Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-05-25
Letter From senator Leca,o.

them personally-viz: that my nam
will not 60 before the coming Stat
: Convention as candidate for thu
Lieut.. Governorship except with thu
approval, and unqualified endorse
ment, of my home people.
1t Is we'll known all over the State
that the important and rapidly grow
ing grand division of Virginia known
as Tidewater, now the richest and
most progressive section of the State
has had no representation on the
Democratic State ticket under oul
present Constitution. For many
years, our three State offices have
been going the rounds of the other
sections; the Southwest, for instance,
has not missed representation, with
a single exception, since Virginia was
readmitted into the Union. But,
while Underwater has steadily con-
tributed our large Democratic ma
jorities to swell our party victories,
and has more than once saved the
party from defeat, we have not yet
been rewarded with the smallest
plum OF State recognition. In the
meantime, this section of the State
has had the vital interests OF it's
fisheries always in peril; interests
with which no other portion of Vir-
ginia has been In touch or sympathy.
Nearly half of our taxable values,
half of the industries of our people,
and the very bread Of half OF them,
have hung in the balance, With no
friend at court, and no State official
to give countenance and dignity to
our rights of citizenship. We have
been denied place on our State
Court OF Appeals, and the peculiar
and profound legal questions going
up from our section affecting our
maritime interests, our riparian laws,
&C., questions standing part and
distinct from all other State inter
ests, are wholly unrepresented on
our State bench. If matter OF local
pride was the only consideration In
volved the situation would not be 80
grave as it really is.
But all this has not happened be-
cause we have failed, time and again,
to present candidates for each of
these offices the peers of any to whom
nominations have been accorded
1t has certainly not been because we
have looked numerical weight in our
party conventions; nor even, as l
honestly believe, from any spirit of
injustice or unfairness on the part OF
up-country democrats. 1t has been
simply because we have lacked unity |
of purpose among ourselves; have
been unfortunately more concerned |
in our fealty to some outside candi-
date than In loyalty to our own; have
begun our works of charity abroad,
and over looked and neglected the |
interests of our section, and the
rights of our own people at home.
We have usually gone to our State
conventions with our several county |
delegations duly parceled out and
carefully labeled for ready delivery; |
our votes have been already pledged,
and even counted, before cast. We
have often been at variance among
ourselves. but always consistently
Indifferent to our local candidates
and the vital home concerns they
were put forward to represent. The
result has been simply inevitable and
unvarying. Other sections, standing |
Loyalty by their own candidates,
have demanded and compelled re-
cognition. Tidewater, with its pecu-
liar and vital hazard always at stake,
has been simply shuffied aside In the
political deal as without serious
claim to recognition, and consequent
ly outside of consideration.
All this being strangely but unde.
niably true, when was first solicited
bv friends from the up-coHntry to
stand for the Lieut.. Governorship,
my acquiescence was positively con-
ditioned on the support that might
be accorded me by the Tidewater peo-
ple. And want to assure the good
people OF this section, in all candor
and frankness, that have little per-
sonal ambition to bring the honor OF
the Lieut.. Governorship to this long
neglected section if it is not desired
by our people. In other words, If it
Is agreed that we do not desire or de-
serve this recognition, or if there are
other interests involved in the cam
paign OF more vital Importance than
those of our home concerns, or II any
other candidate for either place on
the ticket has done more for our
local interests or deserved more from
our people, am cheerfuily ready to
stand aside. But it seems equally
plain that if we have any sentiment
of local interest or local pride in;
volved in this contest-if the time
has come when we ought to demand
in common justice and
should be at least some
agreement and practical
unity to that end. 1t is hardly fair
to expect candidate to win State
victory on his own personality, es-
pecially when he is handicapped by
that sort OF popular expression that
necessarily limits the sphere OF his
canvass to the following OF some
chance favorite. AS long as we fol-
Ioxu ouoh on impoiitic cOurea we