Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1911-08-17

Twenty years ago that cry sun n"o
the power 20 rally support. bat To-Day
surh talk is mere chiidishrcSS. and Dir.
Thompson either knows il. or he Is as
much out Of touch with Virginia politics
as Rip Van Wrinkle. Even as far back as
1891 greatnOmberof white Democrats
had become convinced that the Demo
cratic party had been saved to us
great loss and damage, by railroad
money. Il
I ..ln 1888. while as yet nine men outot
every ten in Virginia thought that Gen
eral Fit-hugh Lee would he chosen SEN
ator. the Richmond Times declared on
Nov. p. 1898;
The white people are profoundly
diseontented with the Democratic par
~ management in the state and Che
figures of the late election prove H. |
The vote in 1859. though but an ordi-
mary election for governor and the leg
islature. was 2S5.47l, while the vote
cast a few days ago in one Of the most
important elections ever held in the
, state was only 2l6,94l. This loss ofin-
I terest has come on gradually during the
last fifteen years. and commenced with
( the use OF money in elections. and IS
now made universal through the con-
r 6nued use Of money and in a general
belief among the people that our elect
s ions are not fairly conducted
p After the Lee-Martin election, rail-
: road influence was made 50 brutaliy
plain that a wayfaring man could not
doubt il. and Mr. J. 5. b. Thompson rs
/ seeking TO recover the waters that have
II passed If ne tries 20 make the people
81 believe that his activities in 1891 and
-as and before were for the love OF
country and a patriotic desire to estab-
10 lish a government of the people 10y the
y people and for the people
The railroads owned the Democratic
,rt Marty then and the railroads were moi
: lunmindful of that ownership. Thos'
facts no Intelligent man now denies
and many justify that situation as th'
: lesser of two evils. on the ground tina
4. II was better for the railroads 70 owl
the Democratic party than for the ne
e. qroes and their white allies % own Nir
L. ginia. With this position we have III
argument The rights or wrongs o
that fight are closed and recorded inc
n dents. For better or worse, the opei
he alton Of the railroads and Democrat
party twenty years ago stand as the
ret are TO be judged by the people Of Va
me ginia-
-. 1--WE believe that the people viii judl
generously and decide fairly.
- 1--WE believe that the pubic's CO
rs science Of today in passing sentence
ck- the morals or the railroads and th'
Democratic supporters in 1891 and
fore and after viii apply the rule, "
last know all is TO pardon all.
.q5s i. cS5We heligye that Senator Mar
- ard had ne seen ft 70 accept it, but
has declared that he had never az a
-io- time been nor at any time done az
ner thing 20 justify the charge that be y
Eith a railroad lobbyist That makes the
ODD sue between Senator Martin and Y
-, GINA. That raises a clearcut quest
not. Was Senator Martin justified
working as a Democrat with railr'
money!" but. WAS Senator Mar
~ before his election in effect railrO
lobbyist"
That issue SO far has been met @
by bare denials. Now letus have
proofs Let Senator Martin prod
that letter Of Sept. -. 1881 IN respo
la''i 70 which be- received from j. S.
,rool Thompson eight hundred dollars e.
u "e the purpose stated.
TO prodtce this letter win not {
FIVE minutes from Senator Martin s
duous duties in Washington. but it
turn on the light. Ii will let the pu
I. -. know what that purpose was; it
: - greatly help 20 answer the quest
~. WAS Senator Murtin a railroad
byist? -News-Leader.