Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-08-23
A Review of Political Situation
in Virginia


In no political campaign since
the election of Fitzhugh Lee IN
1885 have the Democrats of Viz"
GINA been so universally interest
ed and aroused as in the Demo
cratic State primary canvass OF
this year for United States sena-
tor, Governor, Lieutenant-Gover-
nor, Acknowledgement and Super
intendent of Public Instruction.
The long canvass las been on
since April, and, indeed, the pre-
liminary stages began further in
the past than that. Practically
for the last twelve months the
Senatorial and Gubernatorial as
pirants have been preparing for
the big battle of the summer OF
1905. the first time the candidates
for the offices named have ever
been nominated IN the primary.
The Democratic State CoEven-
ton of 1901, which nominated
State officers, directed and en-
powered the State Central Com
mittee to draft and promulgate a
plan for nomination by State pri-
maries. The plan originally pro-
yided for viva-voce voting, out
was amended by the State CON-
yention of 1904 SO as to make vot-
ing by secret ballot. Besides
Senators, all elective officers were
required, to be named by primaries.
Up to this time only the Congress
men and Legislative candidates
have been chosen by primaries,
and the results of the experiment
in these were fairly satisfactory.
The three Gubernatorial as
uirants-Congressman Claude A.
Swanson, Lieutenant-Governor ).
E, Willard and Hon. William ID.
Mann - began their oratorical
campaign soon after the Senatorial
aspirants set the pace. Mr.. Swan
son probably made more addresses
than either Of his competitors,
though towards the close OF the
interesting contest Judge Mann
made up for lost. time by. delivering
two or three a day. Generally
this canvass has been conducted
| in better taste and temper than
the Senatorial canvass, the can
didates referring to each other In
terms of friendship and admira-
ton. They did not fail to search
out the weak spots in thell
opponents records and to pene'
| trate the crevicss in their armor'
The attitude of the several can
didates on the Employers
liability bill, the "Jim Crow
Car law, railroad legislation anc
| convict labor were the Issues. The
candidates:made no open attacks
rejecting upon each other serious
Ily. but some of the papers
supporting this or that aspiran'
event after" the opponents &C.
verely, not to characterize it more
strongly. go
Acknowledgement William A
! Anderson did not take the STUMP
and, indeed, made little canvass
further than pointing to nj
record in office and appealing t.
voters through the medium o
letters. His opponent, ex-Judg'
Samuel W. Williams of Wythe
made e rather active campaign
though he started out late. d.
visited many counties, making
number of speeches, and ATTENDED
many gatherings and met thous
| ands of voters ,of,t ~
Besides the more or less IN
Aammatory speeches on the stuml
the press of the State has bee
teeming with campaign publica
ton, direct charges or insidlou
, attacks Gu record and characters
and campaign documents of ever.
sort. Hundreds of thousands o
letters were written to tn
: individual voters, and especial
| the equity and city chairmen an
q committeeman, county officers an
the more influential men of ever
community. In only two or thre
9 cases have persons other tina
n candidates injected themselve
? into the stump campaign, an
these cases have been so few as
leave the inference that they wei
afterward recognized to have bee
7 mistakes.