Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-09-24
Entered at the Postof1ice at Staunton
Va, as second class mail matter.
Friday. Sept. "a, 1909.
THE TIE THAT BINDS.


first place if the late primary election
was party affair and carried any par
ty obligation with it, it was indecently
conducted and very fraudulent. In the
second place it is not more binding on
the party in the State than the Nation
al conventions of the last twelve years
were on the National party, and yet
gentlemen who now claim to represent
Democratic regularity, doctrine and
thought, as well as party morality in
Virginia, did not see cause to support
the National Democratic nominee, eX-
cept when it suited their tastes and
convenience, and their ideal, Mr..
Cleveland, bolted outright.
But in Virginia what is there to bind
Democrats to the nominee for COVER
nor The primary election which pur-
ported to nominate BIN, fairly reels
with purtridity, or there are many will
tul liars in the land. There is no plat
form, and those empowered to call a
convention to make one refused to do
so. Then what does the nominee stand
for? To what are we to be bound ?
God in heaven only knows, for surely
nobody on earth is able to tell. We
have heard that Judge Mann, not per-
sonally perhaps, but by those who UNI
dertake to speak for him, has made
many promises. Whether these are
democratic" promises we are not adj
vised. If they are, they possibly mean
nothing. If they ale expected TO bind
the party then they should have the
dignity of party sanction in some man.
ner or form, by the party assembled
somewhere, or a pretence of sanction.
This it is not even pretended they pos
sess. A gentleman who no doubt
speaks for few others and certainly
for himself, who has been already
chosen by certain body known as the
Reorganization" to be the next Speaker
of the House, informs US that 'there
will be no liquor legislation during the
next meeting of the General Assem-
bly," This is inspired language no
doubt. Another gentleman, leader
of the Anti-Saloon League in Virginia,
which fully endorsed Judge Mann, in
forms US that petition asking State
wide Prohibition will be pressed on the
Legislature. Another person high in the
Anti-Saioon League denies this, and
says that such step does not come with
authority from that body. These per-
sons are responsible for Judge Mann s
candidacy, or if he is the nominee of
any party, they have made him so,
Now, even they seem not to know
where he stands. Whether for State
wide, or against it. How then does the
Democratic party know? And is that
party going to be bound by the acts of
man over whom they have no con-
troll, and who is free to do anything
and everything he desires, and who
then can f1aunt in their faces a flag on
which is inscribed, s'THIs Is DEMOC-
RACY." There are many who hold
their principles too dear to yield them
to such care taker or to such a mouth
piece.
1t will be recalled that the only way
Judge Mann became can didate before
the primary was by his own announce
ment. He is self-selected, self-chosen.
He was never selected by any author
lied body, nor did anybody in particu-
lar banker after him. If he had APP
peared before convention to nominate
gubernatorial candidate, it is doubt
full whether his name would have had
more than ordinary mention. If he is
a nominee now, it will be recalled that
he did not, in the primary, carry his
own Congressional district, that he did
not make much of run in his own
county, and that he lost the county of
Albemarle, where his chief lieutenant,
the Hon. Thomas Staples Martin, re-
sides. If the Anti-Saloon League had
not turned to him and solidly support
ed him, and the whiskey men of Nor
folk and Richmond rallied to his
standard, he would have been spew ed
out of the mouths of the others who
voted in the primary. He got So votes
in Staunton and fifty-odd in this coun-
ty. This evidences his popularity here
as well as that of the Organization.
Is there anything then to bind DEM
ocrats? Is there anything then to
make them call Judge Mann their can
didate? Is there anything then to
cause them to give countenance to in
decent election methods? Is there
anything to work for, or to inspire con-
fdence Nothing Positively nothing.
They will forfeit no principle by turn
ing Judge Mann down, for by so doing
they take shot at the clique behind
him.
1t is better to be a live ass than a