Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-25
Virginia Democratic Committee With
Many Disputes to Settle.
REV0LTS AGAINST MACHINE RULE
Contest for u S. Senator O pens
Discussions in Party
SOME CASES IN POINT
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

stdte ucInoCIdtlC committee Will nave
number of political problems to handle.
Some of these will require more or less di-
plomacy. there are several contests
which involve personal feeling and unless
they are disposed of in an altogether con-
clLatory way it will be difficult to even
patch up the breach now existing between
a number of leading local politicians, who
think that they have been grievously
wronged on side or the other. There
are some little domestic rows in the party
circles of several districts that call for Of
fetal notice on the part of the state com
mittee, unless the contestants can bury the
hatchet, all for the good of the party, and
come to terms on common basis before
the fall elections.
The state committee will probably be
called upon to settle the question of the
craftsmanship of several county commit
tees and to use its influence more than once
to prevent the announcement of independ
ent candidates for the legislature. 1t is
also Likely that the committee will have
to decide who is the logical candidate for
the legislature in several districts.
The Isle of Wight, Lunenburg aid War
wick troubles are thought to be only
small part of the work of the state commit
tee before the campaign is over. 1t is felt
by number of the members of the COM
mittee that Chairman Ellysons presence
at this time would do much toward haT-
monizing matters in the cases of a number
of the local contests and msundersta ndings.
Ugly Situation in Northampton.
A rather ug,y political situation existing
in Northampton county has been widely
discussed of late. Several members of the
county committee have rendered their resig
rations in that body and declined to serve
longer by reason of the action of the coun-
ty chairman in calling meeting for GER
fight Those who resigned claim that there
was absolutely no authority for the call
for meeting to be held for such a pur-
pose, and that some of the members of the
committee did not know that such meet
ing to be held until after it was over.
Much feeling has been aroused by this
meeting, and it is understood that in the
county there is anything but harmony
among the leading politicians, many of
whom have sided one way the other in
the SGua bile.
At one time it looked very much as if the
county convention of HenricO to nominate
a candidate for the house would wind up
in a deadlock and all kinds of trouble
for the state committee to try to straighten
out. Addison Maupin expected the nominal
ton. He has figured in the house for two
sessions, largely by reason of the crusade
he led against the alleged wholesale illegal
gambling and horse racing which We're car
ried on largely by Washington people at
Ross YIN, Alexandria Island, St. Asaphs in
a big fight was made against him for the
course he pursued in the passage of the de-
linquent land tax law, Familiarity known as
the 'land-Srabbers act which is claimed
by many to be oppressive and unjust to
widows and poor people. The senatorial
question did not enter into the fight in
Henricc, as every man whose name was
mentioned i'll connection with the nominal
ton was an adherent of Senator Martin
for reelection. Much bitterness was en-
gendered in the slnty convention. Political
feeling always II -. high, in Henrico which
is recognized hot bed of machine politics.
Charges of IrreguIarity.
AT the recent convention there were many
charges of irregularity, and threats of APP
peals to the state committee for justice
were openly made on both sides Mr..
Maupin saw the drift of popular feeling
and he had his name withdrawn from the
convention. This he declared was done in
order to prevent further bitterness. His
speech before the convention showed that
he recognized what many other politicians
in the state have been forced to reluctantly
admlt-that there Is a strong tendency to
lightly disregard party ties, and that seed
are now being sown which will produce
many voters of the opposite political faith
and creed. His plea for harmony was one
of those strong appeals which would have
Deen entirely unnecessary five years ago
Another condition of affairs which has
been brought to the attention of the state
committee is the strikngly hostile attitude
of the Lunenburg citizens in mass meeting
on August T. The resolutions passed by
tEat body opposing Senator Martin for re-
election and denOuncing his methods as
ring rule and machine politics." of
winch he was declared to be the avoWed
champion, and calling upon the people to
rise up and fight against the machine"
give an idea of the sentiment existing and
steadlly gaming strength in various parts
hnt th,,r
low going on is a stand up-and- knock-down
hSht between the people and the politicians
and that while the former have the num-
bers, they lack that well-knit organization
which has come to be requisite for success
IN senatorial battle in this state
Action in Norfolk Denounced.
Governor Tyier's friends are loud in their
pronunciation of the action of the Norfolk
city democratic committee in declining to
hold a primary and deciding upon ward
meetings instead. This is regarded as a
Martin victory. Governor Tyler's work for
a primary through Major ]. E. Heath. who
offered to bear one-half the expense of
such a method, met a vigorous opposition
in that city, in spite of the fact that the
governor has strong support there This
gives him still further grounds his friends
declare, to claim unfair treatment at the
hands of another body under the domina-
ton of the regular democratic machine"
Inc governors supporters took the stand
that the system of snap primaries adopt-
ed recently at Front Royal was entirely
Illegal and will be contested before the
state committee. They We're so vigorous in
their protests against the method followed
there that large number of voters who
FAVOR the Senatorial Reform League prin-
cipie remained away from the polls. and
an unusually small vote was cast though
there is much interest felt in the sena-
torial fight in that district.
Things have reached such state In
Floyd that the contest between Senator
Martin and Governor Tyler appears to have
provoked sentiment of opposition all
around. At recent meeting held in FLOYD
a resolution was offered vigorously pro-
testing against the "unseemly contest
now being waged for United States senator.
as tending to injure the democratic party
and to direct the peoples attention from
the consideration of important local and
state issues.
Lees Defeat Remembered.
These are only few of many lively DO
litical conditions obtaining in various parts
Of the state, and all tending to create
strong party factions as based more or
less upon personal preferences. They show
the power of the organization now support
ing Senator Martin for reelection, and at
the same time demonstrate beyond a doubt
that party ties have lost much of their old
time sentiment and T g., olco