Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-06-14
POLITICAL.
A big Swanson club was organized
Monday at Louisa Courthouse.

Northampton county elected dele
gates Monday and instructed only
for LeCato.
Tillman protests against Governor
McSweeney's action, but withdraws
his resignation and the incident is
considered closed.
A proposition of Chief ustice
Fuller, of the Supreme Court, as the
Democratic candidate for the Presi-
dency, is being made.
Senator Daniel deserves credit for
refusing to go to Norfolk as a dele
gate from Campbell county in
structed for Montague.
There must be a good many Vir-
ginia Democrats whose gorge rises
at this campaign of false pretenses,
but what can they do?-Nev York
San.
1t is estimated that one fourth of
the delegates to the Norfolk Con-
yention will be contested. So far
Mr.. Montague has entered all the
notices of contest.
No delegates have been chosen
since Monday. The delegates now
correctly stand: Montague 394,
Swanson 243, Echols 20, Marshall
SO, Doubtful Gncluding the Newport
News and Radford bogus contests) CT.
Goaded to reply to the uncalled-
for attacks of Montague Swanson
answered the latter with so much
spirit as to force the erstwhile
courageous encouragement to crawl
in his hole. Never since the debate
at Boydton has Mr.. Montague dared
to meet his antagonist on the stump
and the prediction is freely made
that he never will meet him again.
Fredericksburg Star.
The Staunton Meas, which is an
anti-Swanscn paper, in deprecating
the use of one machine, has the follow
ing to say Of the other: cit does not
follow necessarily that,M Mr.. Montague
will be the successful man. 1t de-
ponds altogether on his ability 10
prove to the people that in fighting
the boss he is fighting for the people
and not for himself. He must make
them believe there is no Montague
niger in the wood pile, which will
be a difficult operation"
The position of the Northern
Neck delegates instructed for LeCato
is, no doubt, somewhat embarrassing
to those gentlemen from the fact
that they are also for Montague, and
know that the ticket can hardly.
under any circumstances, be Monta-
que and LeCato. They would have
best enhanced the Senator's chances
by instructing for no Gubernatorial
but, as we have often said,
the ''powers that be in the First Dis
trict" love LeCato less and Montague
more. LeCato is apt to find more
friends amongst the Swanson dele
gates in Lancaster than he Is amongst
the Montague delegates in the other
counties of the First District.-Fred
erickS6trq Star.
Whatever else may be said in Mr..
Montague's favor, he is no match for
the Fifth District Congressman,
whose training in ropgh-and-tumble
argument and whose readiness at
retort make him a dangerous antag-
onist. Then he has practiced at the
bar with the present attorney
general, knows his characteristics in
and handles him with
ease. Mr.. Montague is pleasing in
address, speaks "sweet and insinu-
atingly," to quote Mr.. Swanson's
own Characterization, but his forte is
in addresses where eloquence aud
easy manners win the palm, not
where ones statements are dissected
on the spot and the remnants held
up for public gaze.-Richnond Corr.
Washington Post.
In his Danville speech Mr.. Monta-
que denounced lobbyists as unfit for
public support, and men with pockets
full of money. He further said: 'I've
got nothing for my friends and hold
out no promises to them. I've paid
my personal and political debts.'
We cannot reconcile these statements
with the following facts: He claims
to have lobbied for the EMPLOYERS
liability bill; he is running a can vass
friendly to Mr.. Willard, the biggest
in Virginia; he has par
celled out the school superintendent
cies beyond doubt to aid his candi-
dacy and his friends. May we not
doubt his sincerity in the face of each
of these facts-unless it be the last
one, that he has paid some of his po-
litical debts through school appoint
Free Lance.
When the campaign opened Attor-
ney-GeLeral Montague was advised
by his friends to make the issue plain
and unmistakable, that the stake was
whether the people should be allowed
to nominate their Governor or GER
tain leaders should. This subject
was discussed at several interviews
between Mon tague and some of his
friends. The latter invariably insisted |
upon this line of policy, and not
only that, but that it should be
made so PLAIN that no one could |
misunderstood its application. The
Attorney-General adopted this |
course, got worsted, has refused to
discuss the issues he made with his
opponent, and to save his hide his
friends have secretly circulated a pc
tition against joint debates in order
to let him down easy in his refusal
10 meet Swanson.