Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-03-17
AUNTY SPEC POLIHICAHRS.
The Spring Canvass Brings the
Noted Writer Out Along
With The GrOund-hog.

intention to a head. He closes his
article with the question, "What are
you going to do about it," If that's
not intended for me l am going TO
crush In" and take the chances.
/ feel it almost duty to answer
that question, and give my reasons
not only gubernatorial, but senatorial
and primatorial. l would beg to
say, for a starter, that / will not con-
cede to any man in the state of Vir-
ginia that he is a stronger temper
ance advocate than / am. | would
modestly refer to my writings during
the last seven years, familiar to the
public, and to my voting and home
life. Yet l am for Claude Swanson
for governor aud Thos. S. Martin for
senator. (Does that jar you, my
friend John, juniorD And pray
why should not l support these gen.
tlemen, and still be consistent? Sem
ator Martin is a total abstainer--
from tobacco as well as liquor-and
his record in Congress is applauded
by the Anti-Saloon League. Mr..
Swanson is q consistent member of
the church, temperance man and
in the governors chair will go Just
as far as Governor" Mann would in
fostering temperance legislation. He
would not veto temperance measure
passed by the Legislature any sooner
than would Judge Mainland
neither, by the way, would have OPP
portuEity to do much more. Did
you ever think how little opportun-
ity one in the governors chair has
for advancing temperance or other
Legislation?
| am not alone temperance ad-
yocate; were that my platform I'd
vote the Prohibition ticket; so have
several other reasons for supporting
these gentlemen. / look at this fight
as loyal Democrat, one who feels a
patriotic pride in the welfare of this
grand old common wealth, and try to
study all questions that pertain to
her welfare deeply, and decide and
vote for that man, men or measures
that will benefit the State at large,
and not bind myself down locally,
take other mems views, sip the honey
from the flower and pass on.
Let me review some of the situa-
ton. We have two men, good men,
who have asked us-one to take him
out of the governors chair and send
him to the United States Senate; the
other, that if he has done his duty
and attended to the trust reposed in
him, to keep him there. 1t has been
urged upon me that Mr.. Montague
is the man to send because he is
natural born orator." that we want
some one there who can stand by
Daniel in eloquence; that Martin is
no speaker. Let's see how that will
work. Is it fact that rhetoric
brings better results than silent
work? speech is silvern, silence
golden" Can general win battle
by addressing the enemy in a flight
of eloquence, or by manoeuvreing
and secret tactics? Find answer in the
congressional record of the incidents
of the session of Congress just closed.
We find that every award for dam
ages in the war between the States
granted Virginia churches was pro-
cured by Senator Martin. If any
other Virginia representative asked
for the passage of bill of this kind
it was either introduced through
Senator Martins efforts or failed of
passage. 1t Is significant that we
have orators in that body, and yet
our silent, no-speaker Martin intro
duced every such bill and procured
every dollar of the thousands which
fell to Virginia's good fortune. Sill
ent, as you say, but he gets there al
right. Very few men can shoot off
their mouths much without making
enemies, aud that oftentimes un-
necessarily. VIM. Jennings Bryan,
who, it has been said, is the largest
half of the Democratic party, de-
livered miles of oratory, but McKin.
ley, the silent, enjoyed the fruits.
The brilliant display of a meteor
shooting across the sky is grandly
sublime, but the silent sun gives us
results. What man would start in
business and select takers for his
whole-force? He has to have sales
men that can talk, but it don't make |
any difference if his book-keeper has |
no tongue. BE has got to have men
to sell men in order to hire mana
gers, book-keepers, etc.-speaking
men and silent men. Give us two
orators In the Senate and it would |
inst take practically all of their time
to study up their speeches and to vie |
with each other for superiority of |
reputation. Our business would 90 |
TO the dogs. Senators Daniel and |
Martin understand each other and |
work together. Daniel can 'orate,"
Martin do the other work, and there
are results. Send Montague there
and there will be rivalry, meteoric
display, plays to the gallery, etc.
What business man would change a j
good manager to try some one else,
some one who had been a success in
different line of business. That is
one of my main reasons for support
ing Senator Martin. He is a practi-
cal business man and gets results.
l wrote letter five years ago to O
prominent local paper that was
fighting for Ex-Governor Tyler and
abusing Martin, in which / asked
if Martin was Democrat; was there
anything against his record, and SO
on. ! enclosed two-cent stamp for
return of my manuscript if not used.
They kept mig article and stamp too.
No reply.
We have given Governor Montague
the highest state Office that we can
give him. OF course, if he is like
Oliver Twist suppose it is natural
for such man to look out for another