Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-08-13
Friday. August Is, 1909.
RESULT OF TIE PRIMARY.

RES y Ii OF lie NiN1AA>
The Democratic primary election Is
now over, the asperlties are disappear
ing, and like sores on the actual body,
81 will doubtless in many cases be healed
by time. The organization succeeded
in nominating the head of the sSk ell
by majority sufficient to be able to
save it's face, but by no means fiatter-
ing. Had it not been that the anti
Saloon League came to its support the
defeat Of Judge Mann would have
been a Waterloo. This uncertain ele-
ment in Virginia politics under the
leadership OF Rev. James Cannon, raj
lied its forces near the end of the cam
paign and sent them solidly to the
beleagued citadel of the organization
and wrenched victory from defeat. AS
one who exercises most meager IN
fiuence in political affairs, has no voice
III the trend of political movements,
save as single vote may influence
that trend, but as one whose vision is
left to him unclouded by political am
bition, or the hope of political reward,
Id who does not yield to the dictates
of leaders or tremble in the resence OF
greatness, it is given him to see, and
seeing to disclose some of the dangers
hidden in the tangled web. the present
Virginia Democratic oligarchyis weav-
ing about itself, and which may-in-
deed will-enmesh it, unless it gets rid
Of certain barnacles, or adopts higher
phone.
The Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor is certainly peculiarly situated.
He was evidently promised his pres
ent position by the organization four
years ago. When the time came to de-
liver the goods, conditions had so
changed that in order to make good,
peculiar combinations had TO be made.
The regular Democrat was told that
he should be "loyal," and at the same
time would be voting for the best man.
The rock-ribbed organization Demo
crat was simply told what he was tex
pected" TO do. The heller was sent out
to do it. The anti-Saloon Lacquer was
told something of which no man can
guess, so he came to the rescue. The
liquor dealer was told something else,
and as he is generally from Missouri,
there must have been given him more
than words or doubtful promises, for
III various instances, and in some large
localities, he joined in with the anti
Saloon League, and they acted with
such consonance, and unity Of purpose,
as 10 find themselves entering the hav-
en- by the very same portal. The pc
culiarity Of such conditions, the anc-
maly OF such mixtures, the absurdity
of such blending, and the impossibility
of such unity, have dawned on the
public as never before. One has tc
pinch himself to be certain he is moi
dreaming, indeed he has to hold in his
disabilities lest he be found guffa wing.
But whilst there is a funny side to ii
all, there is also an ominous side. Ii
is needless to say that there are NUT
terings as Of an impending storm. The
organization feels it, the anti-organi-
Zation knows it. The vote in the pri-
mary all told was not much over twice
SIS large as the usual Democratic ma
iority. This is explained by the fact
that the farmers were busy: but the
vote fell off numerically in the cities
where there were no farmers. 1t will
only take few tables to show that
there is III the Democratic party out
side the primary, such number of vo-
tiers who, if they choose, may give the
State 10 whom they please. They did
not vote in the primary, not because
they were busy or apathetic, but by
design, intending by their refusal to so
vote, to reserve to themselves the right
to exercise their own free will at the
general election. This is what we hear
all around US; that is what we are told
was done in Roanoke where 1890 reg
istered voters declined to go to the
polls.
What does this mean? 1t means
that the organization has gone too far.
They have foisted on the people a can
didate with "too many principles,
they have chosen to dictate too much
OF measures and too much of men, IN
short they have relieved the people of
the right to think for themselves, and
to choose between leaders and princi-
pies. There will doubtless be a Demo-
cratic victory provided the anti-Saloon
League and the wislkey men of Nor
folk, Richmond and few other towns
continue their loving embrace. But
with Democrats of the old type who
have voted with the party for all these
years there is some disgust over the
way things are managed, and some
will stay at home or cut pieces off the
ticket, if they cannot swallow the other
ticket. Most of us, however, will make
a wry face and swallow the dose as we
have done before. Yet some of us will
surely not shout over results, or wor-
ship the giVers Of these good things.
The cities where there are no farm
ers went for Mr.. John Thompson
Brown for Commissioner of Agricul-
ture. The country where there are
farmers, went for Mr.. Koiner, the
present incumbent.
THE TARIFF AND The SOUTH.
The Tariff Bill which will be known
i L