The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-14
NEEL! I likely T. 9 SWING I!!A!;I THE Eno,,,n
SUPPORT Of WATSON CROWD
c,ai lJiSpa;ch a. lnlcll.gcuccr.

Special IISpa;Ch ~ lnicil.gcnccr.
WASHINGTON. r., -. Ian. IA
10; of talk and on action is the EIst OF
what was accomplished by the confer
cnco of National Committeeman C. W.
Watson and Governor John J. ''"rnwell
which WAS held here ;his week. through
two days and nights. The senatorial
situation in their party waa the subject
before tho conference. and il ended with
the situation remaining jus. where II
was when Boss Watson journ"red from
tho cast and .Gnv"rAor Cnrnw"ll from
the ives: and met al ;hc New Willard
10 Talk Il over.
y was very Sri"c; rariy. limited
as 20 numbers and cxrIusIv" rs Ia quail
ity. Less than dozen non parlici-
pated. and in tn" main meeting Watson
WAS not present al all. bur was repre-
scented hy his nrim" minister. 'l"m l..
Shaver The real important talk Of the
ronrcrsnr" wns hetw"rn Watson and
r"rnwnlI, with no ono present ms wit
nrsscs.
There were no chiffon men at this
con nor clinpT illlt' III TIC iMh
Democratic members Of Congress. CON-
grrssman Adam r. Littlepagc says that
he WASN'T invited. and hence knows
nothing about It. Congressman NJ. NJ.
Nicely. who If the estimate Of major
lily OF ,hr politicians of both parties is
correct is leading for tho nomination
~ tins tim" and will moro than likely
hHvc tho acliv" and ahorr-huarh sup
port 81 tho watson wing Of The party.
which means the party orga n!2at;on. for
Watson controls ii from start tn finish,
before the situation develop much FUR
ihnr. nurposcly kept away from the con-
ference or ming!ing with tho confer"es.
And hr KEEP; away from IL and them
jus. AZ far as he could.
The inspiration nf tar conference. II
Is said. was Ia talk over tho prarTtca-
billy and feasibility OF launching Gov
ernor Gornwrll as the Watson randidatr.
rornwciI. If reports here arc 10 b" BE-
lived was anxious for ii. Rut AZ the
same time he was annoyed by doubts
ss how tho rank and file Of party lead
ership would tax" 10 il. There was all
opinion uppermost AT the conference
Tint the aforesaid rank and file Of party
leadership would not take to II at AL.
Numerous rud various reasons were
assigned One was the danger OF risk
Ing tho govrrnorshlp Mt n special cleo
;inn this year. and the temporary eleva-
.!on Of Republican to the executive
office in tho interim in tho person OF
President OF tho Senate Goodykoontz.
There was danger not only OF losing
that office. hu; Tic additional danger
OF not winning the senatorsh!n. too. 1t
was too, big hazard to take, it was
argued. and would raise rumpus
among a small army OF party men In
tho state who have hope OF getting on
tho states payroll some tlrnn before
II. full tenure OF the present governor
snds.
In addition TO these and other polit!
cal arguments Of a like Kind. there were
others offered from tho business View
point. It seems. from the talk OF this
conference. that Governor Cornwell's
administration thus far is all that was
expected Of II by the business interests
which supported him. Governor Corn
we'll has never been classed AS radical
or anything near II. Quite the contrary.
and those who cssRyrd to spcak for that
Influential clement said Il would b.
risky thing to undertake to disturb
condition OF affairs In the governors
OFFICE Mt Charleston which we're moro
satisfactory than they had been In many
years
Dumor here has Il that Governor
rornwcll wis surprised a; this attitude
taken hv some OF his friends. II Is said
that he had rather hoped that his will
inEness Ia step down and out OF the
governors chair and rim for III" Enit"d
States Senate would he most welcomely
received. All reports OF the conference
agree that this was not the case nj all.
What National Committeeman watson
had TO say about Il. or thinks about II,
not 4 single man attending the confer,
cnce was found who claimed to know.
As matter Of fact they very frankly
said that they did not know what Boss
Watson thought, ard they certainly did