The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-07-17
RAPID CHANGES
OF OPINION NOW


are Maurice Shawkey and o. A. Hood.
who may be classed categorically as
thinking seriously of it, The for
mer-Mr. Shawkey-is the state SUI
perintendent of public schools, whose
record in that position is about as
invulnerable as any public official In
the state. The nucleus of the Shaw
key boom is to be found in and
among the men and women, who are
engaged in teaching the young ideas
how to shoot, and they constitute
entail force. They want Mr.. Shawkey
to run for governor, and they are re-
sponsible for the suggestion being
| taken seriously by that gentleman.
He has the respect, confdenced. and Is
popular with this numerous class OF
the states best people. Shawkey is
efficient plus in school work, and In
politics learned at the knees Of VIII
liam Mercer Owens Dawson. The two
4 have some personal traits in common.
| one of which is that If warm weather
ever affects them they do not show
it and their heads are as cool in times
of great excitation as snow-capped
mountains. It can be stated author
litatively that Mr.. Shawkey's hat will
go into the ring before the end of
| this monitor 1t won't. He will not
hold the question under advisement
longer than that
But over and above this guberna
ttorial landscape hangs the shadow of
Virgil Highland, which shadow the
sages here declare is daily growing
larger According to them, there is
a strong business mems sentiment
favorable to and back of, Highland.
This sentiment is for Highland or
hue n
come out and take hold and do his
utmost to land a business man at the
head OF. the states government. Just
at the present time, Highland seems
,, to have the popular call. They are
putting it up to him, but IL he doesn't
care for it, this sentiment will turn
to H. G. Ogden, of Wheeling. or
some other business men of large ex-
perience in whom the real business
men of the state have the utmost
confidence. There is, according to
much evidence at hand, a strong SEN
timent in the Republican party favor
able to nominating business men for
office next year and giving the always
large class of self-seeking profess
sional gentlemen rest-and the
dearly beloved voting public the nov
city of change, thereby.
There is another personality In the
, gubernatorial picture that is drawn
in the background, and he is
troublesome enigma to the capital
students of the art. He is Fred Q.
Blue. They just cant figure Fred o.
with any degree of unanimtty OF opin-
ion. That he longs for DR.. Hatfield's
job, there Is no dispute among them,
but whether he will figure as can
didate at the show down is quite a
matter of conStroversy- Some there
are who argue that Mr.. Blues posi-
ton as tax inquisitor and censor OF
those who thirst under the Yost law,
makes him anything but favorite
when the governorship contest is I'M
der consideration. Others will argue
that this is largely the source OF his
strength. There doesn't seem to be a
common ground upon which these
two diverse opinions can meet with
semblance of agreement. If, say
one side, that 10000 prohibition ma
jorfty could be accepted as criter-
ion. Blue would take on the look
of a conner. But 1t cannot be SO ac-
cepted. they say. It is a non-partisan.
figure, they declare, and besides, tax
inuuisitors and regulators of personal
habits are not In the class of people
who win offices, European trips and
automobiles in popularity contests.
Those who take that view of it are.
to a large extent, of that cynical class
which holds that only fear of the law
makes West virginians honest and
sober. However, Mr.. Blue is under
the microscope as q lively and dubi-
Gus specimen OF the candi ofius gu-,
bernaratsis.
Thus. this weeks reel is ended.
You VIII please take the exit to the
right to AVOID CON ion.