Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-20
DOES MUDDY WATER AFFECT
THEM so?

Richmond News Leader should feel
aggrieved that editor Lee has sighted
it. Really this was not intended.
Country people see little of the
Richmond evening papers. We
were too busy with affairs afioat-
on windward. as well as lee-shores-
to get glimpse of that two-snd-s.
hslf-column effusion of ten days age
until the exchange clipper noticed
he uneasiness in Saturdays Leader
and fshed it out for us. BY the
latest we notice that our friend
Copeland, an erstwhile able writer
on the It'd, has been added to the
News-Leader's staff Certainly to it's
improvement. We assume this is
because the country boys are keep
ing Editor-in chief Williams on the
jump, giving him little time for his
Saturday sermons" aud Monday
TRADES. Maybe now he will stop
pulling corks" and find time to an
swer the Hampton Monitor as to
why be went into politics and "got
caught"
Speaking of corks-evidently a
favorite theme-Williams should not
get miffed because he was sighted
on occasion Of that dollar-a- gallon
whiskey aud oyster roast, for he has
never once said "boo" to Lee when
adjourning to the Westmoreland
Club house. OF course this editor
would have been de trop when the
usual topic of fractional politics came
up around the decsnter, and espe-
cially on recent occasions when Stuart
stock was being boosted there and
Swanaon-Rhea- Mann tabooed; but
surely there was some little occasion
when unpleasant things could sub
side and pleasantries prevail, yet we
have hoped in vain. Ssuntering to
the club, we were never "taken in"
Hence we felt sore and did not bid
Williams to our feast. Ohafe not,
and We will promise to be more gen.
erous next time. Now since the
Byrd bill is law aud there are dry
chops around your club on Sunday
the Fish Commissioner might be q
welcome guest on that day of days,
1t is "weally amoosing" to see
how the facile pen of Williams tries
to get its master and masters paper
out of dilemma. OF course be
didn't know-didn't want to know
how the wires were burnt in efforts tc
get legislators 10 vote against Rhea
But he is exceedingly anxious tc
know the names of those legislators
If ne had not been so busy burning
Democrats up In the colpmns of hi.
paper he might have easily founC
Individuals who stated that the,
wanted to vote for Rhea, and woulC
have done so that Tuesday night
but their constituents had been stir
red up and kilograms and letters ant
delegations were pouring in on then
all, of course, created by the biase,
newspaper reports aud conferences
held in Richmond. With all you
learning, dear Williams. there ar
many things you don't know-bu
you may know hereafter.
Spotted prosecutors what be.
ter sample of mongrel politics coul,
one find than Noel and Bullitt wit
an occasional rum-soaked iay-hawke
from the Southwest at their sides j
the Senate chamber?
= "False accusations"-ye gods! d
you want any better than to turn t
, the files of the Richmond press whe
, "gag rule" and "party lash" wer
| stereotyped idioms? when the fact
are that no such latitude was eve
before allowed minority pros
ecutors. "False accnsations"l Di,
not your own Judge Wickham an
Hill Montague honestly and candid
d ly draw writings to the effect tina
the Noel charges had not been prov
E ed? Now take exceptions, will you
! please!
4 You will dot deny that you ar
!. not in accord with the party leaders
/, and if you deny that your paper an
8 the morning daily are out G
r tune with the country press and pei
e pile at large we have but to reca
Y your positions
j. Anti-Bryan,
Anti-Mann,
) Anti-Temperance (as legislated),
a. Anti-legislation VS. racing and gan
Dnng-
: all of which the people are standir
= for, while you are "down and out
When you come, "come straight
- and at the same time explain ii
= consistency of your Crump- Ri
&c positions.