Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-06-07
A WARNING FROM THE PAST.
(Daneslle Reqister.l

ginia has assumed phase sufficient
ly serious to challenge the earnest
and most thoughtful consideration
of every good and patriotic citizen.
In promoting his candidacy, the
Hon. A. j. Montague has seen fit,
in interviews and public speeches on
the hustiDgs, to assault his apparent
ly chief competitor, the Hon. Claude
a. Swanson, as the representative
and creature of a political clique and
machine under the management and
control of a United States senator,
and in furtherance of this contention
has felt justified in making grave
charges against the Democratic party
organizations, both state and county.
To such charges and appeals there
is always an element ready to lend an
attentive ear and Zoo willing to
believe assertions and insinuations
without evidence or investigation. A
crew of hungry and dissatisfied poll
ticians stands ever ready to enlist
under the banner of such a leader
and clamor with him for party re-
form, which for them begin and end
in his election and redistribution
of spoils among them. The Malone
movement, which ended after long
and bitter contest in placing Virginia
under the worst rule that ever afflict-
ed her people, began just this way
under the guise of a fight against
what was then claimed to be ring
rule under the direction of John w.
Daniel and others. The same slurs
and insinrations which now make
up the bulk of Mr.. Montague's inter-
views and speeches and are repeated
in his organs in Richmond and else
where in the state, were then the
capital stock in trade of General
Malone and the Richmond Wing.
During all his fight, too, General
Malone was claiming to be a better
Democrat than Ben Hill and only
desirous of reforming the party with
in party lines. He was doubtless
honest Ia his claim, but unfortunately
the element that focked around him
was too strong and greedy and drove
him downward, until he became the
tool of the radical bloody shirt
waivers in the United States senate
and the purveyor of slanderous and
perjured villifcations of his own
state, notably the city of Danville,
for such South-haters as Sherman
and Lapham, while Virginia and
Danville, with bowed head, had to
seek defence from that true and great
hearted Democrat, Vance, of North
Carolina.
These ugly and unhappy memories
are not recalled willingly, but because
they contain lesson, which politi-
clans In their eager pursuit of office
too readily forget, and the people in
the lapse of time suffer to pass out of
mind. 1t will be we'll for Mr.. Mon
tague to pause and consider the fate
of General Malone, a brave and
brilliant soldier, 4 natural leader of
men with powerful intellect and
strong will, deserted by the best ele-
ment, which at first accepted him,
and overwhelmed and crushed by the
selfseeking political Free hooters, who
remained. Above all, it behooves
the good people of Virginia to recall
the evils which befell them in those
days and protect themselves from q
recurrence by a stern and emphatic
dlsapproval and rebuke of bitter
personal strife for office under the
pretense of reforming the party. If
there be improper practices within
the party they can be readily correct
ed by an appeal to party conyen-
ton. 1t is impossible to believe, that
fourteen hundred and sixty Virgin
ians, delegates and representatives of
the highest intelligence, character
and morals of the state, will fail to
correct abuses, such as Mr.. Montague
claims exist in the Democratic party.
1t is difficult to accept Mr.. Mon
tague's statements on this subject in
the light of his previous political
life and even his present utterances.
Beginning with race for common
wealth's attorney of Danville, he has
been either in Office or seeking office
ever since. He has sought and held
these offices at the hands of Virginia
Democrats for long years, and has
never uttered word against the per-
feet fairness of the party methods.
Even when with others he assumed
to call the "May Convention" his
eyes were not yet opened to the dis
honest practices, of which he now
complains. He was we'll fed at the
public crib and content, until Mr..
Swanson became a candidate for
governor, and being from the same
section of the state, Mr.. Montague
could not expect to be renominated
for attornav Oanarol. ord ~ tharo