The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
OLD DOMINION STaTESNEN.
The Early Political Prominence of Virginia
Has Not Departed From II.

In the carly inys Of the Republic Virginia
o%cduir1, the designation Of "1hr Mother Of Presi-
dents" so many n the en- rl'r Presidents Wash
ing'on, ,Jef,r,or, Madison and Muuror having
como from that Ste. Ator the "Nirginro dyn-
aSty" ca mr,u he known AMI its influence recognized
in the field Of national politics for nearly twenty
five years, until thu election ~ Jackson. This
influence was ascribrd TO tho unnnimity ~ Viz
gininns on national questions through III" clan
nish feeling prevailing among Thorn and their
opposition 10 IN views II Hamilton and he other
FelcrG'iSts With the admission of now States
in the South anil West md the relative decline
# Virgin = rcpr'sentatun in tOngrss an tho
electoral college, It's political power fell OF until
thn beginning II tho civil War. Vhen tho western
counties SIT up n separate government Of their
own and West Virginia bccnm" = distinct State.
Following This Virginia wHs the battle ground
between III" Northern and the Confrdcrntr forces
during the closing years II Tho war and II suffered
more severely in material resources than did any
other STATE, II IL in consequence of these facts
that the opinion has come to be accepted gener
ally that Virginia has now no more than its pro,
purtlonate share In the affairs OF government.
but this il by no means the cas",
There are ninety United States Senators. when
oil seats have been Rllrd, which is not the case
ri present, and Nirginln's share is two members
Actually, in point II nativity, Il has five Srna
tors Daniel and Martin, the tVO representatives
Of the State, RE naiiv" born ' rClniuns, and In
addition Senator Illrrls Of Kansas Is a nH,,ve
o1louloun county Va and vaS'ducot"l at uray,
Senator lindsay 81 kentucky Is a native uf Rock
bridge county, Va, ana Senator 1aliairrro Of
Flonda is = native Of Orange county. vs.
The present Virginia delegation in the House
ol Representatives is made up exclusively of
native born Nirginians, and is no exception in
This particular, the general rule Of Virginia hrlng
10 elect native born citizens tor present II At Wash
ingtOn. and these only. In no other State Oi The
country, perhaps. ~ this rule So rlgidly observed,
but il Is not extended so as to apply To other StAtes
in which there, are any considerable number Il
Nirginian residents Two Of N" Representatives
Of Iowa, one Of the Representatives II Michigan,
one of the Representatives Of Missouri, two Of the
Representatives Of Tennessee, IN" Of the Repre-
santatiyes Of Maryland, and one ~ the Repre-
sentatives II Nebraska were born either in n
ginia nr Vest Virginia, and Of the four Repre-
sentatiyes Of the latter State two We're born in v est
Virginia, Ona in Virginia and the other IN Ohio
Allen g Thurman, though for many years IN.
most conspicuous ohio Democrat, was a native Of
LynchbuTg, Va
Marked as Is the recognition given now in HE
field Of politics to natives Of the State II Virginia,
II is by no means so great as when The Democratic
party, to which most Nirginians give allegiance,
Is predominant In national affairs. The Fifty
third Congress, over the senate Of which Adlai
Stevenson, the last Democratic Vice President,
presided, bed these Virginia born Senators;
Walthall Of Mississippi, Coke Of Texas, .Hunton
and Daniel OF Virginia, and Camden and Faux
her OF West Virginia. There were also NirRinians
in the Alabama, Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee and
Texas delegations Virginia is . State from
which there has been continuously for many
years q large emigr nation directly West and eN-
tending as lar rs Missouri and Kansas, but for
some reason II has detected north to Ohio and
south to Tennessee. esuming its westward prog
ress beyond the Mississippi at Missouri. so that
the number Of Nirginians IN Kentucky politics IL
relatively very small. Perhaps II the number
Was larger. there would Be more pacific politics In
Kentucky,