Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-07-17
PUISSANT NEWSPAPER GUN
MING.


The outside press are all IA
giggling as well as a guessing at
the peep in the Richmond Jour
nails hunting bag. Here are
some counts from it:
What strange things we see when
we haven't got gun! Was there ever
such remarkable circumstance as that
we now behold of supposedly Demo-
cratic newspapers in the South having
to announce in bold type that Eve will
support the Democratic ticket?" 1t re-
minds us very much of the following
anecdote: john went to his wife Martha
one day and said to her: 81 am going
to be true to you" Surprised, Martha
replied: why, John, you promised
that when we were we'd" John
scratched his head in a sheepish way
and had to acknowledge it was one on
him.
Richmond is treated to an especially
ludicrous situation, in that our two
contemporaries, morning and evening,
both processing to be strictly Demo-
cratic-in fact, of necessity they
must be Democratic, as their en-
tire support and readers come from a
Democratic community, both in the
city and the State-yet our morning
contemporary finds it necessary to an
nounce in big headlines: 1.-The Times
Dispatch supports the ticket" and our
evening contemporary, the News
Leader, rather timidly scrambles into
the band wagon in an editorial of yes
terday, after having announced on
many occasions that it would support
Mr.. Bryan, but it had faint hope of his
being elected.
The gentlemen of the press through
out Virginia have been somewhat puz-
zled to ascertain what sort of Democ-
racy our two friends of the morning and
evening fields possess, and the ques-
ton still remains unsolved. For our
part there has never been any doubt in
our mind that we would support the
Democratic ticket, no matter who was
nominated and no matter what sort of
Vic A(CtllOCIdlS III NaIlODal
convention adopted. We have
no sympathy with man or newspaper
who announce in advance that they
Will support the ticket eff it suits
Them" We much prefer the kind of
Democracy that says we will support
the Democratic ticket whether it suits
us or not. That is what we believe to
be party loyalty.
Paste that on the begrimed
wall in front of your desks, if you
can ma vacant space, We toll
ers OF the country press; and
when our hero Bryan is no Ion
ger an issue call the record on at
least one Richmond daily and
make him hew to the Democratic
line.
AS for the other Richmond pa
pers, the Journal Just now has
'em skint to death" No doubt
it has incold storage the IDS
leading editorial of first blush
when the news was waited from
Roanoke that ADMINISTRATIONS
had been passed. Also this more
recent effusion on the Chicago
nominee-''Mr. Taft has been n
iiost capable and high-minded
public servant. Should he be-
come President the nation will
have no cause to regret that Mr..
Roosevelt has -preferred Mr.. Taft
to himself"
The trophies of the News Lead
er be too much for publication.
but If the Journal is sincere (and
not feinting to distract the Quiz
zing about n syndicated publish
ing mterestin Richmond papers).
and needs replicas of the sealps
OF the chung, drawn and quar-
tered Democracy dangling from
the n. LIS files, we can furnish a
lew, OF which this is a sample
The Virginia Democrats in va.
rlous elections since the warhaye
cheated;, have stolen ballots
have conniped at, perjury and
fraud