The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-07-27

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promised by the president that If he
made the race and lost, he would be
rendered a position by the national
administration which would be sat
isfactory to him in all respects.
So there you have the card which
Hodges played after the nomination
which took a considerable trick, or is
destined to when he fails to over
come that 10000 plurality which
sent Howard Sutherland to the
House two years ago. It was no
fool's play, say the Democrats here.
Indeed, they tout 1t as in the clever
class. and josh about 1t good-natur-
eddy over, their rickies and their
juleps when they gather in gay
summary array on the breeze-swept
roof of the Raleigh.
But that is not all. according to
the Democratic wiseacres. Hodees
has another promise, but they do
not think SO well OF 1t as they do the
one that he unanswered to wiring
from the president. Neither does he
apparently, SO they say, and that is
the reason why he played the sleeve
hidden card. The other promise re-
ferred to is the one by the bosses to
make him the nominee for governor
In 1915, either in the event OF his
election or defeat this year. That
was seductive enough before the
convention to entrap him, but hardly
enough to hold him after the expos
ure, and Beall's telegram and inter-
view, and all the other sensations
which sensationalized the blow-up.
dtmmed the prospect and ripped the
party ranks up the middle and
across. Themes Els long, level and
practical head asserted itself: his
forehandedness and thrift demanded
the floor. He laid aside his passion.
ate political ambitions for the once:
and got of and looked at the situa-
ton from distance and from all
angles. There's no bluf11ng about
the professor, he's cinch player, ana
his creed is a bird in the hand is the
noblest work Of the Lord.
Sc he decided to play 1t safe.
With all the trouble his nomination.
had caused, his chances Of winning
as he had previously viewed them
had shrunken, decidedly SO; his de-
feat wouldn't strengthen him as a
gubernatorial contender two years
hence, as defeats weaken men in pol
tics; Chiffon would be a candidate
In 1915 to succeed himself, and hay-
ing troubles and plenty of them Of
his own at that time, could he and
would he try to make good the prom
Use to Hodges; would Watson o. X.
Glen Shaver's promise or would he.
in the stress Of adverse circum-
stances to Hodges in 1916, disayow
1t, step out from under, and swing
on to some other candidate likely to
be more popular with the party
rank and file at thit time?
Thus, the line Of reasoning, and
the plan evolved to procure a life
preserver nearer at hand than two
years from now. How this was done
has been explained. Hodges has a
promise now that he holds to be as
good as President Wilson's word can
make it-and that is as good as a
government bond. Here is. a prom
Use that can be cashed in Just as soon
as Howard sutherland's 1914 plural
ity is determined next November, and
the usafruct from the transaction
will equal In income, II not in honor
and prestige, the university presl.
dency which his willing entrapment
by the party bosses compelled him to
relinquish.
Hodges's nomination. outside Of a
decidedly restricted Democratic
group which helped to bring 1t about
is not popular with the Dem ocratic
Of the state colony here
but that is another story, as Kipling
says, which will follow. Why Il
isn't, will be SO apparent to the pub
lie that 1t will wonder why 1t didn't
see that phase Of 1t before. But that
later.
In the meantime, and in conclu-
sion, college professors, like clergy
men, newspaper correspondents and
other good people, have been ac-
counted poor business men from
time immemorial. Mr.. Hodges. Ii
must be admitted. is an exception to ]
the General rule.
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