Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-04-07
communicated,
AUNTY SPEC GOES CUNNING.
lcommunicafedA

AUNTf SpEC GUES CUNNING.
EDITOR CITIzEN:-It might look
as though had put my foot in it in
my last article 70 the "CITIzRN," for
both Mr.. Curlett and His Nlbs, the
Northern Neck News" tried to do
me. Mr.. Curlett lost his head for
getting his position not long since as
between "wet" ana "dry" county
candidates) and shot his gun off too
quickly, before my article was half
finished. He only had small charge
of powder, which, having previously
been shot st the CITIZEN, did not
take effect-only, the smoke was a
little offensive. Having slight i'm
pediment in my ears the report never
"totched me-" After reading it care
fully, can't find any argument to
reply to, and as l have stated nv
position fally in former article /
doE't care to rehash the subject; nor
do care to sling mud like the Hon.
John L. 2. S. / will simply pass him
by, as l am not batting for local
aspirants. l have little larger game
in the "News."
wish to say that l have been gun
ming for the News for the past five
years. Five years ago / sent an ar
ticle to the News, using the most
courteous terms that could express,
asking some questions of vital impor-
lance to voters of this district, my
self one of them, in reference to
Senator Martins democracy. l en-
closed stamps to return to me if not
accepted. | have never heard from
it or the stamps since. So before |
conclude l wish to give the News
another opportunity to furnish the
information.
Now, Mr.. Editor, the News could
only find one argument to combat
in my exhaustive article, and he had
to misquote in order to frame that
reply. The News says that Aunty
Spec "claims that the defeat of the
Jordan Oyster bill was due to the
efforts of Messrs. Martin and Swan
son." This is a fragrant mistate-
ment.) Then the News adds-ssThis
is news to us; we never knew before
that Messrs. Martin and Swanson
had anything to do with oyster legis-
lation in Virginia" So it is news to
you, is it.? IF you had been in Rich
mond with some of us at the last ses-
sion of the legislature, fighting for
the rights of our oyster people instead
OF wearing holes in your clothes in
your office-chair devising means
to besmiroh the name of our leading
Democrat, Thos. s. Martin, you
would have acquired that Informs
ton. And if it was "news" 10 the
"News" would it not have been best
to investigate before jumping on
this scribe? No; in lieu of that. the
News garbled my article to suit
itself, thinking, possibly, that some
one paragraph might be warped Gn-
continently) to the disadvantage of
Senator Martin and Mr.. Swanson,
and to the benefit of their opponen Is
in the eyes of our oyster people.
Let me quote what did write, az
published in the CITIZEN: "Last
year when we had that great fight in
the legislature against the Jordan
bill Thos. S. Martin and Claude A.
Swanson were the biggest factors in
helping to win our case-that is, not
directly bat through their friends,
etc." Now, Mr. News man, | will ask
the public to compare the two quota
tons. A mere COMPARISON will
knock your argument sky high and
show the public that the News will
not even give them straight quota
ton from an exchange. The incon-
sistency of that paper has long been
a subject of public comment, in no
way better illustrated than the fact
that the nominal head of that pa per
is professedly an officer in a great
church and presumed to be "dry"
man, yet its columns contain liquor
and bar-room advertisements. "Oh
consistency thou art Jewell" If G
paper, corporation or individual be
not consistent on these lines how
can we expect consistency in politics ?
The News says that "some strong
anti-Martin men were ia favor of the
Jordan bill, while we have known
instances of Martin men who voted
with our representatives in opposi-
ton to the various efforts to destroy
the integrity of the Baylor survey
Exactly, and these latter are the very
men had reference to In saving the
oyster rocks last winter. There is
an inkling now that you had the in.
formation; then why stoop to mis-
quoting and garbling. As to Messrs.
Cardwell aud Jordan, they were ar
rayed on opposite sides of the fac
tional fightin this gtste-Mr. Jordan,
a relative of the Governor, vas an
'original" and strong Montague"
man-but both being highlanders
they were after our people with sharp
sticks. About the close of the last
session Mr.. Jordan thought he was
playing good politics and Topped
over. possibly with the strong hot o
that the few Martin Senators who
stood in the way of his bill would
cave in. But they didn't, Or, pos
slbly, he got hot under the COLLAR
with the Governor-as some politi-
clans of this district did With Sem
ator Martin because he was holding
down coveted seat and catching
more flies with a still tongue and
molasses than they were with vitu-
peration and vinegar.
Read oyster notes in the "CITIzEN"
and you will find that Messrs Jordan
and Cardwell have moved to tide.
water and formed an Oyster Com
pany, capitalized at $25, 900. That's
plain enough to a wayfaring man,
though he be fool, that those men
are after Doodle. CompaYa their con.