Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-06-23
The Senatorial Situation.

Last week the SPECTATOR sent on
of its reporters to interview varlou
6 prominent men of the city with refer
ence to the approaching senatorial
. | election, and he has done so, but thu
modesty of those interv iewed has caused
them to request us to withhold theil
Names They were, however cOurte
Gus and have talked freely, and have
been able to throw much light upor
, he seen from the following interviews
Our reporter first called on Mr.. -
, one of the most energetic merchants
of Staunton, as he was about his place
OF business talking to numerous farm
ers who were in town that day, bring
Jog in hay and other products. AS be
talked to his customers the reporter
sbear1 him say: well everybody's fol-
\ Martin out about Greenville, | hear.
That's good. I've got five spot that
he carries the county and as much as
anybody wants that he's the next sen.
Iator. ! heard Frank Larew say only
a few days ago that that district was
solid for Martin. Did you ask what
hay is worth today? Yes, I misunder
stood you. Hays down little today,
off shade. Well sir it's hard to find
anything but Martin men round here,
| can't find them. | was talking to
A. g. Gordon and Steve Timberlake
up at the Beverley Club last night
and they - got some straw? Y es.
All right, drive your wagon right up
to the door. Good morning Mr.. Coy
ner. How's Martin down in the Way
nesboro neighborhood 2" Mr.. Coyner
answered that his name was seldom
mentioned down there. With this the
merchant went hurriedly into another
part of the building, and the reporter
was compelled to seek some one else
whom he might interview.
This time he dropped into the office
| of one of our most prominent lawyers.
Well said the lawyer, Flows the old
Dizziness today" meaning the SPEC
TATOR. ''Duller than usual' the re-
porter said. I'VE are irving to throw
some sunlight Oh the senatorial cam
paign. How are things any way ?"
Il have been so busy" said the lawyer
''lately, that have not had time to
study that question as carefully as l
should like. | have been preparing
some briefs for the Court of Appeals,
and matters that l had not expected
fell upon our firm recently keeping us
very closely confined in the office. By
the way you heard of that case Of -
VS.. - gained in the Court of APP
peals recently, did you not Well that
was great victory. 1t did not in
vOlve any mOnied consideration of
course, but a serious constitutional
question was involved, touching vest
ed rights, and statutory limitations,
all of which could not have been sat
isfactOrily determined otherwise. Yes
L admit that the case was somewhat a
moot question, but there was vast i'm.
pOrtance in having it settled. Some
very able attorneys had differed with
me, and as you know the lower court
was dead against me, hut l knocked
'em out. A great victory that, the
appellate court just adopted my brief
us its opinion. Unusual you say? of
court should have done when it arrived
at the opinion it did. The senatorial
campaign. Oh, beg your pardon, be.
lleve it was the senatorial campaign
you asked about. Oh, Martin g all
right, told him to give himself no
uneasiness about Staunton, she would
give him a rousing majority. Whole
bar for him Well L should smile
Caperton BraXton, and Ned E chOls.
and Armistead Gordon, and George
Blackley, and Newt. Watts, and Sam
Donald, in fact nearly all the Martin
men in town have been to see me lately
and talk over the situation, They were
pessimlstic-scared in fact, after M on
tague's speech here, but | showed
them that campaigns are never won
by speeches. Martins first election
showed that. | think you may say,
but don't use my name, that things
are albright, the whole of the StauntOn
bar with few exceptions are or him,
and as they go so goes StauntOn, now
smoke that. Good bye, come in
again.
Turning corner our reporter met
another man prominent in finance and
politics, and feeling sure that his views
would have weight, he asked him
about the senatorial situation.
81 have been very much at home
since the campaign began" said he, II
am Martin man, you understand,
senator, and what | mean by good
senator is one who attends to business.
| say with reason, l think, that Tom
Martin is the best senator Virginia
| ever had. He has more influence in
the senate, he stands better with the
president, he can get more do ne in the
departm ents, he has gotten more mon
ey appropriated for Virginia than any
man we ever had there. He saved
Virginia ST. 900, 900 900. 900, at one
| dash out of the box, you unders tand,
| and Montague went down to Washing
| ton after it, and whether he got -,
or somebody robbed him, or he lost
his wallet, or played draw poker, l
| don't know, but Tom Martin told Inc
on the dead quiet that Montague only
got back to Richmond with S. 80 of
the goods Now reverse the case. Sup
| pose Montague had had gotten that
| big sum from the government for Vir
GINA and Tom Martin had gone down