The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-04
EXEUNr o,FERRALL

Many years ago the Hon. Charles Il.
O'Ferrall appeared in Washington rs II
contestant fer seat in the Congress,
from which time unto this season the
Democratic party has kept him in some
honorable or lucrative office every
minute. 1t is the fault of certain people,
so protected and cared for in II public
way, that they become imbued with the
idea of political proprietorship;'tha more
or less of the party belongs 20 them and
not they to it. la much the same manner
bank cashiers have the money of deposi
tors so completely at their command for
n series of years, that, at last, they can
not help looking upon it as their own, or
in treating it rs If it We're.
Mr.. O'Ferrall soon will complete his
four years term as governor of Virginia.
The end of his administration will be
cOterminous with the end of his political
career, unless he should do the improba-
bic thing and Join the Republican party,
whose name he deteSts, but whose pria-
ciples, policies and designs against liberty
and prosperity he most heartily indorses
rs an Old Dominion annex of the small
but select Waldorf dinner party. Safe in
the assurance that what Grover Cleve
land, John G. Callisle, Whitnel, Pier
pont morgan and Ickleheimer saws is
right, of course, is right particularly
when REINFORCED by the opinion of an
O'Ferrall, the governor. sings his political
death song to the interviewer am ut the
Democracy of his State, and tells them
both that he is IL Democrat, and the peo-
pie WHO constitute the State organiZa-
ton, with the utmost unanimity, are not
Democrats.
Once upon Il time the distinguished
members of the Tailor family who lived
in Tooley street addressed a remonstrance
to the and in it styled themselves:
1--WE, the peonler' Mr.. O'Ferrall does
not live in Toolry street. The political
suburb occupied by Cleveland and the
other ghosts is without name; but the
principle is the same. When he asserts
that the platform and ticket of the Roa-
noke convention are not Democratic, and
that he will not support either for that
reason, The sjustifies the suspicion that
something is wrong with his intellectual
processes.
The Roanoke convention was as repre-
sentative u gathering of all that is truest
and best in the political life of the COM
monwealth as ever CONVEX ed in Virginia.
1t was unanimous in declaring for the
principles and platform for which in 1896
mora than six million Democrats cast
their votes. If the great convention of
Chicago, The mighty army that fought
for its candidate and the one.living issue
of the campaign. and the determination
reiterated all over the United States by
Democratic conventions, with one strad-
DIE bug exception, To stick to that plat
form and that issue, did not make the
Roanoke convention and it's work Demo
cratic, what could DO so? Mr.. O'Ferrall
is not in n logical position to say that all
the Deinocr millions, their re present.
alive men and bodies. are not Democrats
while he and his dozen or so of Virginia
Waldorfers are the true blue variety
What would &C institute good Democracy
in his eyes would be platform and dec
larations taken from the St. Louis plat
form of 1896. In short, to he Il good Dem
ocrat, rs that term is eXpounded by Cleve-
land and Carlisle, in effect one must be a
Republican. That is what they all are,
whether they own UP to it or not. Mr.
O'Ferrall is not an reception.
However, it does not much matter
His career is closing. He has been county
clerk, assemblynlan, Congressman and
governor He has accepted many good
things ut the hands of the party kind
enough TO bestow them. In return we
are not advised that the innammability
of the James river thereby has been visi-
bly, increased. But it is nearly over. In
short time he will be out of the gov
ernor's chair, as we'll as out of the party
In both cases it will te departure with
out hope of return. SIDE mortuis nil nisi
bonum" Washington Times.
GOVERNMENT BY INJUNCTION.