Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
POLITICS IN VIRGINIA
COMMENT AND SPECULATION
OVER FORTHCOMING ELECTION.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
RICHMOND. Va, October IA. 1905.
Three weeks and two days intervene be-
fore the November election. at which all
state officers and half the senate and all
the members OF the lower branch of the
general assembly are to be voted for. There
are four tickets In the feld-democratic. re-
publican, socialist and socialst-labor. The
latter two are formal nominations and will
poll less than five thousand votes for the
two. There are few socialists in the state,
and. unless all records of that party are
broken at the coming election, they will not
poll half the number of votes claimed by
them and which some think will be received
The fight Is between the democrats and
republicans, as usual. The democrats have
the election machinery, a better organiza-
ton, candidates more widely known and
have more men on the stump than have the
republicans. They are waging a stronger
and more telling campaign. They have
the sympathy and the support Of the people
to far greater extent than the republicans
and the democrats will elect every man on
the state ticket and more than so per cent
of the members of the legislature.
The School Book Matter.
The republicans early in the campaign
made an attack on the public schools of the
state, charging that they had been mis-
managed by the democrats. They made a
great boast of their attitude of free books
to pupils of the public schools, and then the
democrats began to reply to the attack.
Secretary Brent has searched the records
In the department of public instruction and
has found something which has more than
offset the free-book idea.
1t seems that In 1882, when the state was
in the hands Of the .'readjusters." allied
wit No hn oil f,,ro 10
priations for four state institutions of learn
ing. The University of Virginia got $50 O0o
the Virginia Military Institute got the same,
as did also the Deaf, Dumb and Blind In
st1tute. That made total of $4,000. Right
on the heels Of that amount for the leading
white institutions the same legislature made
an appropriation of $4,000 for the Normal
and Collegiate Institute at Petersburg for
the education Of negro girls. The record
stands for itself and is being used with ef-
feet. especially when the men who are to-
day most active in supporting the new
republican ticket in this state were aligned
with the party which made the appropria-
tions referred to in the records of the gem
eral assembly.
For Negro Education.
Representative Carter Glass of the sixth
district, who is on the stump, and Is one
of the most powerful Of the democrats in
the state today. in speech few days ago
of the state paid and are paying 98 per cent
of the tax derived for the education of the
coiored children Of the state The figures
are taken from the books Of the auditor of
the state and are vouched for as being cor
rect.
In order to give free books to the colored
schooi children of the state 1t is believed
that at least 100000 would be required, and
on the basis figured out by Representative
Glass the whites would have to provide for
an increase in their taxes Of 1882 600 for
the colored children. while the negroes
OF $500 for the education Of their own
children, In addition to their present taxes.
The State Tickets.
The complete tickets of the democrats
and republicans for state offices. to be
chosen November 7, are as follows:
Governor. Claude A. Swanson of PittsyI-
vania lieutenant governor. j. Taylor Ely
son of Richmond, attorney general. William
of public instruction. Joseph D. Eggleston.
jr, of Prince Edward; secretary of the
commonwealth. David @. Eggleston Of
Charlotte; state treasurer. Asher W. Har-
man of Rockbridge; commissioner Of agri-
culture. George w. Koiner of Augusta
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Lunsford L. Lew
Is of Richmond; lieutenant governor, VIII
liam p. Kent of Wythe; attorney general
George A. Revercomb Of Allegheny; state
treasurer. John Acker Of Rockingham; su-
perfntendent of public instruction, J. N.
Hartman of Tazewell secretary Of the COM
monwealth. V. M Sowder of Floyd; COM
missioner Of agriculture, w. H. Eggborn of
Culpeper.
Ante-election claims are in accord with
the sentiments of the voters. The repub-
lcans for the most part content themselves
with saying that they have "a good
chance" There are few of them who Will
say that they believe that Judge Lewis is
to win. They are proud Of the fact that
they have man of such exemplary char
acter their candidate for governor. They
hope to win, but they do not say they will
win.
In contrast with the claims and hopes
of the republicans the democrats say they
will win. and they proceed to give their
reasons for the belief they express. The
democrats have an easy majority IN the
state of some fifty thousand or more, but
1t Is not believed that Mr.. Swanson will get
much more In the way of majority than
was given Gov. Montague four years ago
That was about thirty thousand.
There Is no question of the election Of
the entire ticket headed by Mr.. Swanson,
and the only question there can be is that
of majority. No one places the figures at
less than $4,000 and some few incline to
the belief that it will be at least 10000.