The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-16
Should Desist. or Move
Out

Were not Virginians, who are excusably the
proudest Of people. also the most lenient and
Indifferent among nations, they would long ago
have taken exceptions by. probably violent
action against the campaign of defamation and
SANDER that periodically bursts forth from some
Of the news sheets that spread broadcast
throughout our borders. the same being bene-
hciaries of and tolerated by a long-suffering
spirit. In Boston are confronted with ex-
tracts from Virginia papers that assume to be
mentors and interpreters Of what should
or should not do, are doing. AT Princeton
unrepresentatve sheets examples OF public
turpitude and political debasement that the
proud mother of States Is writhing under, and
the blush of modification tinges the cheek while
explanation of the Misrepresentation and gen
era defense of Virginia's government falls light
ly upon biased ears and upon hearts that
eagerly cling to the worse reports of our char
acter. Time was when great journals defend
ed with burning words, and their great men
with poignant sword If need be, the honor OF
the State; and that character in the journalists
of other days made the extremists in the North
to sit up and behave themselves. But here to-
day we are afflicted with a journalism personal
only in the that 1t echoes narrow pre-
JUDGE, a personal crouch or family within. the
dictation being left to some irresponsible cheap
man who has to earn his stipend by dishing out
SO much space of sort that will be sooth-
ing touch to the sore on his employers back.
Such articles appear from time to time In
the Times Dispatch. assuming to be supreme
in Virginia. far from telling the truth as
SANDER the State and of her best men. The
legislature of Virginia may not be composed of
men with much money advertised promi-
hence as the owners of the Richmond supreme"
but a majority land that's what rules and
counts) are just as clean and able. and honest
and more patriotic and loyal Few men in that
body there for what they personally
get out Of it. They do not make their living off
the body polite and their lahors are for the
public good not against it-nether of which
can be said OF their virulent and arrogant critics
That the legislature is the tool of the Plumber
bund"-"a combination in the interest of
authorized theft and lega1ized graft" We In
dignantly deny. Virginans, read those words
again, turn to last Sundays Times-Dispatch
and read the whole of their second editorial.
1t is astounding how complacently the people,
the legislators, the newspapers of Virginia pass
by these reasonable utterances. With only an
occasional protest from some city paper 1t de-
wolves upon the country press, largely. TO de-
fend the Virginia name. For our part the
great weight of the Richmond sheet, the money
and prestige of pompous family. may be ex-
erted to persecute crush u.s. but we cannot
sit like Spartacus' covering companions, let
an arrogant power pin them to the wall. III
muck raking is its delight, let II after some
place State that deserves 1T: not here. where
we have shown such wonderful advance and
i'm provement during seven years, which time
the Times Dispa tch has been the outside
looking In and longing, and because 1t couldn't
get in resorts to splitting. Our advice has al
ways been aliens others who do not like
our State its methods to move out The
same to the supreme and its soreh heads
Virginia Citizen, 1rvington.