Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1916-03-28
CFrom The Parkersburg Sentinell
W. G. PETERKIN
FAVORS FRENCH
FOR GOVERNOR
KNOWS HIM TO be EMINENTLY
QUALIFIED FOR POSITION TO
WHICH HE ASPiREs.
DEMOCRACY WOULD DO WELL
UNDER HIS FEARLESS
LEADERSHIP.
, the Editor Of the Sentinel:

To the Editor Of the Sentinel:
Hon. D. E. French, of Mercer county,
has formally announced his candidacy
for the Democratic nomination for
Governor.
/ happen to know personally, all
three of the Democratic candidates for
this nomination, and it has been my
privilege to know two Of them quite
well for number of years. / believe
that any one of the three would make
q good Governor, and no matter which
one should be named, Democrats can
vote for their candidate with the
knowledge that if elected, we will have
q Governor who will be credit to the
State and to the party.
Senator French is not very well
known personally in this section, and
| want to say a few words about him
to our people, through the columns Of
the Sentinel, because l probably know
him as well, If not better, than does
anyone else in this part of the state.
served with Mr.. French for four
years in the State Senate. Our rela-
tons were particularly close and in
innate, and the better knew him, the
higher was my personal regard for
him and the higher my opinion of his
character and ability.
He is an able, honest and upright
man.
He is not only an honest and sin
cere Democrat, but has been for years
hard worker for the party; for years
he has been one of mainstays of the
Democratic party in the southern Sec
through the inspiration of his fearless
aggressive and militant leadership
that his party of the state did so well
at the general election in 1912, al
though it was the bailiwick of the Re-
publican candidate for Governor; in
deed, if the whole state had done as
well, or even half so well in proper
ton, as Senator French's county of
Mercer did, a Democratic Governor
would have been elected in 1912.
He is a personal admirer of Presi-
dent Wilson, favored his nomination
supporter Of his administration.
During his entire term in the State
Senate, that body was tied, fifteen to
| fifteen, condition which initiated
much against affirmative accomplish
ment, but Senator French was always
found fighting hard and conscientious
ly against anything he conceived to
be unjust or wrong, and for whatever
he thought to be right.
He Is in every sense a clean man:
one who as Governor would give the
state clean and business-like admin
| istration.
l can assure the people here that
the encomiums passed upon him by
| the Democratic Executive Committee
of Mercer, Mcdowell and Mingo Coun-
ties, who formally insisted upon his
| becoming candidate, were in no whit
exaggerated or undeserved.
Finally, he comes from one of the
most rapidly growing sections of the
state, and from a county which has
not, so far as recall, ever been hon
ored by the Democratic party with a
| nominee for any state office; and
moreover, his strength before the peo-
pie, and his ability as vote-getter
has been proven in an exceptionally
hard test. AS to this nothing more
| need be said than a reminder that he,
Democrat. was triumphantly elected
to the Senate in a district so over
whelmingly Republican as his is, |
believe that he would poll more votes
| and be more certain of election than
any other candidate we could now
| name.
| / have no quarrel-nor has Mr..
French-with his opponents for this
nomination. If he should not be nomi-
mated, he will, l know, work as hard
for the nominee as he would for him
self, and shall be very glad in my
feeble way to help him in that work.
But believe that at this time, he is
THE MAN to head our State ticket,
and / expect to vote for him in the
primary, and l sincerely hope that he
will receive most handsome vote in
this county and section.
Yours very truly,
w q PETER KIN