The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-07
Irvington.
4 Political Review.
To the Editor of The Times-DISpatch:

- z dlt We I
Is 1t a revolution or an evolution?
Permit me to congratulate you on
Your effort to lift the politics of dear
Old Virginia from the slough of de-
and struggling for the past forty
years. up 20 a platform of sound moral
and equitable PRINCIPLES.
1t has been said that all kinds OF
tactics are justihable in love and war
politicians have claimed equal lat!-
tude In their struggles, and insist
without eguivocation that no campaign
can he run upon the plane of the prin-
ciples laid down in the D~ecalogue.
But this is an age OF enlightenment.
o. reform, and OF progress. Insur-
haze risen up and in~augurated revo-
lutions which have gone like wild
FIRE entirely across the continent.
from New Jersey to oregon. sweeping
everything before them. Bosses.
kings and machines have been over
whelmed or driven in confusion and
and in their stead have been estab-
lished governments "of the people, for
the people and by tho people"
Revolutions never turn backward"
campaign now waging. one thing is
certain: Messrs. Glass and Jones have
i~naugurated a movement which Will
never cease until all spectators. pecu-
lators and spectators of the public
nance have been run into their holes,
with the grafters, heelers and strikers
who manipulate ballot boxes and rake
In the railway contributions to the
corruption fund.
2. The fact that Messrs. Jones and
Glass have at last kicked out of the
tility to the powers that be. and have
taken up the cudgels in behalf OF hon
est government is their reatest rec
~ommendation to the gratitude and sur
frnSes OF the honest and loyal peo-
pie of Virginia. II q man Is not per-
initted to repent, and turn from his
evil ways and associations when he is
convinced OF error and wrong doing,
the devil will get the last one Of u.s.
What else can they do? The places
they seek are no better than those
tiny now occupy. To prove their sin
certify and patriotism they were bound
to array themselves in opposition and
hostility TO the head of the machine,
which Includes the big four! who are
mary system. which has been CON
demned by the courts and repudiated
time and again by the people. Why
was the bill introduced into the last
Legislature by Speaker Byrd not APP
proved and adopted? How did Sena-
tor Martin defeat the gallant and In
comparable Fitz Lee. the most patri-
state? What had Martin done to en-
title him to such distinction? He had
never been heard of except as Il coun-
~ railroad lawyer, and skilful ma
pulator OF railway moneys in controll-
9. Who owns and controls the tour
great railway systems. which domi-
nate every interest in the State to-
day? They live forever, yet have
neither a body to be Kicked nor u
soul to be damned" Is there any
right, privilege or franchise which
they do not possess. Examine their
charters. and see If anything has been
omitted; then examine the records in
the Capitol, and see what they paid
for these vast systems which cost the
State about $4,000 900. besides what
has been paid by the citizens of the
State; the State paying tho entire cost
in some cases, in others three-ffths,
and the citizens two-ffths, as in the
case of the Richmond and Danville,
extending over to Greensboro, y. c..
4. The Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
way completed to Clifton Forge, and
costing with its tunnels about s15.-
100000 was turned over to a Wander
bilt syndicate on condition that they
extend 1T through West Virginia to
the Ohio River. not a shilling passed
into the Treasury of the State thai the
writer ever heard of.
The James River and Kanawha "a
nal was completed to same point, and
cost about as much. James Blaine
brought Mr.. Parsons from West vir-
GINA, who pictured to tho Legisla-
ture the glorious future that awaited
odd Virginia never tire" when rails
were laid upon the tow path of that
canal. The whole vast structure with
It's basin In Richmond docks. towpath.