Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-03-02
The Ttrginia Country Editors and
Ciereidnd.


From hc Sld,o,toa riadioator.
The Virginia country editors who are
advocating Cleveland know pretty well
what they are doing. Whatever the big
city dailies may think about it, the hum
bic country brother is the man who does
the heft of the whooping up and digging
ont the vote when voling time gets close.
1t is to him that the Democratic farmer
talks face to face-not writes-and talks
pretty plain too. He knows that If the Ma
tiona Convention dominates Cleveland,
the Democratic farmer next court day
will call in smiling and say quick and
chippery, "Well we've nominated old
Grover again" And if it nominaies
somebody else, that same farmer Will
come in and with suspicious look on his
face will drawl out "We-l.I / see you &c
nominated -, what about him = In
one case it is zoe that nominated, and in
the other it is you Please note the DIFF
ference, it is very large one, and light
ems or increases the work wonderfully as
election day comes ON. If ne have nomina-
ted, the county Democrats pile out OF
their holes to the ballot box il you have
nominated, you have to drag them out,
and these sturdy old Virginia farmers
don't put up with more dragging than is
agreeable to them. If you drag them
more than they like, some OF them will
scratch the bottom oul of the hole going
the other way. The nomination of
Cleveland with Tariff Reform as the sole
issue, will give the Democratic country
editor in Virginia Il soft, easy thing of it
for the summer and fall of 1892. The
nomination of somebody else with mix
ed issue, will give him deuce of time
and he knows it now. He is faithful
horse and will pull anywhere, but the
best horse in the world had rather pull
on an easy level than up hill.
Glossary for the use of our city cotem-
poraries in understanding the above:
"Courtday' is something that comes
once a month. 1t is the peoples day,
and it is the judgment day of the coun-
try editor when the county farmer comes
to town and tells him what he thinks of
things, and what he thinks Of him. The
metropolitan editors miss couri-1ays, and
they may be thankful they do.
"Old Grover" is intended for Grover
Cleveland, the first Democrat that filled
the Presidential chair in twenty-five years,
and who had such a sturdy Democratic
back bone and ran such clean, fearless
administration that he took root in the
Virginia heart-not the Virginia pocket
represented by the Office seekers and
spoilsmen-so deep that il would be hard
work to turn its affection from him.
Country editors is the term for those
persons who run papers outside of large
cities like Richmond, Lynchburg, Nor
folk, Petersburg, Alexandria and the
like. They are the general utility hors-
es of the Democratic family. They make
the furrows for the crop, the children
ride them when they get back from
school, and Sundays they have some
plated harness on and pull the family to
church. You have seen them in Rich
mond Sundays-that is TO say State con-
ventions-with their best clothes-that's
a great day for the country editor. lie
doesn't know a great deal, but what be
does know is often worth listening to-
He can tell you all about the furrow in
his county, and if he says it is Cleve-
land furrow, it is very apt to be just what
he says it ls.