The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-24
GOVERNORS HAVE
NOT BEEN ADVANCED

| grvTs !. : Il
NOT BEEN ADVANCED
The people of Virginia have never sig
nally honored man whom they have,
onco elected to the Office Of Governor Of
the Commonwealth. 1t Is said thatFin
the old days that It was the common be-
lief that man who had become Cover
nor OF Virginia could not receive a higher.
honor In the republic. Some have doubt
cd TINT citizens Of the State stlll regard
In this light the office OF chief executive
OF Virginia., but there Is abundant owl
dence that the old view still obtains in
the minds of a ma jorty OF theaVirglnia
people. !sSS5 sis$
virginia has elected thirteen governors
by popular vote. Prior to the term of
Joseph Johnson, who took his seat in
1852 as the first Governor elected by the
people, the chief executive Officer ofEthc
Commonwealth was elected by general
council. Not one OF the Thirteen, Cover
nors who held Office by virtue Of the
will OF the people registered at the polls.
ever achieved n second honor at their
hands True. Henry a. Wise served as
member Of the convention which
framed the ordinance OF secession, and
William e. Cameron was member Of
tho convention which gave us the present
constitution of Virginia. but such SER
vlco must be regarded rather in the
light OF yielding to n call to perform
public duty than usual desire to hold
n place Of honor and trust. The same
may be said Of the term which Honest
John 1etcher served as n member OF the
of o1osro a. n 1STH n flor hn Ind
achieved tlea thless fame MS war Cover
nor Of Virginia. And John I.etcher was
defeated when n candidate for the lcg's-i
lature In the days OF readJustcrisnl.
William r.. Cameron only last year
Withdrew from a contest he initiated for
the nomination to Congress- from the
Fourth Congressional District. 81.
In 1899 Governor Tyler, while still In.
the executive mansion, made tho race
against Senator Martin He was slgnaly
defeated. Though he Is a man OF highest
character, OF unblemishcd party record.
and was then serving one Of the most
successful gubernatorlal terms that any
Governor has enjoyed. 't .s7s
The contest of yesterday. tho most
spIrited, and in some respects, tho most
picturesque in the annals Of Virginia.
furnishes fresh proof of the unwilling
ness Of the Virginia people to regard
any other Office as being a promotion for
n Governor Of tho Commonwealth. Only
four years ago Governor Montague was
nominated to the Governorship by nm
overwhelming majority. The candidate
whom he defeated 4Aen was successful
Yesterday in a renewed attempt to gain
tho goal which is the ambition OF every
son of Virginia with n taste for public
life. But Governor Montague failed of
the nomination to the Senate. An over
whelming majority was registered
against his ambition. Just MS It had been
set down In opposition to tho aspirations
OF his predecessor. The rlrtIsans Of
Senator Martin and Governor Montague
have explanations Of 'how It happened
Why not asoribe It to the oft-exprcssed
opposition Of tho Virginia voters to CIV
ing additional honors to the man who
has been elected to tho Office Of Cover
nor?
Even In tho days when the gubcrnator-
inl Office was not filled at popular cleo
stion, those who were chosen to the Cover
norshirs were not, as n rule, given Office
after their retirement. OF the thirty-three
Z Governors Of Virginia elected by tho
general council from the time OF Patrick
Henry In 1910, to John r. Floyd. In 1859
the latter the last Governor chosen In
this way, only n very few were elected to
office after serving their terms as Gov
ernor, "a
Henry was member of the conven-
ton which ratified tho Federal consttu-
ton. Jefferson. who succeeded him, he
came President of the United States
James Monroe and John Tyler each
filled tho presidential office after servinN
a term AZ Governor Edmund Rnndolnt'
was tho first encouragement OF the
United States after having been Cover
nor OF virginia.; Governor James barbour
became Secretary of War In John Quincy
Adams's cabinet; Governor Thomas W,
Gllmer was Secretary of5the Navy In the
cabinet OF President Tyler md was killed
In the explosion Of n big gun on tho
Princeton, John II, Floyd was President
Buchnnan's Secretary OF War.
Governor Henry Lee served IN Congress
fter his term In tho executive office.
Governor Robert Brook became Attorneys
General OF Virginia; William II Cabell
was elected Judge Of the Court OF Ap-
meals, James Barbour was elected to the
United states Senate; James Mcdowell
served in Congress after he had been
Governor OF Virginia,
or MI the rest, none was elected 10
high oGlce after his gubernhtorlal term
was ended. Several served In the Leglsr
slnture. Governor Campbell was Justice
Of the peace after leaving the guher-
material mansion. But these comparative
~ few exceptions to the rule that Virgin
ians do not relish the idea OF electlng
former Governor to any Office do not
affect its validity. And il Is rule very
nearly peculiar to virginia. It's eFect
must 10 to keep the standard OF me
Office high and make 1t worthy Of the
ambitions OF the highest men III Fne
4 ~ y 1vAIyrER EDWARD HARRIS.