Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-06-17
TINE STATE CONVENTION.

TINE STATE CONVENTION.
We have just witnessed most thar
mopiousn convention. That is what
1t is called by all who came out at the
right end of the machine. Those who
were siftsd out aud dropped into the
screen box, or went out with the chaf1
and straw, are yet to be heard from.
There Ia no doubt but that a large
number of most intelligent gentlemen
were ASSEMBLIES at Richmond. Gentle
men of whom this State or any State
NAV be proud. There were a good
many in that convention who have vot
ed with the Democratic party in the
last two campaigns, and there were
good many who have not. Those who
have not voted the ticket for nearly
eight years we're very prominent and
very loud If not indeed anxious in their
demands for harmony. and these be-
ing aided by those who for the sake OF
regularity voted the ticket on election
day, but throughout the campaigns
denounced the candidate and the plat
forms succeeded in bringing harmony
up to a very high standard, rendering
assurances doubly sure, that IL their
choice-Judge Parker be nominated
they will stand by him loyalty, but II
some one else be nominated they will
use their judgment in the matter, and
if Mr.. Hearst should by accident get
the nomination they will vamoose the
ranch, quicker. and more certainly
than ever before. 1t was these who
advocated 80 strenuously the UNIT
Rnle," a rule by the way which beats
the Rule of Three" 80 familiar to all
older students of arithmetic by pro
portion far greater than three to one,
and q rule which has no earthly refer
snce to the Golden Rule. The UNIT
Rule" has been reduced to an exact
science by the managers In Virginia
politics of today. 1t is the ''gag law
of the majority, and was played to a
finish by the machine in the cOnven-
tiOn. With such rule the machine un
dertOok to make coup as the French
say, one that had it succeeded would
have made or broken more political
states than anything that has happen
ed In Virginia since Gen. William Ma
hone undertook to handle state affairs
in bis own peculiar manner and In the
manner today adopted and practiced
by Theodore Roosevelt. 1t was the
scheme of refusing to send Gov. Mon
tague as one of the Big Four to the st.
Louis Convention. This was seriously
contemplated. and the News Leader of
the 10th says. Governor Montague,
who is Senator Martins formidable
rival for the United States senator
ship, was elected by flattering vote
purely on his merits, OF course, largely
by the votes of Martin men. This is a
fine example of combination of chiv-
airy and common sense, of generosity
and political sagacity, and is credita,
BILE to both the leaders,
The sentence is correct except that
the words ''chiyalry" and generosity"
should be stricken out and it be made
to read that it was "a combination of
common sense and political sagacity"
in Senator Martin. His friends by
such a move would have placed him
in predicament before the voters of
Virginia as meier poor sinner was
abroad in" This determination on
the part of the Martin followers to
humiliate GOV. Montague will, how.
ever, put tear In many of their eyes.
The people of Virginia wanted their
big Four" to be selected according
to the rule, the Democratic rule, which
10 that the senators and governor con
stitute three members as a matter.
OF course, the fourth to be selected by
the convention. No living soul outside
the Machine ever thought such trick
was to be attempted, but it was seri-
ously contemplated, and had partisan
hatred, and political servility so far
ovsrridden common sense, as to carry
out the wishes of the Martin forces
against Mr.. Martins own good sense
and that of some of bis wiser friends.
no prophet could have foretold the re
suits. For the benefit of Gov. Mon.
tague's senatorial aspirations no better
thing could have happened him. Be-
fore the people with an insult offered
their Governor. the rebuke the people
would have administered would have
been wholesome and long to be remsm
bersd.
There was one notable thing in the
convention. Nobody dared mention
the name of Grover Cleveland, or ad
init that he had supported Bryan.
There Was the most absolute and dis.
graceful concealment and surrender of
convictions and actions of the last eight
years by every prominent man In that
convention ever witnessed. The plat.
form wade no boast of loyalty to prin.
ciples OF the party except the cardinal
principles it is silent as to every new
principle that the party has stood fol,
and is more silent as to every one it
would, could, or should stand for. 1t
seemed to the average man that all the
convention was attempting, was to get
the gold element on top, without the
other element discovering the purpose,
provided Senator Martin went on top
at the same time.
The end seems to the managers to
have been accomplished fairly well,
and II the bees wax sticks. and the
harmony holds. we suppose these pa