Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-06
POLITICAL.

I'LL hSitLs
There have already been six elections
held in Orange this year, and there is
one more to follow on November
9Th. Orange Observer.
Democrats of Gloucester reoryanized
the county committee and in mass-meet-
ing upon motion of Hon. j. N. Stubs
elected Clerk of Courts Watt as county
chairman on Monday last, court day.
The Democratic leader of the House
OF Representatives, Hon. j. Sharp
Williams, urges Democrats everywhere
to emphasize the things that they are
agreed upon, and forget the things they
do not agree upon" This is sound logic.
IL two disputants cannot agree upon
the premises, they can treason. If they
do agree upon the premises, they are
also most likely to agree upon the con-
clusion.
IF we don't elect the next President
it will be our own fault was the
opinion expressed to me.a day or two
ago by a very prominent Democrat
from central state. what makes
you think so?" | asked him. "Why
look at the disorganized condition of
the Republican party. There were
hundreds of leading Republicans at Sara
toga, and nearly all of them were dis
heartened at the outlook. They don't
know where they stand politically, for
the Republican gospel according to
Taft disagrees with the epistle of
Foraker, and the doubtful states are ali
torn up with party feuds. Not only
IN Ohio is there party fuss, but in
New York the rival Hughes, Woodruff
and Odell factions are fighting; in New
Jersey the Colby reformers are trying
to break up the Republican machine;
in Massachusetts the rival factions will
turn the state over to the Democrats
if they don't use better judgment than
they have been displaying, and Presi-
dent Roosevelt has finger in all these
messes, besides any amount of trouble
in other states. If we only could NOM
mate some one who would unite our
party" continued this Democrat, ''we
would win whoever the Republicans
nominate, but l fear that Mr.. Bryan is
handicap we cannot struggle under.
If l thought he could carry New York,
New Jersey and run as well i'm Mas
sachusetts as any other Democrat, /
would look no further for a candidate.
but those Democrats / have talked
with from those states, pretty much all
agree that Mr.. Bryan would not poll
the Democratic vote. Washington
Correspondent.
The Civil Service Commission is hav-
ing trouble of its own with the race
question, and how to stop the negroes
of the South from taking the examina-
ton is a problem that is causing some
of them sleepless nights. Most of the
Southern States have less than their
quota of civil service employees. BY
law the commission is compelled to APP
portion the appointees as nearly as can
be IN proportion to the population. In
order that the quota of the Southern
States may be filled examinations are
being held throughout the South. In
discussing the difficulties one familiar
with it said to The Times-Dispatch
You see, the South has been going on
educating the negro, giving him almost
equal advantages with the white chill
dren. AS soon as a negro gets n little
education he gets above manual labor,
and begins looking around for some
thing better. Hotel jobs, Pullman
porter places and the like do not sup
ply enough snaps, and there is little
else for them to do. The Southern
negro has it in his head that the United
States will always see to it that he has
his equality guaranteed him when he
gets into the Federal service. The re-
suit is that when he sees an examina-
ton under the civil service schedule.
he is there TO take it. While he has
been having nothing to do but go to
school, most of the white BOYS and
young men who take the examination
have had to work, and have not really
enjoyed as good school advantages as
the negro because of that fact, and
when the examinations are over it is
found that in great many cases the
negro gets the higher percentage, and
the appointment when there is a va
cancy. Another thing that conduces tn
the success of the negro is that COM
paratively few white people in the
South take the examinations. How
ever, there is plan going the rounds
rather by tacit consent that may over
come the trouble to a considerable
measure. AT the expiration of the six
months probationary period, if the
newly-appointed applicant fails, for
any reason, to measure up to the stand
ard set by the official who appoints, he
may certify to the commission that the
appointee has not been satisfactory,
and he is, accordingly, dismissed. 1t
is significant that the government en-
ploye mailing from Massachusetts is
even less inclined to stand for the
negro who comes in by the Civil Service
route than the white employee from
Virginia or elsewhere.