Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-29

oo,,,ur. 80 tho Rochester Post-Express'
a Republican paper:
We hear with surprise OF the oec,''v 80
of the Republicans of virginia NV
nominate a State ticket. o.,,h
A Governor OF the old Commonwe ~,
is IN be elected this fall. and yet vi
ginIa Republicans are to have ho 'a"
didate. l.,
wbv not? We are told that success -
imnossible because the whole eiecloiai
machinery OF the State Is In the hahuo
of Democrats, who are VIGOROUSLY cor
rupt and would resort TO the most ues-
perate. the most criminal prac'ices' ~
secure the governorship. =,
Very likely. Somewhere or other III
the South Republicans are counted out
at every election. But that Is no rea-
son why the battle for the Supremacy
Of Republican principles-for an honese
count for sound money, for protective
tariff. for pure administration Oh puon'
trust. should be basely Abandoned!
Virginia is not hopeless battle-srouilu .
In the presidential campaign Oh !osf
Cleveland carried II over Blaine py o'ln'
in 1888 Cleveland carried II over Harri-
con nv 59e. in 1892 Cleveland carried 1t
again by 50.T5; and in 1896 Bryan alueu
by Populists. carried 1t by 1881.
Surely. there is nothing in such re-
turns as these to justify pusillanmous
surrender of the field,
We are very much afraid that the lead
ers of the Republican party In virginia
have too much regard for the dlsourse-
ments Of national party managers ans
too little love for the solid and benehcent
principles Of the party itself. We fear
they are too much politicians for reve-
nue. only: very active and energetic when
a national contest is on, and contribu-
lions from without the state may be
expected, and utterly Indifferent when
the campaign is for State offices only,
and the national party leaves them to
their own resources.
Even If the adverse majority in Vir-
ginia were 100000, the Republican leaders,
If men Of courage, OF loyalty. of devo-
ton TO Republican principles, should
make the best campaign they could. \
Governor is to be elected this year. Con-
gressmen are to be elected next year. Re-
publicans of Virginia should be always
in battle array.
We fear that the members Of the Re-
publican State Executive Committee Of
Virginia are arrant towards.
While the revenue feature of the mat
the conclusion reached by the Republic
can State committeeman, another i'm
portant consideration entered into their
decision. They do not wish to give Cen
eral James a. Walker any more promi-
nence than he has now. a State ticket
would mean that Walker would head It,
and no matter whether he were elected
or defeated, he would thenceforward oc-
cupy a position which would entitle him
to more consideration at Washington
than he has yet received there.
Another man whom some of the pre-
sent leaders Of the Republican party in
Virginia envy and fear is Colonel Will
liam Lamb. Their jealousy Of him has
been shown for more than year past.
Though he is, or was, chairman Of the
party in this State, they have done
everything that they could to humilate
and destroy him. He was for Reed as
against Mckinley, and therefore, was
caught "on the wrong side of the
market" as the brokers would say. He
was gagged and fettered as far as 1t
was possible for the National Republic
can Committee TO do so in the last cam
paign, and he has recently made an
expose Of the transactions of Mr.. n. b.
Scott. of West Virginia, who was sent
down here last fall to see to the disburse-
ment of the campaign funds. For this
and other alleged offences. the State Re-
publican Committee has undertaken to
depose Lamb as chairman, and for his
part Lamb is threatening to call State
convention and nominate State
ticket no matter whether Agnew, Wad-
dill, Allan, Brady & Co., approve or not.
So the truth is that Republican
jealousies and chickering's, more than any
fear of our election laws, are at the
bottom of the determination reached by
their State Committee not TO nominate a
ticket this year. But IL our election
laws were the vile things the Republic
are noD, it would not lie in their mouths
to accuse us, seeing that their last cam
paign in this State was a campaign Of
bribery and corruption.
To the Democratic party Of Virginia,
| it is perfectly immaterial whether the
Republicans put up State ticket or not.
| They know, and we know, that Viz
| ginia is an Overwhelmingly Democratic
State in all elections where great cor
ruption funds are not employed against
us. Where tens of thousands OF dollars
are used against us, our majority may
be reduced, as it often is in presidential
| elections: but there are no protected
manufacturers or pet trusts that are
willing to send money TO the Virginia
Republicans this year.
| We do not desire TO interfere in the
| Virginia Republicans family quarrel.
AS to It we are impartial. We do not
care how fierce It grows or how long
it lasts; nor, on the other hand.
would we care II peace should
be made. Our sole concern is TO
expose the fragrant breach of truth
that is implied in the suggestion
that no State ticket is TO be put up
because of our corrupt" election laws.
1t isn't so. The real reason is that there
is a war of factions in the Virginia
Republican party, and the dominant fac
ton seems 10 be sustained Ly the Wash
ington administration.
! FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE.