Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-03-15
NEWS OF THE OLD DOMINION.
VIRGINIA'S DELEGATION.
Richmond TmeS-DiSpatch Discusses
Selection Of Democratic Nom
inee for President.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch
has the following to say in reference
to Virginia's delegation to the Balti-
more convention:
There is a great deal of opposition
to the suggestion that Virginia
should send an instructed delegation
to the Baltimore convention, princi-
pally for the reason that to go that
way would partially destroy the
States influence in shaping plat
form and finding the man best suited
TO lead the party in the national cam
paign. But the issue is certain to
be raised. or the presidential can
didates. Governor Woodrow Wilson is
making the most aggressive fight. He
has prevailed upon Richard e. Byrd
to direct his forces, but other men
high up in the organization with Mr..
Byrd are not looking with such favor
upon the New Jersey aspirant. The
claim will be advanced that Governor
Wilson was born in Stanton, which
will doubtless be answered on the
floor Of the convention that even If
Stanton was his birthplace, he never
went back there TO see it until he
was well in the race for President OF
the United States. And then some OF
the Underwood people will recall
that the Democratic leader in Con-
gresS was educated al the University
of Virginia. which makes him bet
ter Virginian in doctrine and senti-
ment than the man who was born in
the State and left it when an infant.
And then somebody else will casually
mention that Harmon and Clark and
Folk and Marshall and Bryan have
all been in Virginia at one time or
another and that they have klnfolk
living in the various counties.
Virginia will send twenty-fonr del
egates to the national convention. II
the fight for any particular candidate
happens to be especially bitter there
may be new lineup in the selection
OF delegates at large. The State plat
form could hardly be built without
taking a plank from this candidate
and Il plank from that, and if the
convention should take q bunch OF
planks from one candidate the I'M
preston would Immediately prevail
that the man who furnished them will
get the Virginia delegation.
Senator Martins course in discour-
aging this effort to have Virginia in
structed for him has been widely
commended. at home and abroad. He
is not in that mad scramble for the
honor. At best, this action would
only be mplimentary, and the sen-
ior Senator is not seeking compli-
ments. He is sincere in his desire
! to have the party concentrate its
strength on the candidate TO lead
it against the enemy.
1t Is generally understood, too, that
Speaker Byrd and the other party
leaders in Virginia with whom he
has been affiliated heretofore are not
in harmony with this Wilson Ques-
ton. The others look kindly toward
Clark and Harmon and Underwood.
Democrats hereabouts admit that
Governor Wilson is the favorite, al
though they doubt if he will go into
the Baltimore convention with q
two-thlrds majority necessary to
secure the nomination. That would
leave the fight open, with the abso-
Lutte certainty that the Wilson forces
will not swing around to the candi-
dates whose friends had prevented
the nomination Of Wilson. Taking
all these things into account, Demo
Gratis at large want the Virginia dele
cation to be sent without instructions
although the Wilson managers arc
expected TO make desperate effort
10 have Virginia Instructed long in
advance Of the national convention
for the New Jersey governor.