Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-07-24
VIRGINIA ASLEEP
BUT NOT SERV|LE
She Submits TO Being Governed
BY a Machine
DOES NOT REPRESENT PEOPLE
People Already Waking to Duty of
A New Day


Virginia. ia spite OF it's splen.
did traditions, is today in it's sub
serviency to machine, one of the
most servile States of the Union.
This is the editorial comment of
Mark Sullivan in Golfers Weekly
In his discussion OF the appearance
of Thomas F. Ryan as a Virginia
delegate at Baltimore. This state
mel is not true. Virginia is not
servile. But Virginia is asleep.
Virginia does submit TO being
governed by a machine that fails to
represent the people. She does
permit men to make OF her public
service a means of individual ag-
grandizement, OF continuance in fat
places, OF putting personal friend
ship above the common good. In
blind devotion to the principle OF
party regularity, her citizens have
acquiesced in perpetuating a selfish
group. These men have departed
from their ancient traditions; they
have failed to voice the needs OF the
common people; they have retarded
progress; they have set an embargo
on big leadership; they have oppos-
ed modern methods of government;
they have blightedinitiGtive, perpet-
uateds obsolete and extravagant
ways of conducting public business;
they have failed to measure up to
the responsibilities with which Vir-
ginia entrusted them. Virginia has
been indifferent, but she is not, in
Mr.. Sullivan's sense. servile.
She is indifferent to the charge
that she who once fed American
Commonwealth in the wisdom and
greatness of her craftsmanship now
trails in the rear. Formerly re-
form, progress, enthusiasm for lib.
erty and democracy were born in
Virginia. Now we hear OF the
Iowa Idea. or of the Wisconsin
Plan" but never Of the Virginia
Ideal, When the great experiment
of self-government was being under
taken George Mason drew it's char.
ter, Thomas Jefferson threw down
the gage OF battle. George Washing
ton achieved the victory. Yet to-
day, when the struggle is waged for
free opportunity. equality before
the law, and destruction of special
privileges, Virginia no longer leads.
She sends Thomas Fortune Ryan,
the bodily incarnation OF the abuses
calling for correction, as her dele
gate to the National Convention,
Virginia thinks of herself as con-
sentative, and that conservatism has
brought her perilously near to leth-
argy and ignorance. She is not SER
vile, but drowsily content When
she wakes, that moment will see the
end of Bourbonism, of reactionary
policies, of undemocratic policies, Of
undemocratic practice upon which
the machine is built.
History disproves idle talk of a
servile Virginia. Interviewer in
the fibre of her life are the finest
characters and the Hottest ideals.
Her people are sound. honest, dem.
ociatic, wisely progressive. The
foundation of her faith remains un.
shaken. If the Times Dispatch did
not believe this, it would not feel so
deep the failure OF Virginia to ex-
press her true self. But we do be-
lieve that Virginia is still bent on
high things. She will take her
right place in helping to mold gov
eminent into an instrument for sery-
ing all the people. The machine
will be destroyed because it is out
OF touch with Virginia ideals and
does not answer modern needs.
Virginia is not servile. She is
asleep. Yet already she is waking
to the duty ola new day.-Richmond
Times Dispatch.