Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-09-26
"FAIK FLAY.n
Neither Democrat, Granger,
Nor bristol Man!
Who lhen Is He 2,

In the latest issue of the COURIER,
writer under the pscudonym of
"Fair Play" uses nearly column
and half in an attempt to prove
that the Democratic party of this
District should, during its present
life or death struggle with Radi,
calism, abandon its Organization
and break down its discipline, by
voting against the nominee of the
Abingdon Convention, Gen. Pride
more. ,r.7 A. ......s.g, b.. ,....-.. r.. ,-r.
1t is q little difficult to catch the
drift Of the writer, who from the
use Of the pronoun 81" in the first
half of his article, would seem to
be no more than a correspondent,
and who from tue use Of the edi,
torial "we" in the. latter half, would
seem to have inadvertently betrayed
himself as the editor. Perhaps he
may have, at one time, been an
editor, and is merely now the
victim. of habit. ,ii n,.... ,.., ,-.s.
He does not distinctly say whom
he really prefers fory Congress,
though he predicts that McMullin
will carry Scott, Russell, Tazewell,
Washington, Smyth, Wythe, Bland
Craig, Giles, and perhaps Lee, all
of which are very certain TO 90
for Pridemore, and even says "Gov.
McMullin is ''the only candidate
who is squaroly before the people,
These however, are not sufficient
to commit him to that gentleman,
and rs his aim seems clearly to be
the division of the Democratic par
ty, his move would secm to be in
tended to aid the Republicans who,
at the same time he was writing
his article, were and arc now ems
gagged in sending delegates to
Wy.heville to unite that party
upon eithar Mr.. Flanagan or Col.
Egbert. If this hypothesis should
prove incorrect, as we hope it may,
the conclusion must thon be in,
evitable that he, while attacking
the Democratic nominee, Gen.
Pridemorc, is ashamed to advocate
squarely the man of his choice,
Again, he states as the only
ground of objection to Pridemore,
that he, Pridemore in 1883, voted
for Ebert S. Martin, an indie
pendent democratic candidate for
Congress from Pridemore's own
county, against Rush Floyd, the
Democratic nominee. To align
"Fair Play"I therefore among the
McMullin men now, would be to
impsle him upon the same spit,
in which case Fair Play would
simply prove himself. unworthy Of
the support of--the Democratic |
party if he should ever to aspire to |
Congress lirGseH9 I'm other words
if it were g sin 10 PFidemore eigh7
teen years agowhep no was young
man to vote for an independent,
it is stronger than a Parallclism to
say that 'Fair Play" would be
greater sinner in voting for Me-
Mullin who has spent his days from
his youth up in opposing the party
nominees. To presume then that
he is for McMulhn is, as before
said, to hoist him on his own PEI
tard. Any way wo view it, Fair
Play would seem to be supporting
the unnamed nominee OF the radi- |
Gals, and he acted modestly at least
in going outside his State to pubs
lish the fact. But we repeat his
article is obscure, and it the fault
should prove to be in his logic and
Tot in his democracy, we will glad-
y publish the fact and set him !
light in q Virginia paper. y
We are at loss 10 know who a
Fair Play" is. Certainly lac can t