The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-03-09

Endorsement Of candidates by coun:
ty Organizations is the favorable pas
time Of both Republicans and Demo.
kcrats these days. Voters in both par
ties are asking themselves how far
this method Of showing organization
strength will go before the primaries.
Endorsements SO far. tend to show
first, that the Hon. John J. Cornwell,
may yet have to take the field to
keep himself In the lead as the Dem
ocratic candidate for Governor; sec
ond, that Judge Ira E. Robinson, Re-
publican candidate for Governor does
not have to rely altogether upon the
northern counties for real strength;
third that William F. Hite. of Hunt.
ington's candidacy for the United
States Senate, like SNOWFALL, 10
gathering weight as it goes, and
fourth, that Senator Cory Hogg and
Senator D. e. French have their fol-
lowing as Democratic candidates for
the Govsrnorship.
Recently, in a survey OF the Guber-
material and Senatorial battle in the
south end OF the state, The Dispatch
reported that Judge Robinson would
turn up with decided strength in Nc
DoweH and Kanawha counties, among
others.
In both these counties the support
ers OF Attorney General A. A. Lilly
claimed such strength that test was
made on the issue Of endorsement
The Kanawha county committee has
IL members, and seven Of these made
more than q majority to give the coun.
ty committees endorsement to the
Grafton man.
The Lilly committeeman preferred
to atay out Of the meeting and let
the endorsement go through, without
minority dissent. At the same meet
ing Hite< was endorsed for the uni
ted States Senate. While the Kanawha.
meeting was on the Republican county.
committee OF Mcdowell county was al
so In session and ndorsed both Rob.
inson and Hite, so that the largest
Republican counties In the state have
put the official stamp Of approval on
the candidates. OF the two men who
are generally conceded to be leading
the Republican ticket for the primaries
In June. These southern county en-.
dorsements are more important to
Judge Robinson than to Hite. The lat
ter's strength is conceded In the SOUTH
ern end of the state; Judge Robinson
is expected to make sweep of the
northern counties, and the committees
in Mcdowell and Kanawha counties
probably too the action to show the
northern counties that the latter will
not be alone In rolling(up majorities
for the Judge.
4 Endorsement for Hite in Kanawha
and Mcdowell means considerable to
the huntingdon candidate also. because
It comes at a time when 1t shows
for Congressman Sutherland In these
two large counties. and seems to serve
as early proof to what has been widely
predicted. namely, that Sutherland en-
tered the Senatorial race too late to
hope for, organized support in any
other Congressional district in the
state other than the Second district,
with the chances that he will have q.
hard fight to get 1t there.
tits not believed that county com.
mittees throughout the northern hair
of the state will bother to take ac-
ton regarding endorsement OF this or
that candidate. II Judge Robinson de.
sired to show his strength in the East
ern Panhandle. the central counties
and the northern, central and Pan.
handle counties, It iB almost certain
that he could readily get ndorsements
by the wholesale The same is true OF
IHite. "This would serve no purpose"
said 0 leading Republican to me TO.
night, land ts not necessary
G On the Democratic side. Senator
French opened his campaign for the
9overnorships In Wayne county satur-
day, and so captivated the stalwart
hosts In that Democratic stronghold
In the South that the county committee
immedIate ely met and endorsed his can.
didacy, this recomme ation followtng
similar action already taken In Nc
.powell and 4 Mercer counties. In the
Senator Hogg has been en-;
dorsed IN jackson end Mason counties,
so that the county organizati lions III
% Heat I'VE southern eounties are aI.l
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