office
holders, the standpatters and
those who are controlled by the
State machine. In the Roosevelt
camp will be found the progress
ives of the LaFollett type and
the general aggregation of kick
ers against the machine. 1t is
the same old fight in another
form, with slight changes in the
lineup, with as little chance of
the kickers winning out as they
have ever had at any time in
their fight against the West Vir-
ginia machine.
\ +
Among the Democrats through
out the State the proposition of
Senator Watson to have the Dem
ocratic party select their oandi-
date for Senator by a primary
election and at a time which will
not cause the Senatorship to be
an issue in the general election
next November seems to have
met with almost universal APP
proval. Letters of commenda.
ton and editorials in newspapers
favoring the proposition have