The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-09-25
Devoted Agricultural Fredericksburg
zsBURe. w. TUEsOAY, SEPTEMBER Is. 1900

sition. and they did their work well.
Il also accounts for the wonderful pop
ularity Of some prominent men about
whom the masses are often mystided.
There will not be any haltering re-
ports Of Mr.. Stubs triumphs on the
stumps this season simply because
there are no Republican papers to pub
lish them, but there will be the usual
number Of cases where his arguments
were utterly refuted and the speaker
skinned alive. ." etc There will be
rare exceptions. Of course. and one has
already occurred in Democratic report
| from Heathsville. where Mr.. Stubs
spoke September 10th, in which the
young reporter whose inexperience
should be his excuse, stated that it was
"a very interesting speech. and that
he lis a perfect gentleman, straight
forward, earnest and honorable man ~
Ii is lucky the young reporter Is away
at college, or else he would be hauled
over the Goals for being so foolish as TO
admit that any Republican could be q
perfect gentleman so long as he was
running for office The regular re.
porter Of another paper made it "a
speech Of twenty minutes. perhaps
longer, which was perfectly devoid of
argument. Now. that is the regula.
,ion report, and the proper thing TO say
about an opponent.
Whatever may be Mr. Stubbs chances
it is evident that lot Of apathy exists
among the Democrats at present, and
that there will be only light vote for
a Presidential year. unless the bar Il"
are opened pretty lively. He Is said to
have cleared over 500 600 in buying and
selling poplar this year. and If so be
has been the means Of putting many
dollars into the pockets Of the people
who possibly may show theiv ap-
probation by their votes. be probably
has a host Of friends among the fisher
men whose cause be ohampioned in re-
sisting the fishing license. He saved
them many dollars in that case and his,
or some other Influence, has encouraged
the pouud.netters to refuse to pay license
this year. Many who paid at first re-.
fused later, and despite the amende
law there does not appear to have been
any prosecutions for refusal to license.
Whether the approach Of a general
election has anything to do with il
does not appear, but the fact remains
that the licenses in general have not
been collected. Mr.. Slubbs may get
the benefit Of this fact, as he has re-
sisted every step in the matter Of levy
ing Of what is considered an unjust tex.
He may be deficient in oratorical
ability. If so, 1t is a grave defect, for
If there is anything the sovereigns do
like 1t is a man Of yolubility. What
ever may be his other defects they are
as nothing beside the lack of glib
tongue Some Of the finest takers in
the district owe their regulations 10 en-
aptness that allowed them to appropriate
the speeches of others and pass them of
as their own. The better the talker the
better Congressman he will make, SO
many believe-and vote accordingly.
Now, on the other hand, Mr.. Jones il
talker from Talkersyille-a good, sem
sible talker that knows what 10 say and
when to soy it. He hits from the shoul.
der, and every lick brings blood. And
the people seem to love him for his
abilities in that direction. Then, he
has lots Of help. He owns the machine
and knows how to work it to his own
advantage The number Of spell.bind.
ers TO be heard this season would indi-
cate that he deems six thousand to be
the smallest number he will accept as a
majority. And he may get it. Also
he may get-left. There Me sin.
ister influences in the air which
may play the mischief with his
chances; among them may be the
Stubs "bar'l. " Mr. Jones has bar u
too. or ought to have, II be has made
use Of his opportunities. A prominent
Fredericksburger is reported to have
said last year, or the year before, that
Mr.. Jones had had the job long enough
that fifty thousand dollars and per-
quisites were sufficient for the party to
bestow upon any one member oflOongress
and that 1t was time for a change.
There are probably others Of the same
mind and they may vote for Mr.. Jones,
or they may not. Some others may be
opposed to him on personal grounds, and
these will be told that as Mr.. Jones is the
party nominee IL is the duty Of Demo-
Gratis to support him. SO IL is but some
may say that as Mr.. Jones only voted
for the constitution under comp ulsion
vet was a member Of the Norfolk conven-
sion which made it party measure,
they are not concerned in his nomina-
tion and are under no obligations to
vote for him. In this connection some
are wondering how the district slectOr
on the Democratic ticket explains his
active opposition to and his failure to
vote for the Constitutional convention
when he is called uponto do so.
Taken altogether ii may be made a
hot time before the election. There
should be at least thirty thousand votes
cast for the nominees. The district sad
" needs q Republican party OF solid
character, for in that case the people
would have better services in their public
officials which is far from the case now,
AS it is now the dominant party pays
more attention to repairing old politi-
cal fences and building new ones than
in serving the people. As the Republi.
4 4