Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-20
TALK IN COURTLY WAY
No Rude Expressions From
Virginia Politicians.
DEN0UNCE WITH DIGNITY
Campaign for Governor and Other
State Officers in Progress.
HARSH TERMS ARE YELLED
Democrats Confident of Majority.
Republicans Hopeful of Results
Favorable to Their Greed.
Special From a Staff Correspondent.

| Special From STAFF Correspondent.
NEWPORT NEWS. Va, September 20
Political contests in the Old Dominion
| are carried on in very courtly way
which is refreshing as well as amazing to
the outsider. Out in the rude and unpol-
ished west and in the hustiing north
you call your political opponent beetle
browed scoundrel,'' and branch out from
that: tell him his party is the party OF
imbeciles, thieves and rapscallions intent
upon wrecking the country, and hand him
| few hot ones of like tenor.
| In Virginia 1t Is different You say:
| Sir. l am constrained to remark that
your character lacks that elevated strain
| which should mark leader of free
people" and Your party's course, sir, in
| this community has not been character
| lied by true devotion to the best inter-
ests OF the people,, or something on that
order. Go to calling your opponent a
| thief or thug down here, and the meet
| ing would break up in a row, with some
body candidate for hospital.
am told that even when sequestering a
ballot box in negro precinct certain
degree of formality is observed. They
don't do rs Tammany does, hit you over
the head with blackjack and tell you to
your leave. SIR or more likely. with a
smile of panied surprise. remark: Surrey
you are mistaken; there was no such bal
lot box here
All. WE'LL these little amenities add to
the pleasure of politics.
Dignity in the Campaign.
The campaign for governor and state
officers is proceeding in very dignified
way. Thus far it is not marked by as
much asperity as characterized the demo-
cratic primaries for selection OF candi-
dates. The republicans are not calling
the democratic candidate names: they
merely quote what was said about him by
democrats before the primaries The
democrats cannot attack the republican
candidate personally, for his record,
while brief. is clean. Anyhow, they think
1t sufficient to hint at the afhliation Of
his party with the republican party OF
Mahone's days, and the adherence to 1t
today of certain element which votes
the republican ticket.
In Virginia the dominant party controls
every branch of the public service. b.
partisan boards. even of elections and
education, are unknown The repub-
licans do not get a loOk-in at election
times. to any practical purpose. The en-
tire school system Is absolutely under
the control Of the politicians, and their
power was exerted in such way in
visors as to elicit roar OF protest from
even their own side
The way the game is framed up the
political machine in power finds valu-
Of the state service. That power ex-
tends down the line, even to the appoint
ment of teachers. Under the state con-
stitution Of 1902 the state board of edu-
cation consists OF eight members. three
of whon-the governor. the attorney gen.
eral and the superintendent Of public
instruction-are elected by the people:
three professors from state institutions
of higher education are elected by the
senate. and two division superintendents.
one from a county and one from a city.
are chosen by the remainder OF the
board.
Responsible to Bosses.
1t is charged that this method makes
the board responsible neither to the peo-
pie directly nor to the assembly. but
puts it directly in the hands Of the po-
litical leaders in power at the time In
each school district there are three trus-
tees, who are selected by q trustee cleo
toral board, consisting Of the division
superintendent appointed by the state
board of education: the commonwealth
attorney. who is elected. and one man
appointed by the circuit judge. Thus
again. it is claimed, the educational sys-
litical party in power.
This year the state board put off the
election Of superintendent until after
the entries to the state primary were
closed. thus depriving the people of any
chance to rebuke the actions of the board
by opposition to the superintendent OF
public instruction. Then the board met
in secret session. It refused to give to
the public even list of applicants for
the various places and proceeded behind
closed doors to exercise its autocratic
power without regardto local sentiment.
The board ignored in many cases the
recommendations of local school authori-
ties and went outside Of cities and coun-
ties in selecting division superintendents.
This course aroused a storm Of protest in
democratic papers from Alexandria to
Danville and from Norfolk to Roanoke.
The republicans are making great deal
OF capital out of this situation.
The republicans criticise the party in
power for the existence of gross inequah-
ties in assessment and taxation of prop
erty and are pledged to bring about equal
iZation. No denial Is made Of the fact
that in the absence of board of equali-
cation there are Determinations In the
valuation Of property for taxation. Real
estate In Richmond Is assessed at high
valuation, and the city in 19O7-Os paid
taxes on $56,OOO,OOO, which is more than
one-fourth of the valuation of all the
farmhouses and farm lands in the entire
state.
May Force Remedial Measures.
1t is prophesied that the agitation of
this inequality now being fomented by the
republicans in their campaign will force
the legislature to take remedial measures
and provide a board Of assessment and
equalization.
The fee system for state and county Of
ficials is vigorously combated by the re-
publicans, but this Is not likely to be
very successful Tissue. The fee offices
are among the most valued political as
sets and will be chung to most tenacious
ly by the people themselves. The hiring
OF convict labor is reprehended in the re-
publican platform. Some 800 convicts are
hired to a foreign shoe manufacturing
concern at 43 cents day per man for
the labor. The republicans advocate the
turning Of the convicts to roadmaking
in furtherance Of the good roads move
ment. which is taking firm foothold
throughout the state.
In Washington we have been accus-
toned since 1893 to hear the republican
party held up to criticism for extrava-
gance. The democrats have been pound
ing away at every session Of Congress on
republican extravaganza. and getting real