The times., 1899-09-03
THE VIRGINIA sENAT0RSHIP.
Martins Friends Claim That He Has
PrncticaIIY Won the Rncc.

|
political and professional errands. He
came up from Lynchburg with Senator
Daniel on an early train, made several
calls at the various departments, especially
at the War Department and left the city
in the afternoon for his home in the Old
Dominion
| Both he and Senator Daniel declined to
make any statement for publication in
reference to the Martin-Tyler fight; but,
apparently, each of them regarded the out
come of the contest with complaceney. 1t
| is said that Senator Martins friends ere
already assured that he will succeed him
self in 1901, and that he has now pledged
to his support members of the Legislature
| enough to secure his reelection TO the
| United States Senate. conservative esti-
| mate gives Martin at present seventy
/ seven votes out of total of 14O, with sew
eral counties known to be friendly to him
yet to be heard from 1t is claimed by his
friends that Governor Tyler has been
severely beaten and that the only point
OF interest now seems to be to determine
the causes which have contributed to that
result
| The opposition which hoped to replace Mr..
| Martin with United States Senator who
would, as some one expressed it, Measure
up more accurately TO the standard of the
early century," has evidently failed TO find
| an available candidate. The campaign has
been fought on the distinct issue that Sena-
! tor Martin fell short of that standard and
that Governor Tyler approximated TO it
more satisfactorily than his opponent. The
! Tyler faction, from the moment the cam
| paign began, attempted to carry the war
into the enemy's country, and to criticfse
Senator Martin in a manner unknown to
/ Ts,-rr r,,,.1 h.
adJusters. Campaign speakers OF the Tyler
stripe have abused Senator Martin roundly
throughout the State. They have repre-
! sented that he was merely a corporation
| attorney and a lobbyist, without sincere or
! firm political convictions on paramount is
sues of the day; that he lacked sterling
intellectual force; that he was at best but
a clever. designing politician; and that his
| influence in the United States Senate has
| been and will be, if he is reelected, exer-
cised in behalf, not Of the people, but OF the
moneyed interests in the country.
| In contradistincton from this character
| ization of Senator Martin, Governor Tyler
| has been delineated by his supporters as "a
| friend of the plain people, as one VINO
sympathizes with the agricultural classes,
| who opposes all forms of corporate wealth,
and who in dignity and in ability, outranks
| his rival in the race 1t was clearly
| case OF Look now on this picture and now
| on that" and the Tyler leaders confidently
| believed that Virginia Democrats would be
! SO emphaticaIly impressed with the contrast
that Governor Tyler would defeat Senator
Martin.
1t seems, however, to be the old story
that the results OF the contest nave hardiy
| come up to the published proclamation
| The Tyler ranks have fired yolley after
! volley, used the bayonet, and indeed have
turned on the artillery and shelled the
woods of the Martin followers until at
length their ammunition has been exhaust
ed and the enemy found to be posted Sc
curely in his old position.
The advance agents of Governor Tyier's
| boom" succeeded in awakening good
deal of enthusiasm for their candidate. The
Lee incident of 1895 was used to consider
| able advantage. The virulent attacks Of
| certain newspapers prejudiced some classes
| against Senator Martin and in favor OF
Governor Tyler But the moment the Ty
Ter managers Exposed" their candidate to
public view there followed a reaction. The
| feeling that Governor Tyler would not
prove available for the Senate grew in in
tensity and in depth the more he came in
contact with the people. Men who had
been longing for a Jefferson or Madison
| or Monroe or a Wythe or Hunter
| shook their heads significantly when Gov
| ernor Tyler was seen and heard in public.
| The disappointment felt at first was fol-
lowed by a feeling that they had been de-
| ceiyed. That belief finally eliminated in
| the conviction that Governor Tyler would
| not be acceptable as a United States Sem
ator Large numbers of alleged Tyler men
throughout the State naturally went over
| to Senator Martin. The result OF the cam
paign would seem to be that the Tyler lead
ers have overshot the mark. Ii seems that
they have failed to realize that though
| statue may be nodded of clay it cannot
easily be passed of for marble.
The Tyler leaders it seems, erred also
in the methods they used to stir up preju-
dice against Senator Martin. The acrid,
| vituperative almost scuFrilous attacks
from the stump against Senator Martins
character and ability proved a boomerang
before the end of the campaign. The mo-
mertary hostility awakened by such meth
DDS was tempered the more Senator
Martin was seen and heard 1t is ad
mitted that he behaved handsomely in the
manner in which he answered such COM
plants The fact that he quietly ignored
many of them and refused to engage in a
controversy Of elimination and recrimina-
ton helped him materially among the con-
servative thinking classes. While his op-
ponents were talking and firing into
the air" Senator Martin was going stead
lily ahead and winning delegates at the
primaries. The campaign Of abuse and
;calumny has reacted sharply during the
last week to the confusion Of the Tyler
managers who conceived sanctioned and
employed such warfare. 1t is thought
now that not only has Senator Martin won
the fight in impressive style, but also that
Governor TYLER through the efforts CT his
alleged friends and advisers, has severely
limperiled his political career in Virginia.
Senator Daniels position in the fight
has been thoroughly understood from the
beginning In the lexicon of politics there
is according to his view, no such word as
neutrality When a contest is on the Sen
ator from Lynchburg is, like the proverb,a al
Celt, apt to long for share in it. That he
is a friend of Senator Martin was known
by everyone in Virginia, and that ne would
testify to that regard by faithful support
during the campaign was generally antici-
pated That expectation has not been dis
appointed Senator Daniel has been a tow
er of strength to Martin throughout the
State re has continued quietly, almost
silently. 10 throw to his colleague his
strong influence with all classes of Vir-
ginians Senator Daniel has done this
freely, frankly, candidly, and without the
slightest effort at dissimulation. But
with il all he has managed to do it without
seeming in any way TO intrude himself un-
becomingly in the canvass or to attempt
even in the slightest measure to impose his
opinions upon others He has however
supplemented Senator Martin admirably in
the campaign, and the result of the can
vass will not fail, it is thought, to strengt b.
en- Senator Daniel not only with the Demo
cratic organization, but also with the plain
people of the State.
| A Changed Situation.
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