The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-24
Sensational Eleventh Hour
Developments Expected
in Race This Week.
Ri CHARLEs BRooKs SMITH

The Republican primary campaign
in West Virginia. according to re-
ports received in Washington to-
day. swings in to the final week
with the speed that guarantees to
the spectators in the grandstands
a duplication of the celebrated
Garrison finish.
This describes the-situation in
the Republican party. solely and
alone. There are no such hard
fcEs!it contests in the Democratic
party not one. Former Con-
gresham NJ NJ Nicely is picked
generally by all forecasts to- be
nominated for United States Sen
ator. easily defeating Mrs. 1zetta
Jewell Brown
There is no such unanimity on
the part of those who attempt to
forecast the nominee of the Re-
publican senatorial primary.
That is a mans sized battle, all
agree, SO close it is believed that
the decision may turn on this
weeks campaigning and its prog
ressive development, and on whet-
her a week from next Tuesday
primary day-happens to be
pretty day or is one of rain, threat
.
The four candidates and their
managers will not concede for
publication that the race is a
each of the, camps are of the same
tenor as those issued in preced-
ing weeks starting with the open
ing guns of the battle. Each has
the nomination sewed up with
dope which is alleged with color
ing matter to suit the respective
bias and Partially most naturally
involved. I would be an unheard
of precedent for candidates and
their managers to claim anything
else except lead pipe cinch.
r. The. politicians of the Republic
can party meaning the so-called
leaders past and present by prob
ably large majority. however.
seem to be positive that the NOM
ination will go to either Senator
Howard Sutherland or to Herchel
C. Ogden, and the largest proper
ton of their number predict that
Editor Ogden will land it. The
unprecedented character Of this
prophecy may be questioned,
though. since the politicians or
party leaders. are very largely
supporting the candidacy of the
Ohio County aspirant. He has
built up a strong, statewide organ
-1zation, put the force of his strong
personality into it through many
weeks of energetic effort, and If
itScan put the votes into the boxes
for him commensurate with its
size and evident organized effic-'
iency. which the politicians think
it can do, the nomination of the
Wheeling contender is very lar
gely thought. by them to be prob.
able
Sutherland Confident
With this view, the other three
candidates and many observers
who are not known as party lea
ders or party politicians of the pro-
fessionaI type, but who are always.
close observers, and students of po-
litical contests and movements. do
not agree Senator Sutherland
claims to have majority of the
voters with him if not majority
of the Republican leaders. and de-
scribes that situation as being
more or less of a replica of his
successful contest for the .nomlna-
ton six years ago. His confiden-
ce in his success continues still I'M
shaken his close friends say. AS
an offset to any organization pit
ted against him, they also argue
that he person ally and his name
are better known to more people
in West Virginia than any OF the
other three candidates. and that is
a big asset for any man running
in a direct primary to have.
They also make the claim tnat
he is a stronger favorite with the
women and eX-service men voters
than his opponents.
Those politicians who predict a
close finish between Sutherland
and Ogden, and there is an over
whelmingly large percentage or
them who string with that guess.
by so doing concede the claims OF
the Sutherlanders. in part, at any
rate. else they would have no bas-,
is for their forecast that the race,
is close Between these two run
ners. Not to make sucr conces-
sion would be equivalent to goln9
on record as forecasting an easy
and Overwhelming majority tor
Mr.. ogden. This they. do not do.
They say Ogden will win, but 1t
will be a close finish.
The camps of Charles Frede-
rick Edwards and Cousin Abe"
Lilly. not being able to point to
the possession by them of such g
large and formidable organiza-
ton of so-ca1led party leaders,
either state that their strength
rests upon the votes of the rank
and file of the party. Publicly
both declare. their confidence in
their ability to win, which might
be justified by an unexpected and
miraculous outcome that, should
it come as a bolt from the blue,
will find the politicians totally un-
prepared for it. At that, the poll
iticians in larger numbers are ad-
hitting now that both Lilly and
Edwards will roll up larger.vote
than several weeks ago, they
thought that they would, OF
could.
Silent Vote Dangerous
Somewhere In between these
two groups, Is a third who say
that fbav would not be SURPRISED