The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-06-20
THURSDAY.~.~.....JUNE 20, 1901.
THE DITCH BEFORE THEM.

THE DITCH BEFORE THEM.
When thcsto ofbattle has passed
and sober men begin to look at things
that have transpired they will see
much to discourage them in the future
of Virginia's politics. In the event
that Mr.. Montague receives thenOmi-
nation they will wonder how thepeo-
pie could have labored SO blindly IN
building up machine that promises
to be the most dangerous of any i'll
late years. In exchanging bosseS-as
the term goeS-they will find, Judging
from the samples of favoritism eXhib-
tied within the past few weeks, that
they have given unlimited machine
power to one whose head they have
turned i'm their restleSSnesS. Already
the forces that seem to be in the
ascendancy are picking out running
mates for the head of the ticket
already they have announced that
Mr.. Montague will have the naming
of the State Committee, and with this
it can be pretty safely guessed that
they are counting upon having the
next Legislature as a veSt-pOcket
charm. Should the element that
counts on parcelling the State out
succeed it will be but short time
before the people of Virginia willwish
that they were back in the old-line
Democracy's keeping.
The man who has been charged with
being the machine" candidate the
people will learn was the more gen
erOus in all his acts of this canvass;
that while his maligners engaged the
attention OF the crowd with cry Of
machine, snap-judgment and the like
unable to put their fingers upon a
single instance in substantiation-
they were covering up their own
tracks, or, like the cuttle-fsh, be-
clOuded the water to hide their own
schemes.
But Il very short time since we see
where Mr. Swanson. controlling the
committee. could have held mass
meetings and swept Danville in
Pulaski, Governor Tyler's home,
where the Congressman won a ma
iority OF the delegates all could have
been captured if the committee had
desired to depart from the usual
course. These are recent instances,
and they had predecessors.
The unfair attack upon Mr.. Swan
sons confidential letter. which
opened the campaign of abuse. could
have been offset by a similar letter
from Mr.. Montague to Mr. Toney, of
Manchester, friend of Mr.. Swanson,
and which was indited in November
last. While it employed practically
E the same expression as did Mr.. Swan
sons il was not taken advantage OF
and would not today be in print but
for a personal attack by Mr.. Monta-
-sgue's friends upon Mr.. Toney. The
letter of the Attorney-General reads /.
"My Dear Sir-I cannot tell how keenly
indulge the hope of having your infiu-
entail support in behalf OF my candidacy
for the GovernOrship. And |, therefore
now presume thus frankly to bring my
hopes to your consideration, and to say
that il consistent with your sense of pub
lie duty, | will be abidingly grateful for
your help"
"Will be abidingly grateful for his
influential support is no whit better
than Mr.. Swanson's promising to
remember friends. Neither letter is
to be condemned, but all sense OF
Justice, in condemning one and con-
doning the other, seems to have been
obliterated from many minds during
aeampaign misrepresentation that
cloaks over ones hypocrisy and mag
Difies aEOther's misdoings.