The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-12
MONTAGUE HITS
STATE MACHINE
Delivers Address of Attack
Before An Audience in
Staunton
REFERS TO THE GOOD
j. S. B. THOMPSON
Credits Him With Saddling
Organization on State and
Being Very Active
Recently

NJ \ n 4 ~, S&.r StAE- 4A.-~f Or
mer Governor Andrew Jackson Mon
tague addressed melting here to-
night under the auspices of the Viz
ginia Democratic League in the in
terest Of the candidates. of Repre-
sentatives Carter Glass and W. A.
Jones. opposing Senator'S Claude a
Swanson and Thomas Staples Martin.
for che Democratic nominations for
the Senate. Mr.. Montague Is popu-
lar in Stanton and & good crowd
heard his address.
Appreciates Past Confidence,
He opened by expressing his deep
gratitude for the approval and con-
fidence shown him in the past by
the people OF stanton and Augusta
He next regretted that he had to
take public part In this tnter-party
contest, involving personal and pro-
fessional sacrifices which he would
III afford. but he declared that an
Enpeiling sense of duty left him
no other course. and for the perfor-
nance Of which he possessed at least
two Qualfca tions-personaI disinter-
estedness and love OF his State. He IL
no such personal relations with either
Mr.. Jones or Mr. Glass as to call
for his appearance upon the public
platform, but with an interest in tho
welfare OF his party and his State
that would not now permit his silence.
He then adVerted to national poll
tics. MOI Tor years had this field
held such hope for democracy. Many
causes were contributing to this con-
AZ
and some were being made alive
again, the most notable Of which
are the struggle for the recovery Of
government by the people, and the
reform in our system OF indirect or
customs ta1aiiou. the latter having
slong been "a prolific sourse OF special
privilege. thereby seducing men To
misconceive and misen pI0y the offices
and instrum OF government
for private gain. thus yielding the
unholy fruit of graft and extrava-
gance, and relaxing the standards Of
political honesty and public economy.
The Patron Saint.
Machacveln seems the patron saint
Of the nation, and We nc longer eX-
casn but justify his matte that-tha
only crime In politics is failure.
Hence. success Is the atonement for
all public wrong, the expiation for
all corrupt practices in business and
In politics, The events OF recent times
tempt the young men of our duty 20
respond 10 such soTdid ard upholy
considerations. Fer example why not
bride, If Il succeeds Why not make
brokerage Of Offices. If 1t promotes
nbiiIcnsr Why not make illegal
Registrations and return fraudulent
votes IL they give public place This
IL success; this Is doing things, And
why not affiliate with organizations
that 10 tffffgs~ a 'sf.@'. 3s-.'s'' 'F-s's'''
This is day Of organization IN
business and In politics, I}ut organi-
cations must he fair and Just, The
monopoly in politics In more harmful
than the monopoly In business. The
contest In America Is not against
party organization but against I'M
fair and corrupt organization, which
Is known throughout the republic as
a Ring" or Machine"
II Wants All
BY nature and necessity II is n
tyust or monopoly In politics II
wants all: II devours all; it's appetite
fs Unsuitable and morbid IT is con-
sciously or pnconsctously. tho inevi-
table foe Of the people, 1t moves
noiselessly, and its agents are Of the
gum shoe" type. 1t lives upon aud
not for the people Its Instruments
are money and the ballot box and
Its ends are the offices of the people.
The agents Of the Machine are often
unknown. and oftener deny their tri-
bal affiliation. They are the might |
riders" of modern politics. spottfng
their victims. and then seeking their |
destruction or their ignpble surrender. |
The Machine generates fool Mas |
ma mili-dewing here and there the |
white sheet OF the press, and corrod- |
Ing and hthphf5nc J1arnnayuffS fuftN
II tempts the creditor to intmidate I
his debtor into the Machine fold. 1t |
seduces the friend to betray his /
friend that additions may be made /
TO the tribe. 1t sets brother against |
brother, and son against father, while |
loudly proclaifning the shibboleth OF !
standing by your friends" This con-
dition OF American political life Ia |
openly confessed In most OF the |
States Of the. Union
Some Confessions.
1t Is said we have no Machine In |
Virginia And so said by men who |
see monstrous Machines in New York |
their brothers eye. but not the beam |
In their own.
But the proof Is at hand. IT is con- |
fessed and seductlvely urged in Sc |
cret. as the one method OF securing /
place and fame. The head or the |
virginia Machlne, senator Martin, for |
he was so declared to be in the late
Suffolk Convention by his chief sup /
porters proudly claimed kinship with |
the Machine and the Boss before the |
Association of County Clerks, held In /
Norfolk some time ago. The Senator |
there lauded the Boss and the Ma
chine and was delighted to be a
friend OF the former and member or
the latter.
But confessions aside, examine the
very nature Of the Machine. 1t always
strives to confederate all OF the office
holders and employees of government,
State, city and county into q COM
pact union. No one Ia allowed to hold
place unless he openly or passively
consents to be a member Of this fac
ei0nal union. II not this the fact in
virginia? The number OF officials and
employees not within this Ring are 1
1CentinusA on THIRD PAxs-l