Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-12
brains OF the Democratic party went


brains OF the Democratic party went
out when he quit?
The Fredericksburg Free Lance thinks
that the re-afirmation of the Chicago
platform will mean the defeat of the
Democratic party at the polls this fall,
| and adds:
ut may mean more-it may possibly
result in the disintegration OF the party.
no longer to be factor In national
| politics. The Democratic party has
| record for remarkable vitality, but that
| is chiefly because it's principles here
tofore have been strong and untarnish-
| ed. They have merited and received
| the Endorsement of the rank and file OF
| suhragiSts for many decades, succumb-
| Ing only to the arbitrament of the
sword, political machinery or money.
Ihere mas. until recently, been few ar
| ticles of faith which produce discord in
Its ranks. and so it's adherents have
stood as unit"
The Democratic party "disintegratcs"
regularly every time it is defeated. So
does the Republican party. But none
the less there is always a stiff fight
every four years. Had the Democratic
| party declared for gold monometallism
In 1896 it would have polled n round
million votes less than 1t polled on the
Chicago platform. 1t was Il very super
fetal student of political conditions who
failed to see that in 1896 the Demo-
cratic party was really threatened with
disintegration and the Chicago plat
form saved it.
"The Board of Supervisors publish
notice in this paper of Il meeting of the
hf.1 nd 70 ~ L. n
slider the matter of levyivg a tax on all
dogs of the county, the proceeds to be
devoted to the payment of claims for
sheep killed by dogs. a petition has
been circulated in this district asking
the board to levy the tax. which has
been numerously signed. Many of the
counties. especially in the Valley, have
tried the tax and 1t works well."-Bu-
chanan Banner.
After repeated trials OF strength the
yellow dog has proved himself too
much for sheep-ralsers. pol teal parties,
Legislatures and Anglo-SaXon civiliza-
ton. If Botetourt can devise n means
Of YanquishinE him, or even materially
curtailing the sphere of his activities
and the dimensions of his appetite for
mutton, then is Botetourt assured of
Il place high up among benefactors.
There may be poetical justice in using
the tax to pay for sheep killed by dogs.
but it seems to smack Il good deal of
the freak in legislation. However. let
us wait and see.
The Spirit OF the Valley Is that rara
can newspaper. 1t takes Mr.. Bryan to
task and asserts that he Is unfit to be
President, alleging as a reason that he
seeks to array the masses against the
classes. In the next column our con-
temporary refers to what it terms 1.-The
white working people OF the South"
and continues:
when they begin to see that the adm
of the Southern aristocratic leaders is
to get the cheapest possible labor. and
that their labor must necessarily, to n
great extent. be fixed and regulated by
the slave labor Of the negro, they will
administer such L lesson to these lead
ers az they will not forget even though
they should live TO be as old as Methu-
selah."
Some close friend should take the
Spirit off and give a talk on the beau
ties OF consistency and the dangers of
attempting to palm off tommyrot for
judici0us observations.
The Petersburg IndeXAppeal. after
declaring that while it supported the
Palmer Buckncr movement in 1896. 1t
now regards that movement as n mis-
take adds:
1.-THE fight now is for the restriction
and rcgula ton of Trusts against the
Expansion policy and schemes of for
eign conquest inauguratcd by the Nc
Kinley administration and upheld by
the Republican party The lndcX-Ap-
peal will be found where it can do the
most good against these two issues and
that is in the ranks OF the regular Dem
orrTtfc party.
The Index-Appeal is to be felicitatcd
at once upon it's courage and good