Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-08-15

miStreated Tucker. 10 SoH.r O. uS INC
1 alliance did no5 seem exactly holy CT
natural. Therefore we lifted up our
voices for Tucker, square deal, and
the cards on the table. Ih, comtina-
ton was too strong, however. 1t was
preached and proclaimed from one end
! of the state to the other tfts Tucker
was the sinner and the unclear thing,
| that the congregation of the, saints
| must rally to Judge Mann. Mann
was elected decsively and Mr.. Tucker
apparently went into political discord
"But last year Mr.. Tucker came to
the front as one of the big chief rep
resentatives in Virginia of Woodrow
4 Wilson and progressiveness. lmme-
diately he was. taken to the bosom OF
the noble army of martyrs. He was
proclaimed as the prophet and expo
nent of all that was beautiful and
righteous in political thought. Mr..
Byrd, up to then, had been in a duhi-
Gus position and somewhat strad-
died situation. AS author of the Byrd
anti-liquor bill he was among the chos-
en- and elect. AS close companion
and intimate part of the Machine he
stood among sinners and outcasts.
When he joined Mr.. Tucker as leader
of the Wilson forces his conversion
was regarded as complete and trlum-
plant. He too, was accepted into
full fellowship and the Richmond
Times-Dispatch became a volcano of
honied words whenever 1t had occa-
sion to refer to him or mention his
name. AS we understood, Mr.. Byrd
was to be United States District At
torney the almoner of Federal patron
age, the supreme judge of our court of
political claims, to shoe away the
goats who had voted and gone with
Swanson and Martin, to feed succu-
lent salaries and luscious Offices to the
sheep who had abandoned those lead
ers of iniquity. Mr.. Tucker was to be
governor, Senator, what not, provided
he did not care for cabinet place or
an ambassadorship.
"Now, what has come to pass? Mr..
Byrd seems to have become recon-
ciled to the horrors of the "Ma-
chine" and has accepted most COM
Portable and attractive clerkship I'M
der Senator Martin. We fear he may
be counted as backslider. The Times
Dispatch seems to handle him timor-'
ously and to withhold from him its !
saccharine outgushings, and within a
week has thrust him aside as guber-
material suggestion and has taken up
Mr.. Pollard. This is as well as we can
Judge. Perusing this esteea'ed con-
temporary, we never quite know
whether we are reading the profound
deductions of high-browed and deep
thinking editor or the enthusiastic
prattling of youthful reporter. They |
seem to be distributed about equally |
and unfortunately through the news !
and editorial columns. We read
nothing, however, Of Tucker. He told |
US on his retirement from candidacy
for Governor against Henry c. Stuart
that he felt he could work for The
people-which people not clsarly de-
fned-and for some cause not par
ticularly describcd-to more effect
as a private in the ranks. 1t appears
now that his companions and special
friends are disposed to take him at his
word and leave him in the ranks. We
do not know why He was among the
first of the anti-machine leaders and
victims. He is said to have done hard
and conscientious work in behalf of
the great Jones-Glass uprising of two
years ago. Yet, apparently, he IS
thrust aside for the newest and most
beautiful favorite, supposed to have
achieved throat latch success.
"Mr. Tucker does not deserve this.
While we do not regard him as
skilled or practical stragetist or very
wise leader, it muse be considered
that he was one of the first 10 stand
up and fight the so-called "Machine"
and that he was good, square, gen.
tlemanlikc combatant. IF loyalty to
Mr.. Wilson is to be taken as a test,
Mr.. Tucker certainly was one Of the
foremost advocates of the present
President, and strove faithfully to
have the Virginia delegation sent un-
restricted for him. Therefore we 10
rot know why Mr.. Tucker should be
cast aside, along with Mr.. Byrd, to
give place 10 Mr.. Pollard. Our only
deduction from the circumstances is
that the opponents and directors of
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