Evening star., 1940-05-12
NeeIy.HoIt-C. |. 0.
Feud Is Watched
In West Virginia
Senator Willing to
Step Down to Run
For Governorship
Ay the Associated Press.


has an United States Senator will
ing to step out to accept the guber-
Material nomination.
Senator NJ NJ Nicely, veteran of q
score of years in the House and
Senate, with c. I. O. backing, will
be before the voters next Tuesday
as the candidate of the party's So
called Federal" faction.
Opposing him are the "Statehouse"
forces led by Gov. Homer A. Holt,
who, ineligible to succeed himself,
Is backing Democratic State Chair
man r. Carl Andrews.
Senator Neely's term does not end
until 1912 and it is Rush D. Holt,
youngest Senator ever to take his
seat, who is up for denomination.
Although there had been reports
Senator Nicely and Rush Holt had
patched up differences which made
political history, Senator Nicely is
campaigning with Judge Harley M.
Kilgore of Beckley, who Is the G. I.
O.-Federal choice for the Senate.
Former Gov. H. G. Kump is the
Statehouse man for that nomination.
All of which leaves young Holt,
stormy petrol of five years in the
Senate, running more or less on
his own.
Lewis Part Is Denied.
Amid vigorous charges and denials
that c. I. o. President John L. Lewis
directed Senator Nicely to make a
last-minute entry into the bitter
primary, national issues in West Vir-
ginia have failed to get very close
to the surface.
Senator Nicely is also q candidate
for delegate at large to the Demo-
cratic National Convention and
heads list of those who want a
third term for President Roosevelt.
On the other hand. there are just
as many candidates, presumably
favored by the Statehouse, who want
to go without any strings and see
what develops at Chicago.
At no point in the campaign.
however, has there been any Demo-
cratic criticism of the administra-
ton.
Republican leaders have definitely
arranged matters so that the Phila-
delphia delegation will be unpledged.
The State has Is votes in each
convention. No major presidential
aspirant in either party is on the
May IA preferential ballot
One Day Before Deadline.
Senator Nicely, consistent support
ern of the entire Roosevelt program
and one of the floor leaders for
passage of the Guffey Coal Control
Act, came into the gubernatorial
race Just one day before the filing
deadnne.
Gov. Holt, taking a personal part
In leading his forces against his
political enemy, openly charged that
Mr.. Lewis dictated Senator Neely's
decision,
With typical Nicely showmanship,
the Senator made his first speech
just II days in advance of the pri-
Maty-Waving In the air an affidavit
denying the c. I. o. chieftain asked
him to run. He challenged Gov.
Holt to prove his charges.
The Nicely forces as much as q
month ago began setting time bombs
under the State administration
with charges that 1.-TWO Per Cent
Clubs" were taking money from
State employees for primary "slush
fund"
The Senate Campaign Funds
Committee headed by Senator Gill
lette, Democrat, of Iowa sent in
vestigators into the State at Senator
Neely's request.
The State House set up a back
fire to the Federal" wing charges
by making claims that w. P. A.
workers had been threatened with
loss of jobs if they did not support
Senator Nicely and that w. P. A.
workers had been forced to make
campaign contributions.
The c. I. o. and its most powerful
West Virginia unit, the United Mine
Workers of America, are definitely
on the side of Senator Neely, whom
they proclaim as their best friend.
Since the Appalachian Mine shut
down Of 1899, the U. M. w. has
openly and bitterly fought Gov.
Holt.
Judge Kilgore Announces.
Because the union leaders would
not accept Senator Holt-whom
= they claim betrayed his labor friends
after his election in 1934-Judge
Kilgore of the Raleigh County
Criminal Court at Beckley, came
out for Senator the same night
Senator Nicely announced.
That left the 34-year- Senator
without any particularly organiza-
ton support, but he has Travelled
serenely around the State, taking q
shot here and there at his opponents
and proclaiming himself the only
Embossed candidate in the race.
State Senator j. Buhl Shahan
who comes from Gov Humps home
town of Elkins, also is in the sena-
torial race.
Besides Senator Nicely and Mr.
Andrews, the other Democratic
g,lbernatorial aspirant is r. Hugh
Jarvis, Morgantown coal operator
who has no apparent organization.
Among Republicans, the most i'm
portant phase of the campaign is
q contest between Mayor D. Boone
: Dawson Of Charleston, and Circuit
Judge Lewis H. Miller of Ripley, for
the nomination for governor. A
third candidate is State Senator D.
B. Ealy of Moundsville.
Four-Way Senatorial Race.
The Republicans also have a four
way senatorial race. The candidates
are former Representative Carl G.
Backmann, Of Wheeling, once a Re-
publican whip in the House; former
Gov. E. F. Morgan of Fairmont, who
was chief executive during the his
torical mine troubles OF the early
20s: Circuit Judge Decatur H. Rode-
ers Of Martinsburg, only Republic
an Judge ever to be elected in the
States eastern panhandle, and State
Senator Thomas B. Sweeney of
Wheeling.
DENTISTRY ON CREDIT