Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-05-18
POLITICAL.

Capt. John Lamb has been declared
the Third district democratic nominee
for Congress Capt. Lamb having no
opposition there will be no primary.
Judge z. w. Saunders, of Rocky
Mount, Franklin county, has authorized
the announcement of his candidacy for
congress from the Fifth district, to
succeed Governor Claude A. Swanson.
Judge VIM. Hodges Mann, of Motto
way, one of the unsuccessful candi-
dates for governor last summer, will
again seek the Democratic gubernato-
rail nomination three years hence. All
doubt as to the intentions of the Not
toway state senator were removed by
the statement from Judge Mann to a
Washington newspaper man, and con-
firmed in Norfolk by Col. William
Mann, his nephew and campaign man.
ager.
The remarkable manner in which Mr..
Mears has gathered strength on the
Peninsula, notwithstanding his univer-
sal popularity, is surprising 1t may
be accounted for, however, in that the
people of this section are not altogether
pleased with the attitude Mr.. Jones has
assumed upon all occasions. At the in
ception of the idea of separating the
district, he as one individual exhausted
nearly every means to block the meas
ure. The bill, however, went through,
but failed to become law, not receiv-
ing the signature of Governor Montague,
through the influence, so it is charged,
OF Mr.. Jones. When the matter was
revived again, and it seemed there was
no more blocking, twas wired out from
Washington that Mr.. Jones would re-
taliate by blocking the appropriation to
Jamestown Exposition. The people
just now, however, are not finding so
much fault with this as they are with
what's termeda ''snap" primary, when
it was contrived, presumably by the
friends of Mr.. Jones, to hold a primary
so early that it would be impossible to
develop opposition. June 10th has been
set as the time for the primary to be
held. This date was selected before the
ink of the Governors signature scarcely
had time to dry. Hampton Monitor.
I'VE have never, so far as we can
recall, known of his taking any leading
part In shaping in convention the poll
cies of his party. We do not recall that
we have ever read of Mr.. Mears having
met single enemy in debate on the
Eastern Shore. We have no doubt
that he is very nice gentleman. We
concede him to be lawyer of ability"
These are the propositions, fellow
democrats, which portray the ideals
held by such as look with disfavor upon
Mr.. Mears' aspirations. To be a s'gen-
tleman" even ga very nice gentle
man'-means, according to our con-
temporary nothing; to be lawyer of
ability" adds nothing to ones fitness
for congressional honors. To be a
gentleman, and lawyer of conceded
ability are mere inconsequential Incl
dents to the one and all sufficient ac-
complishment of shaping in convoca-
tion the policies" and maneuvers of
political party. Just whether or not
Mr.. Mears is learned in the science of
shaping" the policies and methods
of his party we are unprepared to say,
but if some of those policies are the
handiwork of men skilled in the art of
shaping" such things, we greatly pre-
fer to believe he is not. Now as to
Mr.. Mears' record for debating with
the enemy. it is no fault of his, if the
Journal has failed to familiarize itself
with the fact that no man in Virginia,
much less on the Eastern Shore. has
ever kept in more intimate touch-of
the proper kind-with the affairs of his
party than he; no man in Virginia has
ever responded with greater promptness
and zeal TO every demand made upon
him by his party. Mears is verify
gentleman, a very nice gentleman"
as all the voters of the district will dis
cover when he meets them, as undoubt-
eddy he will. He is also "a LAWYER
of ability" and a man capable of max
ing himself statesman ''of ability;
we don't know whether he is policy
shaper of party policies or not. Perhaps
If our contemporary would enlighten us
as to what that means we might say
Times.