Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-21
y,rginia and the Presidency.

IL has been said that there Is never
time when the average Virginian is not
ready 10 talk about the next nominee for
President Of the United States, Virginians
being, such is the assumption, born poll
ticians." Mr.. GREELEY added that they
were the "shrewdest politicians in the
world" However, we need not apologize
for writing about the nominee OF a ma
tional convention which viii meet in
twelve months from to-day. seeing that IN
Virginia. 20 where you will and accost
whom you may, you will find the leaders OF
the Democratic party, ss well as the fol-
lowers, engaged in earnest converse
aion-not rancorous disputes-as to the
proper policy to be pursued by that party
in the matter of selecting their next nomi-
nee for President Of the United States.
The shrewd politicians " OF Virginia
saved the national Democratic party In
1874 by dropping all the aspirants who had
committed themselves against the annexa-
ton Of Texas, taking up JAMES X. Polk.
new man, and putting him on an annexa-
tion platform. The Richmond Enquirer
was charged with conceiving this bit OF
strategy. Certainly that grand old editor,
TuoMAs RI1cnrE, refused TO allow any per-
sonal feelings 10 govern his conduct in that
instance. His political sagaoity enabled
him 10 see that the annexation Of Texas
had been determined upon in the popular
mind, and that it would be inexcusable
folly In the Democrats-especially the
southern Democrats-to postpone success
ill 1913 in order 10 have preliminary cam
paien of education, for postponemcnt till
1913 might have been postponement for
ever Father RITcHm had the courage
of his convictions" but these convictions
did not lead him into the unwisdom Of the
bull that undertook to butt the railroad
locomotive of the bridge. Virginia poll
ticians are generally silverites. A word to
fhe wise is sufficient.
Father RICHIE led the way and the peo-
pile followed him. They constructed
platform, and found a candidate who could
stand on il. That candidate was elected
President of the United States.
We publish this morning a number OF in
teryiews with prominent Virginians, which
go 10 show that the politicians of this State
1--WE are not afraid to use the word 'politi-
clan in the good sense in which MIR. GREE
LEY aud Mr.. RIrCME used I'D have not lost
their heads. They still hold TO the policy
of selecting candidate for President be-
cause he is Democrat and stands up
10 be counted rs a Democrat whenever
occasion demands of him to show his colors.
They believe that q Democrat upon a
Democratic platform would be much more
1ikely TO commend himself to the popular
support than would Democrat upon q
Republican platform. The interviews we
publish were held with sound Democrats
representing various sections of the
State and having no personal objects OF
their own TO accomplish in saying what
they have said in regard to the next presi-
dency We give these interviews not as
proving that HILL or CLEVELAND or any
other aspirant is the favorite in Virginia,
but as showing that the Democrats of this
State are Democrats who are seeking the
success of the Democratic party and its
principles and not endeayoring to further
the fortunes Of any man. When talka-
tive JOHN BULL was once heard de-
nouncing Lord THUMow as a hypo-
critic. and somebody present asked
him upon what he based his opin-
ION, he replied that he had never
had a word TO say TO Lord THURLow in his
life. and could say nothing as to his charac-
Ter. but he knew that nobody could be as
wise as Lord THURLow looked, and there
fore no must be hypocrite. We sus-
meet that there are some Democrats in Vir-
gina who do not like to support candi-
dates who are so much wiser than their
party as to feel free to erect platforms OF
Their own. The people consider themselves
as sufficiently wise to make a platform
good enough for any sound Democrat to
stand upon.
Our interviews show clearly, we think,
that the Democrats of Virginia will go into
the next Democratic National Convention
without a candidate; or, If you choose,
with the full determination TO nominate
man who can be elected, and who
ought 10 be elected-not because he is
better than his party or his creed,
but because he is 0 representative
of Democratic measures as well as Demo
cratic men. They believe, let us say for
instance, in the free coinage Of silver; and
they will. therefore. prefer candidate
who believes in the same measure. They
dare not defy the $4,000 Alliance men in
Virginia.
Here we begin TO tread upon dangerous
ground, and here we viii drop the subject.
We ask the reader TO ponder the matters
which have evidently engaged the atten-
tion of the gentlemen we have interviewed
and TO decide for himself whether these
gentlemen, or majority of them, are not
following the path which wisdom has
blazed for the Democratic party Of the
whole country.
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