Evening star., 1905-10-28
MUCH MUD SINGING
Virginia Campaign Has So
Developed.
MANY SORES TO HEAL
PERSONAL ATTACK ON JUDGE L.
L. LEWIS.
Prominent Republican, VINO Heads
Ticket as Candidate for
Governor.
Special From a Stafr Correspondent.

4
RICHMOND, Va. October 2S.-The Vir-
| gnia campaign is rapidly developing into a
mud singing contest, and unless present In
/ d1catons are misleading there will be a
good many old sores to be healed after the
! election of November 7. Judge L. L. Lewis,
| the republican candidate for governor,
! cones from an old Virginia family, and
| blood relationships. which stand for so
much in the old dominion, seemed to raise
him above personal attack when he entered
the race for governor. He has filled many
high offices in the state, having been pres
ldent of the supreme court of Virginia and
| in that capacity having never been re-
pI cached for any conduct rejecting upon
his integrity. He has been honored by hav-
ing been elected president of the state bar
association. When he was nominated to
head the republican ticket in August at
Roanoke the papers of the state made COM
pimentary references to him. 1t looked
then and until a few weeks ago if the
fail election to be devoid of any per-
sonal attacks to stir up bad blood. But the
stress of the campaign was too much, and
now the whole state Is wrestling with a
charge that has been set af1oat and is still
active to the effect that Judge Lewis,
quarter of a century ago, favored the inter-
marriage of the races and opposed bill in
the legislature making miscegenation ule-
gal
Judge Lewis denied the charge very
promptly and Representative Jones, who
was quoted as making it, said he had
merely repeated what he had heard from
reputable men. 1t has developed that at
the time referred to no such bill was pend
in, in the legislature and that long before
Judge Lewis was born the statutes of Nir-
ginia made intermarriage illegal. While on
the bench Judge Lewis returned opinions in
accordance with the law against misce-
genation. but these facts do not prevent
y-11j jnh ha lad ha H.
IiCan candidate to denounce the statement
in it's origin lie. and has led some or
the men who have given it credence to De
clare that they will dig UP the proof OF the
charge In the old days it could end only
with a duel and bloodshed. Now 1t IS stir
ring up bad feeling that In the end Is apt
to be almost as disastrous as would be an
armed conflict
A few weeks ago Judge Lewis was on
the most cordial terms of intimacy with
the men with whom he is now In open
conflict Men who paid high tribute 10
his character and standing IN the state
when he was nominated now publish state
ments that they withdraw everything OF a
complimentary nature they ever SAID ABOUT
him In one way or another the 1eeifhs
of hostility is extending and every day
the remarks of these political opponents
are becoming less and less parliamentary
Why the struggle for the election OF gov
ernor should be so fraught with bitterness
Is one OF the incomprehensfble features OF
the campaign.
Montague's Election.
In 1901 Governor Montague WAS elected
with 1862 votes over Hoge, republican,
who received 81. .36S votes. According to
the census of 1906 Virginia in that election
had 4239 1893 voters and IN 1901, had there
been any question about the election OF
a democratic governor the democratic vote
would doubtless have been immensely
greater Since then the new constitution
of the state has dfsfranchfsed something
over 10000 colored voters The highest
estimate of the number or colored voters
that has been registered for the coming
election according to the democratic view.
IS % 600 while the republicans say the
number cannot be so great as that. The
election machinery of the state Is IN the
hands of the same people who controlled
II in 1901 Under these circumstances 1t
is difficult to see what probability there
can be for the election of a republican
governor any way. even If the campaign
should jog along with complimentary re-
marks for all the candidates.
But these conditions show how fmpossi-
BILE ii Is TO keep the negro question out
of a campaign here. It is candtdly admit
ted that so long as there is a considerable
body of coIored voters whose influence will
be swung way or another IN deciding
a political campaign it will be impossible
to subordinate the negro question IN politf-
cal elections here. It was thought that
would change this condition. but the Old
issue insists upon bobbing up. and when
It shows its head 1t is as full OF mischief
as ever and just potent In stirring up
bad feeling. The trend of the campaign
toward the race question and toward per-.
sonaIities is being deDlored by democrats
everywhere. Some of the men who now
denounce Judge Lewis were his personal
friends. But many of them have expressed
to me their chagrin that in spite of their
hope that Virginia, with the elimination
of the great bulk of the colored vote.
would get down to new issues in the cam
the most bitter contests that she has ever
known.
1t IS safe to assert that the great body OF
the democratic voters do not approve of
the manner in which this campaign has
drifted away from live issues into person.
alites and the old race question. But
these questions are now uppermost and
they are apt to stamp the nature of the
contest until election day.
Once Comfortable Feeling.
was probably as comfortable a feeling over
the conditions that were to be met as
there has ever been. Representative Claude
A. Swanson. candidate for governor. was
looked upon as eminently qualified for pro-
viding eloquence and forcfble speeches to
arouse enthusiasm sufficient to bring out
the vote of the state. Judge Lewis. from
the eastern part of Virginia. was supposed
to have such high standing that he would
keep his campaign on plane that could
not permit personalities to take the place
of issues Judge Lewis, who has been