Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-20
POLITICAL SNAPSHOTS,

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other cities en- route to New Orleans
At each prominent point he will b
received by leading citizens withou
regard to political faith.
Mr.. Swanson says he is glad to Sc,
the Republicans ashamed of thei
conduct In the past, and apologiz,
for the personnel of their party in tn,
past, and its many misdoings. He
has little confidence in the enforced
repentance of persons and less in the
promises of the Republican party tC
do better in the future. He had al
ways found the Republican party
profuse In promises and meager in
| performances.
Senator Martin, in an interview in
Washington, said that the more he
had travelled around since the prima.
rles were held the more he regarded
the fight of the Republicans as vain
"They talk about Democratic disaf.
fection," he said, sand yet in all my
travels l have yet to see or hear Of
Democrat who will vote for Judge
Lewis. l am at loss to know what
the people who are putting up SO
much money for the Republicans in
Virginia expect to gain by it, bat
that is none of my affair"
Somehow, the political conditions
in Virginia this fall do not respond
favorably to the efforts for a red hot
campaign. The Democrats are sc
confident and the Republicans SO
hopeless that the spellbinders have
no chance to do enough whooping
up to make the contest interesting.
A good general always prefers to win
victory without fight, but in that
case what is to become of the spout
ers who have aspirations and who
want chance to prove their claim
that the party owes them something?
-Index-Appeal.
The Spirit of the Valley reminds
us that the Readjuster-R Republican
put a free book plank in their plat
form when they nominated John s,
Wise for Governor, thereby declar-
ing for free books before Demo
cratic House of Delegates passed a
free-book act. The fact has escaped
our memory, but we take our con
temporary's word for it. Now note
the difference. When the Republic
cans had the Legislature they did
nothing for free books, contenting
themselves by putting a promise in
their platform after the handwriting
of defeat had appeared on the wall.
Without making any promise in
their platform, the Democrats passed
the act, and did sll for free books
that circumstances made possible.
One is a party of promise; the other
is party of performsnce,-Index-
Appeal.
Few leading Republicans in Wash
ington expect to see Judge Lewis
materially reduce the Democratic
majority in Virginia this fall. They
freely concede in privately discussing p
the matter, that Virginia is safely
Democratic State, and that it is
''love's labor lost" TO try to make II
otherwise. The main thing that
Virginia is useful for from Repub.
lican standpoint naturally, is the
delegates she sends to the National
Convention, and she is being wooed
In this direction. "No we'll in
formed Republican looks for the
Slemps to be able to make good
their claim of their ability to rescue
the State from Democratic control, -
said leading national Repu blican.
"There are some forty thousand more
Democrats down there than there are
Republicans, and while it would not
be policy to declare so, do not hear
of any Democrats turning over"
j notice that in an editorial in
your paper short time since, that
you state that in some of the States,
the local authorities furnish the
books. Why would it not be good
idea for the Legislature to pass law
allowing the Board of Supervisors of
the various counties, who are elected
by the people, to furnish free books
if they 80 desire? This might work
we'll In the counties in the State
where there are few negroes, and
might be adopted by them without
burdening the people of the whole
State to furnish free books to the ne
groes. 1t does not seem to me that
the Democrats are making as much
capital out of the fact as they ought
to make, that the surplus in the
Treasury comes from the franchise
tax, which was only made possible
by the new Constitution, which the
Republicans did all they could to
prevent, and which they are now 90,
ing all around the State denouncing.
Writer in Times-Dispstch.
As long as there is ground for the
belief that the Republican party in
the State of Virginia stands for old
time carpet-baggery, the thoughtful
people of Virginia will refuse to
countenauce it at the polls. If there
is serious and responsible talk of the
new Constitution of Virginia being
an unwise measure 10 "disfranchis.
ing hundred thousand citizens of
the State" the people of Virgins
will turn from the Republican party
in disgust. The new Constitution
Of Virginia is dead issue simply he
cause it is settled issue. The dis
franchisement of hundred thous-
and citizens was matter which the
rest of the people of Virginia have
entirely at heart and which good clti.
zens, irrespective of party, must rec.
ognize to have been q patriotic anC
not political move. The day is no
far distant when practically no ne
groes will vote in the South, includ
ling Maryland and Kentucky. No
| Would IL no surnriein0 t0 Oaa q,