Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-29
POLITICS In VIRGINIA
BITTER CAMPAIGN NEARING A
CLosE-REPUBLICAN CHANCES.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, October 2s.-one week
from Monday, and the splciest, bitterest
campaign the Old Dominion has seen in
twenty years viii have come to an end
virginans are politicians the world over.
and the most ardent lover of the art would
have been surfeited with the happenings in
this state since the beginning of the year
First of all there was the democratic cam
paign, In which the members of that party
had to name the candidates for places on
the state ticket and also a United States
senator. The contest for the place to be
filled by the nomination was exceedingly
hot, and in several instances bitter things
were said by the candidates.
This was particularly true in the contest
for the senatorial nomina ton, when Gov.
Montague. who was opposing Senator Mar
tin, alluded to the latter mere execu-
tive clerk and department runner" Sen
ator Martin met the governor on the stump,
and the joint debates were full OF fire and
thrusts verging closely upon the personal.
That campaign lasted fully five months,
the candidates for offices going to all parts
of the state and stirring the voters as they
had not been stirred for years. Feeling
ran high. and that a split in the party was
averted is now considered a miracle. The
other were carefully treasured by the re-
publcans and have been used time and time
again by the stumpers who are opposed to
the democrats.
Republicans Vigorous.
Right on the heels of the expected split
In the party the republicans were embold-
ened to make nominations for offices to be
filled at the election to be held November I.
A full ticket was nominated and. contrary
to what has been the custom in the past.
men of good standing were named, and
they have Waged a vigorous campaign. The
ticket this year to be voted for at the polls
contains seven offices. whereas in former
years there have been three-governor, lieu
tenant governor and attorney general
Both parties have full tickets in the field
and all the politicians of both parties have
been on the stump and have been zealously
at work building up organizations.
new feature has been presented to the
people of the state this year. Heretofore
the bulk Of the republican vote has been
with the negroes. Under the new consti-
tuition, which requires prepayment Of the
poll tax before a person can vote. many OF
the negroes OF the state-certainiy three
fourths OF them-have disqualified them
selves by not paying within the prescribed
time. Now, the republican party is largely
a "lily-white" organization, and under the
new order there have been many recruits
to the party. Many of the men who have
men of fine standing, a great many OF
whom were alienated when William Jen-
nings Bryan was candidate for President
and gold and silver the issue. Since
that time these voters have held aloof from
state affairs largely, have voted the repub-
Hcan ticket in national elections and have
in municipal affairs voted for the demo-
Gratis.
Now that the negro is no longer a factor
in politics in Virginia there are a great
many whites who have aligned themselves
with the republicans. In the face of this,
however, there is no chance for the repub-
licans to win out in this state. Virginia
will give at least 10000 majority for the
state ticket, and the legislature will be
democratic by at least 90 on joint ballot.
Judge Lewis Position.
Judge Lewis. the republican guberna-
torial candidate, has been charged with not
being opposed to a law which prohibited
miscegenation IN Virginia. He did not IA
vor the law No one has ever believed that
he was in favor of such thing. 1t IS said
that he declared in a joint debate many
years ago that he would not vote against
such law, or that he doubted the consti-
tutionality of such a measure. That charge
has been the ground for much acrimony
during the past few weeks. Judge Lewis
has not minced matters in denouncing the
intima ton that he favored miscegena tion
but las applied the epithet of coward, cur
and liar" to those who have undertaken to
suggest SucQ d tNlNS IN connection with MS
name.
The democrats, on the other hand, have
not been idle. In a paper published at Roa-
noke, workngmans organ, there has ap
peared series of articles over which the
editor has put the following statement:
"All matter in this column is furnished by
the republican state committee and is paid
for at advertising rates" In that paper
have appeared a number of articles in
which attacks have been made on the in
teerity and honesty Of the democratic can
dictates. The Mckay charges against Mr..
Swanson are given prominent position and
are made to appear that Mr. Swanson was
guilty of completely in the famous Beavers
case. In replying to Judge Lewis. and the
clean campaign" which was to be waSed,
these publca tons have been given promi-
hence by the democrats as disproving that
the campaign has been conducted along the
high lines set forth and claimed
AS matter of fact, the campaign has
been hot on both sides. There has been
equivocating. lodging of issues, but the
charges and counter charges have been
made in terms which left only meaning.
Bad blood has been engendered and harsh
things have been said which would. under
ordinary circumstances, have been ample to
have caused exchange of communica-
tons and invitations to meet on the field
of honor" Attacks the records of
the various candidates have been nu-
merous and serious, showing that the old
time spirit OF, politicians in the Old Domin-
ion still exists. The republicans have at
tackled the administration OF the democratic
party, and one enthusiastic republican has
seen fit to say that funds collected for