Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-03-29

TO give them to you without fear,
favor or prejudice. These opinions
were not ali gotten from natives of
the town that has Old Christ
Church. with the famous George
Washington pew in it, that many
pilgrims go miles TO see. Quite
the contrary, for l purpoSely made
the acquaintance of several COM
merclal drummers, men who were
doing the State in disposing of
their wares. These men come in
daily contact with the voting pop
ulation and, consequently, are in a
position to reflect. with some accu-
racy, the drift of public sentiment.
As rule these men were not par
tisans; they appeared rather to be
anxious to tell me what they heard
in this town or that; what was the
strength of the different candidates
in the sections of the State they
had visited, not as they themselves
saw it, but as they heard it by
actual personal cOntaSt with voters.
That kind of information is surely
worth while, for it, at least, has
the element of honesty of purpose,
while the intent, if not the result
of information obtained from the
partisan, is misleading because it
exaggerated, if not distorted.
Everybody in Alexandria is a
politician, if being a politician con
SistS in taking an active, aggres-
sive as well as healthy interest in
the power of the ballot and all that
it implies. This certainly being
true, Alexandria is sure to be one
of the warmeSt places in the Old
Dominion from now until the
Democratic primaries settle the
question of the Governorship, for
the Democratic nomination is
equivalent to an election.
| am not going to give an opinion
based on one days work. for no
matter how honest the effort, no
twenty-four hours is sufficient in
which to size up a complicated
political situation such as now ex-
lists in the State of Virginia.
To put the Alexandria situation
in few words, can say as a re-
suit of having talked with voters
there, that Claude A. Swanson will
carry the city. That is the CON
sensus of opinion given me by
people on the ground. The same
logic carries me to Alexandria
county, which will be very close,
and from the same character of
sources Swanson will carry the
district.
So far as ! have been able to get
at the truth, it does not appear at
this time as though Judge William
II. Mann would be a serious factor
in the race. His attitude on the
license question has alienated many
voters from him-votes of the
workers in the Democratic party
while his rather equivocal attitude
has not brought 10 his support, in
any considerable numbers, nor for
matter of that, in any degree of
enthusiasm, the temperance, much
less the prohibition element through
out the State. From what | have
learned so far, therefore. the can
didacy of Judge Mann can be re.
garded at this time as not seriously
imperilling the ambitions of either
Swanson or Willard.
The real fight seems to be be-
tween Representative Claude A.
Swanson and Northumberland
Joseph +. Willard. Each of these
men is entitled TO serious consider
alton at the hands of the voters OF
Virginia. Each has accomplished
things. Their careers bear nc
faint, no suggestion of dishonesty
of purpose. They are men OF
character whose public record can
well afford the searchlight of public
scrutiny. But how have they
reached this goal of every honest
mans ambitionl
Let's see. We will take Claude
Swanson first, not because we
know him the less or love him the
more, but because his record is the
more interesting. 1t is the story
of man whose whole life has been
one of labor, whose efforts have
been put forth to the extreme test
In surrounding difficulties and who.
unaided and alone. has come out
triumphant as an honored and dis