Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-10-18
TX" on the Political Situation I'm
Clarke and Warren Counties.
COMMUNICATED

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know; and, further, that considered
it's editorials upon all questions of
state or general government policy
fully up to the great democratic city
organs of the land.
Now, sir, such has been nv opin-
ION, whether worth snything or not,
privately and publicly expressed. l
have known you upon more occasions
than one to disagree with the demo
cratic party, both as to men and
measures, but were slways ready to
sacrifice your private opinions for the
good of the party, at all times ooun-
selling harmony and the healing of
all party squab5les.
Such has been undeniablv the
course of the COURIER, aud it is to
be commended for it; but, my dear
Crown, | am forced to say that in nv
judgment your structures upon the
letter of Mr.. Kownslar in the last
COURIER (Oct. 4th) are unfair, un-
just and uncalled for Let us look
at the matter from a strictly uubias-
ed and unprejudiced standpoint. SO
tar as the two aspirants for Legisla-
tive hoDors from the county of War
rem are concerned, | would not give
the snap of my finger between them.
nor would you as to that, but as our
county is also involved and interested
IN the matter we are of course like
wise personally interested. The
truth Is, Warren county is eternallv
In some political muddle or broil and
Is constantly running to Clarke to
straighten ont matters for her.
She possesses such plethora of
craftsmanship and is running over
with such superabundance of EN-
bryO Statesmen that the consequence
= constant friction and war The
honors cannot go round in an ordina-
ry lifetime, hence. they all want
them at the same time, and. there
fore, the devil is eternallv TO paw
among the aspirants. | sometimes
wish that We could be cut loose from
Warren entirely and could be left 20
paddle our legislative canoe on our
own hook, but as long as we are tied
to Warren it Is our duty to try TO
keep her straight, though orr erring
and obstreporous little sister gives ms
lots Of trouble
But, Mr.. Editor, this Is not what
started TO talk about-it was
kownslar's letter and your reply TO
1t, about which am exercised.
Up to the day of the convention IN
Berryville, had never heard of this
jackson law" about which we now
hear so much. Recently, ] have
read the Act and Jackson's explana-
ton of it and of all the absurd, silly
and nOnsensical things TO be called a
law. IN my opinion it takes the lead
"a ching" which could not possibly
stand the test of the courts ten minutes.
But, until repealed or pronounced
unconstitutional, it is undeniablv the
LAW, and the question is what are we
to do about it. Election laws are of
course right and proper, but here is
a law declaring HOW, WHEN and
WHERE the two political parties, mot
Of the State of Virginia., but of the
counties of Clarke and Warren, shall
NOT Elect but SELECT their candidates:
that, to be LAWFUL they shall not
NOMINATE them ''less than 20 or
more than 80 days before the regu-
lar election" Did mortal man ever
hear of any such absurdity? The
Congress of the United States does
not say HOW or WHEN her servants
are to be selected before an election:
does not say even HOW or WHEN a
President of the United States is to
be nominated, but it remains for the
Legislature of Virginia to declare by
solemn enactment, that 1t is only up
on certain conditions and at a GER
TAIN time that the political parties
OF the counties of Clarke and War
rem shall ever dare to say who are to
be her candidates. Now, Mr.. Editor.
this Act is either no LAW, or it was
intended as the preparation of a
huge, though senseless joke, upon the
part of this modern Scion, Senator
jackson. If no LAW, then why is it
incorporated in the Acts passed at
the last Legislature of Virginia? If
a JOKE, then we can truly say that
our Senator Is the funniest and most
amusing man on earth. Further, let
us now look at his explanation of the
law, law framed by HIM after
weary, anxious and "protracted la
bour". What has he to say about it?
Namely, that he simply and curtly
advises the people to go ahead and
play the devil and kick up generally
regardless of the law"-those are
his words exactly, regardless of the
law" Here is a man whom we sent
to our State Senate to make law, by
which we were to be governed and
who was personally instrumental in
the construction of this law (and by-
the way, the only one so far as we
ever heard that he ever took a hand
ln) coming home and gravely telling