Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-21
bids CRANE FAREWELL lEAEN IS WORKING
Distinguished Body of Cti Republican Doctrines Gaining
zens Speeds Him to China. Supporters in Virginia.
DINNER GIVEN IN HIS HONOR WINNING BUSINESS MEN
Minister WI Principal Guest at Iabong Clear Away the Peu
Function in New York. dice Against the Party.
PRESIDENT TAFT SENDS LETTER ELEMENT
Norfolk
to Lumber Coal and Other Products
Is Accredited
Republican Doctrines Gaining
Supporters in Virginia.
WINNING BUSINESS MEN
Laboring to Clear Away the Preju-
dice Against the Party.
ELIMINATING NEGRO ELEMENT
Norfolk Seeking Protection for
Lumber, Coal and Other Products.
It's Industrial Growth.
Special From Staff Correspondent.

Special From Staff Correspondent.
| NORFOLK. Va, September 21.-Re-
|publicans of today in Virginia don t
have horns and hoofs as OF yore. in the
popular estimation. 1t is getting so now
that republican is regarded almost as
a human being. and he is not invoked as
a bug boo to brighten little children.
All levity aside, there is occasion to re-
mark upon the growing spirit of political
federation in Virginia. which is nowhere
more in evidence than here in Norfolk.
l cite it as a feature of changing senti-
ment in politics. which is surely going on
in this part of the state
| 1t Will be many day before Norfolk
gives republican ma jority. but as sure
as the sun rises the leaven is working
| Norfolk is the most growing city, COM
mercially and industrially, in the state,
and in the south republicanism flourishes
| in industrialism. Norfolk paid tribute to
! republican national doctrines by asking
protection for lumber. peanuts, potatoes
and coal Her representative in the
House voted for duty on lumber. and
he rockribbed democrat
| Norfolk takes, even demands. favors
for her industries at the hands of the re-
publican party in Congress, but turns her
back on that party at election time. The
republican leaders are working patiently
to teach the voters that the republican
party is. as they. claim. the party of
progress for Virginia. William J. Bryan's
ultimatum that democrats must vote for
all free materials or get out of the
| orf,y cfrilyn
Norfolk. With three trunk line railways
tapping the coal fields Of western coun-
ties and Of West Virginia, and unloading
| their trains in Norfolk harbor and New
port News, blow at the coal industry
on the free raw material plea does not
appeal to thoughtful people in this end
| of the state.
Norfolk feels the competition Of Ber-
muda truck products and of Japanese
and African peanuts, demanding a tar
| III for protection. Norfolk has built
up a great lumber business under the
protective tariff. and one of her rail-
roads is branching out in North Caro-
lima after truck and lumber all the
time. Norfolk has an iron Furnaces
which works up the Virginia ore with
the infusion of Cuban ore. made avail
able by republican tariff bill.
Busiess Glasses Influeced.
Now. it is true that these broad ma
terial propositions do not appeal to the
rank and file of voters. but it is fact
that the business classes are beginning
to appreciate their value. aud little by
little the perception is expected 10
strike home to the voters It will be
long lesson. the republican leaders
admit. but they are willing to teach it
patiently. Before the commercial ideas
can take root the ground will have to
be cleared of the deadwood of prejudice
agaist the republican party. and that is
the task to which the present organiza-
ton is addressing itself
AS an indication of the growth of re-
publican sentiment in Norfolk. / am told.
of tWenty-four young lawyers who are
now enrolled in the party, many of whom
will take the stump for the republican
state ticket. 1t is claimed that at least
half of the number were formerly demo-
Gratis There is group of Taft demo-
Gratis" in the city. as shown by the last
presidential returns, but, of course, 30
per cent of them will be straightout
democrats on state issues. But it can
not be denied that republican nucleus
is existent in this city. furnishing en-
couragement to the leaders for propaga-
ton of republican sentiment and .prin-
cpIes
In looking into the reasons for the ex-
pectation of growth of republicanism in
community apparently hopelessly demo-
cratic. 1T is found that personnel of the
republican party shows marked change
in recent years. AS l pointed out in a
previous dispatch. the present state
element, native born. The old Malone
leaders are not in evidence.
The republican party of Virginia Is
different from that party in some other
southern states, In that it is not Offered
by federal officeholders. The organiza-
ton takes some pride in this fact. No
member OF the executive committee holds
federal office and of the 12O county and
twenty are officeholders. according to
Mr.. Alvah H. Martin, the national COM
mitteeman for Virginia.
Negro Element Inconspicuous.
The negro is inconspicuous in the re-
publican meetings. and does not figure
at all in the organization. According to
statement of Chairman Slemp, between
$4,000 and GO.OOO negro votes were
eliminated by the election law, leaving
a total of 5000 that are likely to be
counted in the elections. So the re-
publicans claim that their party In this
state is not open to the criticism APP
plicable to it in some other southern
states, on the ground of the afiliation
If one class of voters
I am relating these statements and
claims by the republican leaders to throw
light upon the basis of their hope OF eX-
tending the party's influence by gaining
recruits from the dominant party Nat
urally, exception is taken to those argu-
ments by the democrats, immediate and
emphatically. The democrats contend, in
season and out, and with every breath
and all their vehemence, that the men,
ace Of negro domination Is ever present,
and that the only safeguard against it
lies in keeping the republican party down
They deny the changes in the spirit of the
republican party, and insist that the re-
publican party of today Is the party of
Malone.
The democratic leaders hereabouts are
not alarmed over the republican efforts at
PROSECUTING. nor concerned very much
over the steady gain in the republican
vote. They will still have. to grow con-
sderably before they get big enough to
take fall out of u.s." as one of the dem
ocrats put 1t. / do not think the republi-
cans are deluding themselves with rain
bow hopes. but 1t Is a fact that they are
going into the campaign to get out of 1t
all the progress they can. and they fight
on the theory that they are to win. even
IL the theory seems unlikely of vindica-
ton.
This is the same republican spirit which
has pushed their lines steadily eastward
from the western end of the state, taking
in county after county, forcing the demo-
Gratis to gerrymander in order to over
come their gains. 1t is healthy growth.
for they lose no ground that they once
occupy.