The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-02-22
RoOSENELT ADHERENTS OPEN
CAMPAIGN IN STATE FOR
...> HIS NOMINATION ...--
Big Meeting Called
Next Week ut Farkersburg to Effect
Statewide Organization - Darst
MISUNDERSTANDING May Have
No Opposition for State Superin-
tendcnt. ..., .... ."-"

~'S'Si| foppoIloTS lSSuSU Il
call during the week for a state meet
ing of the friends Of the former Pres
ldent TO be held at Parkersburp on
FEBRUARY 20 for the purpose of effect
ing Roosevelt statewide oreaniza-
lon' Preparations are being made to
prlng the progressive element of the
party together on that occasion. -
Durlng the past week there has been
considerable activity On the part of
the supporters of President Taft. This
Is particularly true at Parkersburg,
Where there are many Federal office
holders, number of strcng state
ments have been issued in favor of the
denomination of President Taft. and
the movement for Roosevelt has
brought many Of the PRESIDENTS
friends to the front.
In the Kanawna district the Taft
supporters expect to organize a Taft
ciuD ana promote an organization.
The Taft leaders believe the Roosevelt
movement will recede, and that there
will be complete harmony before the
time Of the Chicago convention. The
statement TO be issued by Colonel
Roosevelt in response to the request
of the eight Governors is expected by
some Of the Taft supporters to show
the attitude of the former President.
john Sherman Barst, present State
Auditor, blossomed out last week as
real candidate to succeed himsel
the statewide primary next June for
an endorsement from his Republican
supporters. AS he has no opposition
for the place, and with no one men,
toned as possible successor, the an
noI'lcement was merely perfunctory,
the auditor embracing the opportunity
TO declare his allegiance to his party
and his Willingness ~ make the fight
IN the coming campaign. Darst fig
ures, as necessity with the Repub-
licans. He has been connected with
the state administration either in the
legislative or executive departments
since the elections in 1885,: when tho
Mckinley wave separated West Vir-
ginia from the solid South. Three
terms Darst served in the House Of
Delegates, during w:licn Ilmc he ell
gineered through the course of pas
sage the constitutional amendments
which eliminated the fee system in
the state Offices and made the secretary
of state an elective officer. Later he
served term in the State Senate, and
then was elected to the office of au-
ditor Many of the friends of Audi
ter Darst endeavored to persuade him
TO enter the gubernatorial embroglio,
but the Jackson county miller, whose
figures on state finances and taxes
have been adopted as official by the
Republicans, figured that an office
without contest was worth two with
fight and took his stand for a re-
nomination TO the office for which
there are no aspirTlts. At the pres
ent time Auditor Darst seems to have
a cinch on the nomination and has
hung out the S. R. O. sign, with no.
tice to all contenders that all space
on the primary ballot unde: the Off
cial heading Of Auditor is now occu-
pied.
There is another spot on the pri-
mary ballot which does not seem to be
attractive to ambitious schoolteachers.
It is the Office of State Superintendent
Of Free Schools, and M. P. Shawkey
who rs Il candidate to succeed himself
has no other alternative but to be re-
nominated. He is the only real live
person who wants the job. No. other
human being has applied and there are
no prospects just at present for a
grand entry. There has been SOME
talk of C.. d. Brilles, of Wheeling, be-
ing contender for the office, but it
did not have its origin with Mr.
Brilles. Abraham Armistead Lilly
has no opponent for place on the
ticket as the successor Of Attorney
General William G.. Conley. Howard
N. Ogden, Of Fairmont, jumped into