Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-12-11
"The Machine at Baltimore
(Commlnicated
Charles Town, VIVA.
December 9th. 1918

Editor Free Press,
Dear Sir: )
| don't thint that til. rea
sons you gave for tire Presidents j :
norance of the posi1ieat-resca IL
this State are very convincing.
To prove my charges and those Of
the Clarke Courier, here are some more
facts from the same source
In an article "Fhe Machine at Balti=
more" it said last week
MIR. Wilson'S wreck" of tha party
in New Jers4y was the very reas.,n the
Wilson men in Virginia supported Erirn.
and, by the same token. was h resspn
the VirginiaEmachlne SO bitterly oppoa. 4
him.
His wreck of fhe> party in New
Jersey consisted in fighting the Smith.
Nugent machine, which is, in all ,.sser-
tial particulars, exactly like the Martin
machine in Virginia. The New Jersey
machine controlled legisE, ion and Office
in that State just as the Virginia ma
chine controls legislation and office IL
Virginia, Aud no man. who hash
spoken the language of thu tribe" or
received the o. K. from headquarters
could be elected to Office in this State
just as similar condition of affairs
existed in New Jersey.
Wilson's outspoken condemnation Of
the New Jersey political methods made
US believe he would oppose a similar
state in the Old Dominion.
If he had froWned upon the machine.
in Virginia as he frowned upon it II
New Jersey. it's DAYS would be mum
bered. For the machine made fear
full blunder in SO openly opposing Will
son, and has been trying by every
slick trick in its bag to faWn upon those
in authority ard-regain the lost prestige.
And it looks very much as though it
had succeeded. But. my friends, con-
slider the cost!
VI warned our readers shortly after
the election that the machine in Vir
ginia had not only climbed on the Will
son band wagon, but were busiIy en-,
gagged in kicking the Wilson men off
into the. open road. You see now. per
haps, how true that was.
And yet McAdoo stood at Norfolk
and-saw the machine work, not only
saw it, but remark ed thatVirginia was
worse ring-ridden than New Jersey.
AS one Of the principal managers of
the Wilson campaign. Mr.. McAdoo
must certainly nave informed his candi
date of these facts. evenif Mr.. Wilson
knew nothing of them Independently.
But Mr.. Wilson IS native Virginian,
=has=kept himself well posted upon po-
litical history in his native State, and
therefore knows all of these things,
And, when he follows the rod of the
machine in Virginia as to his appoint2
ments, he is Shaping every real friend
in this State i'll the face.
There are thousands who agree with
me, but have merely kept silent because
they didn't want to raise row. :"
But, as for me, when right conflicts s.
with harmony. | prefer the former.
: Did not the West Virginia machine
do the same thing or worse. and mis-
represent West Virginia Democrats by
refusing to vote for Wilson until after
he was already nominated
Didn't they vote for Ryan and Muir
ply and everything Wilson and Bryan
opposed J?
Didn't they spend money in this
county to pool with the liquor ring to
elect anti Wilson delegates to the con.
ventions, and .'wet' County Court q
Those who are not afraid to speak
out know that these things are true.
don't know that there is anything
to be said or done about it.
AS long as our Democrats care to be
bossed by the grafters who are Demo
Gratis for the revenue and care moth
ing for principle, why letthem take
the consequence.
But | dislike to think of men like
Woodrow Wilson being mixed up with
such q crooked lot, and hope he is not.
Sincerely yours.
DEMOCRAT"