Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-07-30
CURLETT-WELLF0RD
SPARKS.
Curious DOings in This Queer
Legislative Fight.

1t is currently reported along Light
street wharf. Baltimore, that IF Curlett
is elected local option in Lancaster will
become fixed fact, but if Wexford
succeeds it will put heart in the wet
men and they will try to get an cleo
ton and make the county go wet. Also
that one of the Oldest. if not the oldest.
ministers in the county has deserted
Curlett and the 'drSs' and gone over
to Wexford and the VETS -. A Lam
caster lawyer said this in a saloon on
Light street a short time ago. All the
other ministers are with Curlett, and
against the Lewis faction.
Mr.. Curlett has put a quietus upon
the carpers on the Fish Commission bill
IN several ways, among them by show
ing that not one line or word was given
him in opposition to il during all the
weeks it occupied public attention be-
fore passage. Another, by stamping
the critics in his offer to advocate a
reduction in salaries and appropriation
If Tucker should be elected; of course
they want all they can get when one Of
their crowd might be the Commissioners.
let another, he shows that to increase
salaries and get a fair appropriation
returned to Tidewater for protection
OF oyster beds Gnstead of giving the
$45, 900 to some big institution as would
have been the case) was not unconsti-
tutional, and was done at the same time
for officers from Attorney General
down: the large appropriation brought
new police boats to Tidewater and per-
mitted an increase in wages of Tide
water men heretofore employed at small
salaries; every man (but one), includ-
ing every Republican, in the Legisla-
ture of l40 men favored increased
salaries and thought Tidewater should
have $45, 900, or more, a year returned
from the big tax she annually paws.
The man that raises his voice against
this they deemed no friend to his people.
Still another is, that if their Congress
man can accept with approval an in
crease of salary from SIS, 900 to 81, 500
year, with 81, 200 for a secretary, there
should be no kick on 81, 500 for a Com
missioner of Fisheries, an Office of more
work and of more Importance to Tide
water than is that of Congressman.
No wonder they hate the Lancaster
Delegate when he so clearly shows up
their meanness.
If Mr.. Curlett has always voted and
worked for the 'drys'', and Mr.. Well
ford never; if Mr.. Wellford's record in
the Legislature was for large appropri-
atoms to the universities and institutions
and small ones to the public schools, and
Mr.. Curlett's life and votes have been
with the masses and the public school
system in which he has for thirteen
years been teacher
Then, how in the name of consistency.
sense and public good could the !
rank and file of Democracy prefer Mr..
Wexford to Mr.. Curlettl But they do
not. 1t is only because some descend
% the low plane of making Lee the
ssue. Mr.. Lee is innocent of being a
Dictator or in attempting to control Mr..
;urlett or any other man, and has not
lone more than to announce his support
# Mr.. Curlett, and, as good citizen,
will try to get him elected. 1t will be
ieither Lee victory" nor Lee de-
eat" whichever way the issue ends,
Notwithstanding demagogues may put
that way. The Wexford leaders who
lay upon this do not believe it them
elves, but adroitly try to make fol-
'wers believe it--and some are fools
nough to do so.