The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-16
REPUBLICAN PARTYs CHANCES.
Lewis, Rosser and Gillespie Recommended
as state Ticket Both Parties criu-
cised, Etc, Etc.


Communicated
,.rh,. Indications arc that the Republicans
viii moi nut up "A clean man, IN when event
the Norfolk nominee VIII have Waih-"t',
should the Republican, select thSl De- "''o
Cleauest they Would give NJ w ~, TI',.,t
rub. but hardly a sufficient one To ue''"'
him.
Referring to the aboyeeditorialeNtra
from TIM FREr Lance of July Ind, - \
LOCKER On" fully endorses whaths there
in written. by way of introduction we
have only to look at the present contest
for the GubernatOrial nomination. 10
come TO the conclusion that the kepuDl-
can party has been given sufficient
nmount of very good material with
which To formulate live and very inter
estinp campaign Montague ana ms sat
Elites have said that the Democratic
Marty has been ruled by the machine ana
Tho hoss that its management ol the
nenitentiary has been corrupt that It's
legislature has been dominated by cor
poration lobbyists, ~ well rs IN many
other rrspccts-have practically declared
that party unfit and unworthy olonger
have place and power. On the other hand
the followers Of the other faction
of that party have said that
Montague is political humbug and
hypocrite: that he has been using VII
lard IS money tO secure the nomination :
that he has used his position on the
school board for his own partisan ana
selfish purposes in other words, they
have really pronounced Montague dem
agogue of the hrst-class. So that II the
Democratic party is rs bad IA Montague
saws il is. and if Montague is ~ bad as
the otherfactiun sayshe II, then. IN the IAN
yuage of another. The whole blessed lot
is horrible TO behold And more, still II
is now openly proclaimed that the new
machine-the Montague machine-ls nj
ready more intoerable aud tyrannlcal
than the old one: that man tO getanN
recognition must speak, and speak very
nuently the modern language oil the
tribe That Montague will name his
lieutenant Governor. that he will name
his Attorney General, that he will name
his State committee and the whole slate
| istixed. Montague will succeed Martin as
senator, and Willard is To succeed Mon
tague as Governor. The Montague ma
chine is already grinding, and grinding
very tine.
Md to this the Constitutional Conven-
tiOn middleton ID is a muddle. large
number of Democrats opposed IT, ana
i they expect nothing from 1t, ana
blessed are they for it is very likek they
will not be disappointed! That very au,
gust body has now consumed good
| deal of the peoples money in discussing
whether they should have two addition
al pages at so per month and whether
they should take an oath or not until
now the people are beginning 20 think
they are not sufficient for the work com
United 10 them. The suffrage, judiciary,
and other important matters will create
commission. discurd and dissention bOthln
and outside the convention, and the OF
fce.holders. whose official heads Will he
cut off by the action OF the convention,
will be- sore enough TO skulk at least IN
| their tents if they donOt mutiny. But to
point. Will the Republican party take
advantage OF this condition OF affairs ana
profit by it?
II il well known that all over the state.
in every district and section of ii, mum
Der of voters, both old and young, are
ready To kick the Democratic party a. II
| is now governed. controlled and bossed !,
| if only good opportunity II offered ana
an invitation which is worth considering
il given them. This chance il before the
Republican party. Will its leaders avail
themselves of il? IL is believed that
these leaders having been put IN posses
sion of the loayes and fishes and hayingfull
sway at the pie-counter. want no recruits.
indeed want no strong party IN the Old
Dominion. and no victory here. some
90 so far az to say that these leaders de
sire weak nominations to be made AT mar,
| lOttesville in order that their defeat shall
I've assured The action of theconvention
soon to assemble under the shadow OF
| the tomb Of the seer and genuine Demo
crat of Monticello, will be looked forward
| TO by many not now classed a. lepubll-
cans.
If that convention will present good.
| strong nominations. with "A conservative
platform. il will command many oil these
voters. For instance. if they will nomi-
nate for Governor, Judge j.. J.. Lewis,
| for Lieutenant-ioyernOr, Gen. Thomas
l.. Rosser. and for Attorney-General, \.
j. Gillespie. such ticket will commend
itself To the conservative. business sentl-
ment Of the State, and in all respects Will
be clean. and will dignity the party.
Judge Lewis, it is reported, does not
seek the ofce-so much the better we be-
lieve for the good of the State and his
party. He will be constrained to accept
| this nomination il it is offered him, as it
should be, and some of the distinguished
sons spoken of will be put on the de
fensive from the start and will have to
commence and conclude the campaign 10y
making Observation-Disclosures for this
| that, and the other matter. Some Others
have made too many enemies inside and
outside the party.
by way OF parenthesis, let me say that
| this il written without the knowledge or
consent of the gentlemen whose names
are mentioned, and that the writer OPP
poses the candidacy Of no one ard Tor
personal motives iavOrs none. The sug-
| gestions herein made are made only that
| the leaders and the delegates may take
notice thereof and govern themselves ac-
| cordingly.
a LOCKER On"
July 18th, 1901.