Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-01-12
MIR. JESSE'S REPLY no DIR. f. w.
LEWIS (Coa.inued).

Furnished the VIRGINIA CITIZEN bv
the Chesapeake Waterman and published
in these columns by request of MIR. Jesse. I
tried to show iu my former let
tiers, that although the people of
Wheaton who gave the oyster roast
were sincere in calling the people
together in the interests of harmony,
the politicians showed that they
cared little for reconciliation, unless
it bid fair to give them future
strengthen other words, it was
recruiting scheme with them.
The DIR. not only jumped on Inc
about the oyster roast because |
named him but volunteered to
champion Mr.. Jones' cause. He
doesn't assign any reason for this.
but no one will think it was because
Mr.. Jones' course needed any de-
Tense. OF course not. I thought
everybody would understand that my
allusion to Mr.. Jones' interference
in his legislative district referred to
his interference in the nomination
aud election between Messrs. Well
ford and Pinckard. DIR. Lewis saws
Mr.. Jones fight was for the principle
or electlng senators by the people,
and this he believes | favor. do
favor the election of U. S. Senators
10y direct vote of the people, but Il
have reason to doubt that Mr.. Jones
does. If he does he has steered clear
of, or ignored, the only thing he
could have done in proper way TO
aid in bringing it about. If Mr..
Jones only purpose was to bring
about the election of senator's by direct
vote of the people, why did he not
use the same zeal that he used in
abusing Mr.. Martin in urging the
people to see that their candidates
through nominating conventions.
whether for Martin or Tyler. were
instructed to see that the legislature
passed a bill asking for Constitu
uonal amendments looking to the
election of senator's by direct vote of
the people, thus adding Virginia to
the list of states that have already
done so, which would have accom-
plished much towards bringing it
about, as other states, stimulated by
the example of Virginia and by the |
recent dead-locks in some of the
legislatures, would doub tless have
followed her. and the necessary two |
thirds would soon have been in line. |
Instead of that, doubt if, after Mr.. |
Jones' abusive campaign, the leg
islature will pass such q bill this
winter.
MIR. Jones, i'll his reply to one of |
Mr.. Martins letters, said Mr.. Martin
could not expect to have the oppor-
tunity of voting on this matter if |
he were to go to the Senate the
balance of his natural lifetime.
Then what did Mr.. Jones mean in
holding out the idea ever since his
Roanoke discussion(until that admis.
stony that the primary was only to
be used through a short interim
and until the necessary change in the
Constitution could be made?
Mr.. Jones will doubtless work
hard to get a bill through the leg
lslature legalizing the primary, as
Tar as the State is concerned. If he
does, that. coupled with the fact that
he ignored the only means in his
power of forwarding election by
direct vote, and his looking upon it
10 indefinitely 10 the future, will |
snow that Mr.. Jones only tackled it
'n to his fight for its popularity.
md that his real fight has been to
beat Mr.. Martin, and fasten the
on us indefinitely. Now, |
OBJECT very positively to the primary,