Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-11-06
lCommunieated.i
THE NORTHUB BERLAND DEMOC.
RACY.

THE NORTHUw DEMOC-
RACY.
EDITOR CITIZEN:
In the issueof October 23rd, your
Heathsville correspondent makes
some wonderful and surprising state
ments about the recent primaries
and district meetings. There always
has been any quantity of misft
knowledge lying around loose in
that vicinity, and desmond" APP
pears to have gathered up a lot and,
after mixing with long handled
shovel, ne spreads it before the read
ers of the CITIZEN. Ii is apparent
that those statements, conceived of
Ignorance, or born of malice, possibly,
were inspired by some person or per-
sons who are grievously tormented
at the pulling down of pet idol.
That the young man who reports the
news for the CITIZEN should allow
himself to be made the catspaw of
such persons is very surprising,
but that one located at the county
seat, open to every source of informa-
ton in its county, should be guilty
of attempting to disseminate such
biased and malicious assertions, is
certainly wonderful. There is hardly
a statement in the whole paragraph
that has grain of truth in it. The
only "up-heaval in this county" is
that Lloyd L. Smith was defeated
for denomination by O. s. Towles.
The same cold guard" that have
nominated Mr.. Smith in the past
stood by him until the last, but peo-
pie who had never taken part in
such matters turned out in force and
nominated Towles, merely because
they preferred him to Smith. That
is all the "upheavsl" there was. All
the other county officers were renom-
mated.
desmond" says: "Isn't it fact
In Its conventions on September 9Th,
q white face was all the passport
needed to entitle one to voice in it's
deliberations" 1t was not fact, as
far as Fsirields was concerned, what
ever may have been the case at
Heathsville, the only place where
"pure> Democracy" was in control,
with the exception that one Repub-
lican did vote for Lloyd 7. Smith.
With that one exception there was
not vote counted In Fairfields that
would not have been welcomed with
open arms by the most ultra of the
squire Democracy" if it had been cast
for the "resistless and helpless
figure" thereof.
Out of five hundred Democratic
voters in the county four hundred
took part in the September conven-
tions. Lloyd Il. Smith polled little
more than one-fourth Of the vote
and Towles the balance. 1t there
fore follows,according to DESMOND
that there are only about one hun
dred true followers of the squire
Democracy" In the county, while the
three hundred are nondescript class
of persons of all creeds and shades
of political thought" Go to! Dick
on, thou hast been dallying over-long
amidst fair Luna's silvery beams.
desmond" says that it is not
Democratic ticket. Well, perhaps
not, with one of the old standbys
dropped and a new man taken up.
But it is mighty satisfactory one
to the people who do the voting.
From the Heathsville point of view
1T looks very much like the play of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out. We
who have the misfortune to live out.
side of Heathsville and to be de-
prived of the benign effulgence of
"the resistless and helpless figure of
pure Democracy" can't be expected
to view the awful sacrilege of laying
"massive chains" of bondage on
the aforesaid ''resistless and helpless
figure" in the same light that the
Heathsvillians do. We think we
have perfect right to order our
household as we will, provided we
can get the votes.
In the "good old days befo' the
war" of the "upheaval" we had to
be content with the crumbs that fell
from the table of the master when
the destiny of the county was decided
by handful of the squire Democ-
racy" assembled in the courthouse.
He further says: at is not de-
MED that many voted who were not
fit to, but it's in precise harmony
with the song of the leaders in the
late revolution in Northumberland"
desmond" is in error here as
usual. He makes bold statement
that he cannot prove. I challenge
him to bring forth one instance
where leader in the alate revolu-
ton" aided or encouraged any un-
qualified person or persons to vote at
any of the conventions or primaries.
In all cases that I have heard of the
unqualified votes were cast for the
candidates Of the "pure Democracy"
Let "Desmond" show the contrary, if
ne can, giving names, places and par
ticulars that can be proven.
Now as to that squire Democracy"
Who shall draw the line of denmark
alton between that and the monde
script class of "persons of all creeds
and shades of political thought" that
is supposed to be on top at present?
Shall the fact of a vote for LLOYD Il.
Smith be a passport to the squire
Democracy" or shall a vote for G.
5. Towles be sentence to the non
descript class mentioned above?
Q. s. Towles was born Democrat
for ought l know to the contrary.
la all events he has been a Democrat
OF the straightest sect, III both defeat
and victory. Can all the "pure
Democracy" say as much? The ere
sistless and helpless figure of pure
Democracy" L. T. Smith, has always
been Democrat, has he? And how
about the Lottsburg statesman,
another apostle of squire Democracy?'
H.