Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-08-24
THURsDAY.AU6UST "a.
THE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN.

THE SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN.
AS the campaign for the United
States Senatorship progresses, the drift
OF events is 80 conspicuously in favor
of Senator Martin, and against his
adversary, that Governor Tylers
warmest friends cannot gainsay it.
County after county, as the elections
are held and the nominations made
goes for Martin; and at this writing
the ratio of nominees already chosen
or indicated for the Legislatures nine
for Martin to one for Tyler.
The reasons for this are not far to
seek. On the one hand, in spite OF.
the clamor of certain politicians and
place.hunters who are tout" and want
to get ssin,n Mr.. Martin has made a
safe, conservative and influential Sen
ator in the opinion of thegeneral rank
and file of the party in Virginia. He
has served bis constituency to good
purpose in the work he has done for
them, as in the case of the Baptist
College bill, the tobacco tax bill, the
paper bag item in the Tariff bill, the
bill for the compensation of mechanics
in the Norfolk Navy yard, and many
others. No constituent, whether
friend or foe, who has had need of bis
assistance in Washington. has failed
to get it, if the object was meritorious
and proper. To the men of public
affairs in Virginia who are familiar
with such matters. Mr.. Martin is
known as possessing large influence
with his colleagues in the Senate,
where he is regarded by the Democrat
ic members as one of the most efficient,
wise, energetic and able Senators
upon its floor.
In the campaign now pending Mr..
Martin has borne himself with dig
nifty of character and self restraint,
under the aggravating assaults of his
enemies, that have won for him the
admiration and support of many who
had heretofore shown themselves in
different or hostile. The personal at
tacks that have been made upon him,
the insinuations without proof against
his methods and practices. the
charges that he is railroad lobbyist
and corporation attorney, have all
been met with a cool, conservative
reply, whose temper was as admirable
as its logic and facts were unanswer-
able. No shaft aimed at him by his
adversaries has found joint in his
armor. He has emerged from the
mud-fiinging untouched. The resolu-
tions of his countymen, passed unani-
mously, attest the esteem In which he
is held by the people among whom he
has spent his life; while the earnest
efforts in his behalf of his friends
throughout the State show the regard
of those who know him for his true
worth.
Although possessing a splendid farm
in Albemarle county, four miles from
Scottsville, on which he resides, and
from whose skilful cultivation to
which he gives his personal attention,
he derives large part of his income,
he does not pose as professional
farmer" for the sake of catching votes.
AS the people of Virginia learn more
each day about Mr.. Martin, they ad-
mire him the more; and 80 his cause
grows daily. On the other hand, and
in no unkind spirit it may be safely
said of his adversary, Governor Tyler,
that the campaign now on has not
served to enhance his reputation. If
the people of Virginia were not salts
fed with his administration of the
Office OF governor, there had been no
popular expression of their dissatlsfac-
tion. His inconsistency in declaring
that he would place no local men on
the boards of the public institutions in
the State, and in proceeding to violate |
that declaration within short time
prior to the announcement of his cam
didacy, was perhaps known to few
outside of the localities affected. The
oppressed tax payers of the State, the
poor, the widows and the orphans. had |
scarcely stopped to reflect that it was
the Governors well-considered sigma |
ture that made the LAND Grabbers
Act" law. Few people beyond the |
white citizen soldiery of Virginia, who |
were possibly liable as privates to have
to take orders from negro officers, re-
membered for any length Of time that
Governor Tyler appointed negro Off. |
GERS to command the negro volunteers
from Virginia, when there were num-
bers of white applicants for the posi-
tions. Few people beyond the white
volunteers. perhaps, gave more than a |
passing thought to the fact that no
other Southern Democratic executive |
had done this; or thought long, after |
reading it in the daily papers, of the |
outrages committed by these negro SOL |
diers when mustered out and returning
home in company with their black |
officers. All these things and many |
others might well have gone down |
into 1.-THE limbo of oblivion" if the |
Governor had not invited attention to
them by doing what no other governor
in Virginia was ever known to do be-
fore, viz: become candidate for Sem
ator before serving his term as COVER
nor. And then the shouting and the
tumult wherewith he began his can
yass. The Richmand press teemed
with his interviews. The people were
with him, be, said. He had risen up to
save them. His champions would be
heard from every hustings; his cause
would be proclaimed from every court
house green. The attorney general
would take the stump for him; so
would Congressman Jones, and Hon. Il
r. Walton Moore, and Hon. VIM. A.