The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-05
l'H I. |. J.
WILL E ! !.
Martin and Montague TO TO
Meet In Senatorial Arena.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION v 9
What the Friends Of Each Say as 70
Their Chances Of Recovering
The Honorable and Much
Coveted Place,

tnp or war;. observed a conservative
Democratic leader TO some frienas az ny
Capitol the other day and when \, 9s IN
Senatorial arena in 1905. t VII mean ,l
x thai They have locked each other IN
N death embrace" r1,,,nos.
TO representative OF inc iines
Dista .ch. who WAS standing near anu
Il whose business 1t s TO Keep an eye VIZ ,tt,.
the trend OF the political winds IN ~,
vinIa. It appeared that his lSader hld
correctly sized up the situation, tor.it
has Ions been food that tiiese we
\ rnerI --e..,. a he MT nron the Senator al
4 truck, to make final trial ano se, .le,
political tactions, which. for years have
sparred for party prestige and control.
and who are recognized far and vice a., as
Il tile very embns'''.--,, -. of the principles
which dominate the opposing elements s.
That Montague and Martin VII ne ne Ne
leading candidates, whoever. else shall
enter, there appears No yscintilla OF dount.
nor il 1t less fully believed that they
Il would come nearer than any ntnar men
" In the e.-t~Eto nnllng the full stlehstn
az nt their respective factions than any
pther candidates VINO could possibly be
placed In the field. !, i
II has been strenuous lie that the
# Democratic party has led In Virgin
K within the past few years. and Dat ng
rom the convention al Roa noke In 1881,
/ hen the presentiyoung Governor, BECAME G ne
powerful factor In &the political ai1airs
4 81 his State. factional battles With vary
81 {rlgi futures, have been fought and won
IN nonrly every field. .3 s55.
His active entrance into the arena In
lccted new spirit and youth and pro-
B Eressivcness into party that NAG a,as
ged along in the grasp of8old leaders.
R,ho controlled tmass-rreetn:s and oon-
4 yentons as matter OF course. and who
i doing the active part of al! campaign
work. were given 3undlsputed supremary
N aud sway. on the ground Of long SER
p Vice fait hfully ard rersistentlv rendered.
ii l5$SIWHERE&rHE FIGHT BEG UN.
4 But this year OF 1897 Wrought the Re
Winning OF cha nged conditions and lad
r The founda tion for the strenuous times
that have followed. grinding out lonS-
fought re forms in the interest OF a. clam
i bring public at almost every turn OF ne
Il way. I'D
b At#frrst. however. the way was dark
and gloomy. and stumbling blocks stood
81 u lmost everyEpa tn. The initial battle.
M livnlving an effort to have THO party DE-
hare IN favorsSof State primaries. was
apparently n consummate failure and the
text. The famous May conference mu t
~ the fair historian. 10 placed In tue
sar-c rlnss. ts5E ~ 5i55 5l#
Following this up with the State Con-
iseution nf lann. which was held In Nor
FOLK the Martin wing or the party was
only In partial control Besides The MAX
tne OF 4 platform. and the sending Of
Jelfgates Ato chlca 60 the Constitutional
Convention Issue was a live one. On the
a former there was no fight. The old lead
5s ersahad all their own way. and they made
pne platform and fixed the delega uon at
"a will.
Hut while In their rooms they drew
party declarations and named delegates
and electors. the reform lea ders were
quietly but successfully at work to en-
graft upon the platform the ation
fnvoring the Constitutional Convention.
s. the absolute onntrol Of which they easily
captured. with The splendid results which
are now well known to the public.
INA But before passing to a blief discussion
81 The great enatorial battle which Is
reshadowedGG on every hand. a word
should be said as to the last terrific con.
TX the Chief Executive ofIien. and surrounded
him by men largely OF his own mind ant
IA faith upon matters political. !.
a While this conf test could not properly b.
called direct test Of strength between
The two prospective candidates for thu
8%senate, yet the personnel OF both entered
lnrgely into the result. as one was tn
successful! canddnte at Norfolk. and tn
other threw ,hlmselft actively In the branch
Tor the opposing asplnnt.
Never did man aspire to public ottic
and win under more adverse clrcum
stances than those which attended tn
candidacy of the present Governor.
s He started out with tho party organi
tnt ton behind his opponent. but throug
Inc agency of eloquent thrusts and mp
IN, pals to tho people, he broke all records
lis IND In the end walked over the prostrat
III lorms OF men of whom hitherto all nspir
Hlnts 10 Office had been forced to appeal.
Upon this wave of reform starting /
1897, has come the employers liability bill
new Constitution, State primary sys
lem and many other sweeping innova
tons which tend TO Place both tho part
and the State In the march OF progress
md TO tear the latter away from The oil
antipuated way Ut conducting her publ
"A affairs
BIZ. the battle OF 1915 VIII. In The mind
or many. be the turning point In til
q great fao,ional struggle
BOTH SIDES C0NwlDENT
The friends OF Senator Martin far an
vide say he will win hack all he has a,
,arertly lost, and that he will drive II
toung Governor from the field In ign,
tninious defeat, Rut the friends OF Il
latter not only decline to concede thi
h but declare with every show OF conf
K ttnce, that he has lost none OF his spe
Iii did popularity with the masses, and h,
II the nresent urinary system shall !
yet realize his dreams OF strolling throug
y the long deep aisles of The United STATE
Senate Chamber ms representative In pa
~ OF brave and honest people. The tN
y men are manfestly not we'll matched
the stump. and It Is In that arena TIL
H Governor MontaEuss friends expect hi
70 win hfs laurels No one denies Il
~ TACT that he Is n powerful orator, ar
81 lhat heaven has endowed him pcrha
more richly with the gift OF captivatin
oul-stirring eloquence. than any ms
& ais age In Virginia. Senator Martin la
10 claim to oratory. but his friends co
s nde always In his ability as leader
NJ nan, and hey are banking. too. up
their contention thai he has accomplish
pnch for his people at Washington al
8 that he has made a good bus'ne!
& Against this latter claim. however, I
kupporters OF Governor Montague a
vomiting TO his courageous. cautious a
aonest administration OF the Office OF Go
ernor. and are saying that he Won
* ednrn and ornament seat in the Sena
Of the nation. and al the same time 10
diligently after the interests az his Sta
s Other strong men have bsen fayorat
~ meptioned In connection with the RAJ
and some OF them, notably Gyernor T?
"a ler, may enter. but It is no secret Il
s factional politics VIII be largely the
W.. t,na ard hat The rank and file as ~