Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-10-26
"AUNTY SPEC"
DEFENDS HEARST,
Old Lady, RiIed, Comes to the
Rescue, and Scores Doubtful
Democratic Papers.

EDITOR CITIZEN:-In reviewing
the many newspapers am now privi-
legged to scan, | have become dis
gusted with a certain class of the
press which still styles itself Demo-
cratic, and yet fighting tooth and
toe-nail for the Republicans. So the
question which naturally arises is,
what is a Democratic paper and
what is Democrat? / have been
voting the Democratic ticket for 26
years and have never bolted the ticket
yet. have done more than that
| have voted for the nominees of a
boiling convention in my own county,
TO keep my party from being dis
rupted. ! was brought up to go
with my party; fight for principles,
not men, and to regard the affairs
in my own State and not to go CAD
ding about seeking trouble elsewhere.
was struck very forcibly by an
editorial last week in the Richmond
Evening Journal on the Richmond
Times-Dispatch, which paper l have
found to be one of the most errant
along the line l am discussing. The
Journal asks, "Where is the Times
Dispatch at?" The Dispatch seems
to be at sea on Hearst and his plat
form. One day it pictures Mr.. Hearst
as william, the next day it cannot
compliment him enough. In an
editorial the Dispatch says: $50
far, Mr.. Hearst has been discreetly
Democratic in his speeches and plat
FORM" And after euiogizing him for
the magnificent battles he has fought
in New York, says, "But in less than
a year Hearst made corrupt and
shameful contract with Murphy to
keep silent, and divide the spois of
their common plunder, in considera-
ton of the support of Tammany, this
time fool:ng the whole state of New
York"
Looks strange that Hearst fooled
the whole state of New York and did
not fool the Times-Disratch. But
then Bryan, according to that doc
trine. fooled the whole United States
in 1896 and 1900. all except those
great so-called Democratic papers
like the Times, Baltimore Sun, New
York World, ct ais.
Where was Hearst then? Where his
many papers? Where he is now,
lighting for the regular nominee of
the great Democratic party. Then
he was following, now he is leading.
Where was he in 1904 when the
old-bugs rammed old man Parker
down our throats? Fighting like
he always has fought for the nomi-
nee; no sulking for him. Where, in
1896 and 1900, were our great papers,
that are abusing Hearst? Every last
one of them were styling themselves
Gold Democrats, the only Simon
pure article, warranted not to rip,
wear, ravel, or run down at the heel;
some for Palmer and Buckner, but
the most of them for the Republican
nominee. They said, "Let's vote for
Mckinley, to save the Democratic
party-which is u.s." In that cam
paign Palmer and Buckner received
about 81, 900 votes, Bryan over 6,O0O,.
600. They seem to be pretty rare
Jewels in their own estimation.
They accuse Hearst of killing
Mckinley by editorials in his papers
And if Bryan were nominated fol
President in 1908, and Hearst fol
Vice President they would no doub
cry that if elected Hearst will caus,
Bryan to be assassin ated; so let's vot,
the Republican ticket to save Bryar
and the great Democratic party.
They say that Hearst will sure b,
defeated. Well, stop shooting a
him. It's foolish to waste ammunition
on dead squirrel.
He is abused for his wealth; "h,
don't use it right, don't help worth,
objects enough, and his father left j
to him anyway" He makes million
+ a year on his papers; bis father di,
not leave him that, did he? Car
neeie is using his millions to hell
mankind. They poke fun at himself