Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07

ticipating in the coming election, when a
great fight is promised between fusiOnism
and straightout democracy. Nicholas is
fusionist.
AS to the case of County Treasurer Lyons.
it is charged that the latter official has
sought to prevent many persons assessed by
the commissioner of the revenue for taxa
ton, and known to be opposed to fusion
ism, from paying their taxes by sending his
tax books to distant parts of the county and
making 1t SO fnconvenient for persons APP
plying to pay their taxes that they have
been prevented from enfranchising them
selves voters in the November election.
The proceedings were instituted in the cir
cult court of Norfolk county, and the cases
will both come up for trial before Judge
William N. Portlock. judge of the first Vir-
ginia judicial circuit.
Absorbing Topic in Portsmouth.
The Ashton Saunders school superintend-
ency matter in Portsmouth is the all
absorbing topic in this section and prom
ises to become a pronounced issue in the
Virginia senatorial fight between Gov.
Montague and Senator Martin. Joseph H.
Saunders. who has been given Superin-
tendent Ashton's place after the Ports
mouth city school board gave Mr. Ashton
full and unqualified Endorsement for re-
election. has been teacher in the Ports
mouth schools for some five years, and
has held the position of principal of the
Portsmouth schools for three years. He
graduated from the Portsmouth High
school in 1897, and two years later
Mary at Williamsburg, Va. He has been
active in politics for some years. and for
some time past has held the position of
secretary of the Portsmouth democratic
executive committee.
In this capacity he has taken an active
fight in local matters in Portsmouth. in
which the interests of Gov. Montague and
Senator Martin in the senatorial race have
a cpip a nd Mr. Ga d..
ers has been an active advocate of all mat
tiers calculated to promte the interests of
Gov. Montague in the senatorial fight.
His election to the Portsmouth school
SUPPLEMENTARY is declared by his friends
to have come unsolicited, because of his
familiarity with educational matters and
his particular fitness for the position of SUI
perintendent Mr.. Saunders is twenty-eght
years old, while Mr. Ashton, whose place
he is to take, is between fifty and sixty
years of age.
Mr.. Ashton is a Portsmouth merchant,
and, 1t Is pointed out, that it was for the
purpose of having man closely identified
with school interests who could give all his
time to educational matters that Mr..
Saunders was elected over Mr. Ashton
Mr.. Saunders Position.
Mr.. Saunders says that he made no fight
for the position and that his only connec-
ton with the matter was when a men,
Der Of the state board of education ap
preached him some three months ago and
said that he could have the place 1t he
wanted it, but that he declined to become
an applicant against Superintendent Ash
ton
Mr.. Saunders says that he will accept the
position as offered by the state board, pro-
viding he can continue as principal of the
Portsmouth schools, though he will not ac-
cept the $40 paid annually by the city to-
ward the superintendent salary, content
ing himself with his present salary of 81, 500
principal of the high school, with the
additional $500 to be paid by the state for
his services superintendent of schools
thus saving the state several hundred dol
lars which it has been compelled to pay
for the separate services of MIR. Ashton in
the schools.
ders to hold the two Portsmouth positions
at the same time, as there is a precedent
for this in Lynchburg, but it remains for
the Portsmouth school board to say what
shall be done in the matter. The friends of
Mr.. Ashton are hard at work, and If the
school board refuses to permit Mr.. Saunders
to take Mr.. Ashton's place and hold his
present position of principal, then Mr.. Saun-
derS will likely have to decline the higher
position of superintendent, which pays much
less than MIR. Saunders is now receiving
as principal in the schools. The fight is an
interesting one and promises some excit-
Question Under Discussion.
The question is now being asked as to
how Mr.. Saunders. under the ruling of the
state board of education, that school of
ficials cannot take an active part In poll
tics. continue in the position of secre-
tary of the Portsmouth democratic execu-
tive committee. In this position he can
give material aid to the candidacy of Gov.
Montague, but the point is raised that he
must now resign at once. Superintendent
of Schools o. B. Mears of Princess Anne
county says that he held the position of
secretary to the democratic executive scom-
mittee in that county, but that under the
ruling Of the state board he was told that
he had better resign all political activity
and at once retired from the secretaryship
Of the Princess Anne committee
The week has been rather devoid of
speechmaking on the part Of the senatorial
gubernatorial and other candidates for state
office who are to come up in the state pri-
mary in August.
1t was expected that great big meeting
would be held at Portsmouth this week,
with all three of the gubernatorial candi-
dates present, to express their sentiments
on fusionism in Norfolk county. but all
three candidates had to decline the invita-
ton to speak on this occa sion. Lieut. Gov.
Willard first accepted, but after the death
of Gen. F'itzhugh Lee he was called upon
to fill the duties of governor, incident 10
the funeral arrangements of Gen. Lee, and
this made it absolutely necessary for him
to cancel his Portsmouth engagement. Rep
resentative Claude A. Swanson was prevent
ed from coming to Portsmouth by other
gagements and Judge William H. Mann.
the third gubernatorial candidate, did not
get home from his tour of the northern
neck of Virginia in time to make arrange
ments TO get to the Portsmouth meeting.
Senator Martin spoke at various points on
the eastern shore of Virginia during the
week. and was received with great ovations
at all points which he visited. He had to
cancel engagements at King George Court
House Thursday and at Fredericksburg
Thursday night because Of Gen. Lees flu
neral at Richmond, but spoke at Manches-
ter last night and at Farmville today. On
Monday he goes to Campbell Court House.
Tuesday to Appomattox and Lynchburg
and Wednesday to Culpeper, Va.
Gov Montague's illness has prevented
him from making any speeches during the
week, and he will hardly be able to do
much along this line for ten days yet.
The gubernatorial candidates are losing
no time and all three now making
many dates ahead for speeches.
MONUMENT TO GEN. LEE.