The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-12
MON AGUE HITS
STATE MACHINE

continued from FIRST fage.b
negligible, they are the exceptions
which prove the rule.
Cannot Eface History.
Systematic and fulsome praise Of
the directors of the machine and the
next in line. Hear The latest direct
testimony. Congressman Flood is re
ported To have used these words in
his Fourth Of July Grafton at West
Point.
Il believe the best day in her fVlr-
ginia - history has been to-day.
believe that never were her public
morals on n higher plane, nor her
business morality better / believe
that she never had an a0ier or more
efficient set Of public officials filing
her county and State offices and rep
resenting her III the national capital
than at present I believe that never
were her elections more honest or
more representative OF public senti-
ment than AT present"
Mr.. Flood $ optimism or credaiity
mag he admired by some. but there
Is still a historic Washington. Jef
ferson. Henry, Madison. Monroe. 1y-
Ter. Leigh and Hunter. Marshall and
others who should not be thus sum
marty effaced even 10 help the Viz
ginia machine. Besides. Mr.. Flood
does not even exclude himself from
his category OF present surprising ex-
cellencies. and therefor rather i'm
modesIiy places himself as the full
equal of Thomas 5 .Eocock and John
Randolph Tucker. who We're his pred
eCessQrs In Congress.
Good MIR. Thompson.
gain the machine closes the door
against the poor man. What does the
large primary entrance fee OF $4,000
mean but ms What do the sym
pathy aud support of great corpora
tons mean bat this? What do the
contributions OF great interests
through almoner. Mr. Barbour
Thompson. meant bat thiso Indeed.
was q machine ever known In the
Democrats party OF Virginia until
Mr.. Thompson appeared on the scenes
in the interest OF white supremacy
Did the Democratic party ever know
machines or factions until this good
man came Ia make and mar our fair
concord
1t must lie conceded now that he
s.. secretly diseursaa LARGE s4ms.e1.nf
money to various candidates OF the
General Assembly IN times past. He
was the arch fat friar" ana he deft-
~ applied the grease To the cogs Of
the machine Time. which is wiser,
but better than men, lifted the veil.
and the events naked and true came
rushing like waters long pent up, but
still muddy and stained.
The defense comes slow and fee
BILE indefinite and unresponsiye In the
form OF a plea of white SUPREMACY
These large sums were not dishursed
Ia build up a machine, but To save
Virginia from negro domination! But
why collect and disburse a fund for
a campaign which Is ended? Why
buy assurance already assured But
was white supremacy then Inperled
A hoIdover majority Of a Democratic
Senate answers. No. A few contested
seats in the House OF Delegates an
! swers. No, \ Democratic governor in
the person of the gallant Mckinney
from the heart Of the black belt an
swers from his grave, No, But in the
face OF this veritahle Gibraltar Of
white supremacy. Mr.. Thompson and
his close companions and friends
would have us believe il was necessary
to wave back the imaginary black
hosts with the flag of the "crumpled
green, How ludicrous, II sincere E?
How lame and impotent II fahri-
Gated,
Comes Nearer Home.
The speaker, however, would come
nearer home. If white supremacy
was so desirable that ndefensible
methods had to be employed fer it's
accomplishment, why did both of the
! present United States Senator's op-
F, pose the constitutional convention of
1906. the chief and avowed object OF
which was to guarantee for all time
the maintenance of white supremacy?
And why has the machine since the
operation of this constitution SO fully
and effectually attempted To impair
and cripple white supremacy Let
Norfolk county and the frequent and
unnecessary admissions Of negroes
upon the registration list answer,
He would return for a moment to
1891 and 1898 to ask was not Fitz
Lee In favor of white supremacy ?
Who dared say he was not? Did ne
think the blood of his race was so
In jeopardy that he or his friends
found 1t necessary To disburse funds
in secret to candidates for the Leg
islature9 Did not the friend or friends
of General Lees opponent do this7
And did not the investigating com
mtttee decline to permit an answer to
the question as to who were these
men who received these secret funds j?
But the defense Is also that these
things were done in the distant past,
twenty years ago. Are gentlemen
aware of the faliacy and impropriety
of this argument? Would they really
interpose the statute of limitationsg