The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-26
TEN THOUSAND C0UNTRY cI JJR m
HOMELESS NOW FAlRMONT RAIDFD
COOKED UP SCHEME
TO CHOOSE HODGES

countles get away from him and into
the hands Of Neale. Leastways.
Neale said that he did, and he said
that the letters were insulting.
Going on the theory no doubt that
one insulting letter calls for an
other, Neale wrote one about Barn
hart on asbestos paper. For tor
lrtdity 1t stands out in literature of
the red hot class as conspicuously as
an honest Sunday school superin-
tendent. One thing that letter did
was to send Attorney Barnhart hot
footing here to tell the higher-ups
that what Neale said was true was
not. No formal charges were on file,
so the higher-ups did not worry.
Whether there ought to be or not is
not germane to this story. but the
Huntington Advertiser, who tries to
keep its part of the Democratic
household pure and God fearing,
says there should be charges prefer
red and an investigation.
The convention which nominated
Neal caused Republicans to- rem
lnisence on by-gone days of strong
armed methods. For 1t was that kind
of convention, and that kind was the
kind that put the Republican party
on the slide and brought 1t on its
knees at the mourners' bench. How
like old Republican days 1t was,
with its trumped-up fake delega-
tons, bodied delegates and strong
arm tactics. A delegation that was
as spurious as counterfeit dollar
was seated and given half the votes
to which Raleigh county was en-
titled. 1t was Neal rump conyen-
ton outfit with as strong claim to
Legitimacy as the Offspring of a
Pluto squaw. But 1t was sufficient
to give Neal the nomination with
an unlucky thirteen votes to spare.
Had the delegation been thrown out
bodily as the committee on creden-
tials, after thoroughly examining its
claims. recommended II should
French would hove been the nominee
instead of Neale.
Wyndham Stokes, OF Mcdowell, a
large, convincing and plausible per-
son. came instructed for French.
Wyndham had been counted all along
a friend Of Chiffon, ergo, supporter
of French. But Wyndham knew
better, whether others did or not.
In the fight over the majority report
OF the credentials committee this
French (?) delegate and supporter,
pleaded for harmony. He handed
out that we-are- all-D Democrats stun,
and coming as it did from the
French camp, it was gulped down by
enough of the good old unsuspecting
by-heck boys with the whiskers on
the French side to put over Col.
Stokes's very generous compromise
to seat both delegations and split
Raleigh's vote. The deed was done.
On the turn of hair Chiffon was
beaten and Watson had won. Neale.
had copied the prize, but at what
cost, my countrymen, according to
Democrats from the Fifth we have
talked with.
A starry-gemmed paragraph stand
ing out alone for Wyndham Stokes
of Mcdowell. He was the Wellington
at this Waterloo and he deserves this
conspicuous mention. Stokes is law
yer, scholar, elubman, and a Mellow
ell county politician. Which is to say
that he was not born yesterday. No
indeed. There are papers in Sena-
tor Chilton's office to show that he
saw the light long enough years back
to be an applicant for the district at
torneyship to which Neale at the time
aspired and prayerful Mr.. Barnhart
was appointed. Further than that
even. He aspired to be appointed to
fha hnnNh IN EJftOR T,,El r.
Senator Chiffon helped him then,
B 'rer Stokes indicate as much by
what he did to B'rer Chiffon at Hunt
ington. Cannot 1t be that Col.
Stokes showed base ingratitude?
Those who know him best brush aside
the tnsinuation with Impotence as
utterly unworthy.
But If Chiffon felt stingeree hurt
ing him on Tuesday what occurred at
Parkersburg the day following furn-
ished quick cure Of his wounds.
Already this story is over-running al
loted space, and we can only refer to
the dark-horse stunt pulled of with
Hodges briefly, reserving fuller and
more readable account of the 'Inside'i
till later. The Hodges business was
strictly Chiffon coup. The origina-
tor of 1t, am told, was Major Joe
Chiffon. The happy thought came to
him when 1t was plain to be seen that
they couldn't put over genial Hal
Depue, and that equally as genial
Wylie Beall, who was favored with
Watson's backing, wasn't making any
hit either with the voters of the party
The sentiment of the latter was plain
to be seen in the editorial columns Of
the party newspapers. The editors
were clamoring for somebody of larg-
er calibre than they believed Depue or
Beall could boast. How the Hodges
scheme was framed up, and pretty
much all about it that an outsider
could learn, was told at the time in
the newspaper printing this corre-
spondence. The only thing which oc-
Cured to mar the plans of Chiffon
was a weak eleyenth-hour denial by
Hodges. According to the best infor-
nation he had agreed to the plan
right along, but got scared in the final
days preceding the convention. But
the conditions were ripe for new
man, strong man, ripper than it has
been in many years In West Virginia
politics to ring in dark horse and
drive him under the wire winner.
The Chiltons were smart enough to
see and to sense that old hand at the