The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-01-30
THE ISSUE OF THIS CAMPAIGN.


THE ISSUE OF THIS CAMPAIGN.
There is but one issue for the voters of the
city of Virginia to decide at the election to be
held in this city next Tuesday, 1t is the ending of
the bitter fractional strife that has reached ex-
tremes here, as it manifests itself in this cam
paign, that are unusual to say the least.
No city can hope to exist without factions, but
few have factions of the sort that inflicted up
on Virginia. If they were honestly divided on
issues of consequence affecting the civic welfare
there would be some excuse for their existence.
They are not so divided here. They are built up
on structure of personalities, and accumulated
grudges and disappointed political ambitions
covering period of years.
This fractional fight involves every phase of the
citys social structure. 1t is nevertheless confined
to a very few people. Probably less than Is per
cent of the entire voting strength of the city is
directly interested in it. The other IS per cent is
negative quantity because it is but slightly con-
cerned. fractional differences have been increas-
ing in bitterness here for time. It is sincere
ly to be hoped that the climax has been reached
in this campaign. We have passed through
period of bombastc newspaper personalities that
smells to heaven. Straw men have been set upon
and demolished for our edifcation galore. Both
factions through their respective mouthpieces
have faithfully reviled each other. Each has
taken what it is pleased to term "a stand" Meth
camp is free from swashbucklers accomplished
to a superative degree. Both have permitted
themselves to become the goats Of crafty mani
pulators who have derived no doubt vast deal
of satisfaction from the PAGES to which they have
been SET Few people have been deceived by the
jousts Of the factional organs Their strenuous
struggles for the people have variously amused,
afflicted and disguised. Both are now we'll nigh
spent with the heat of the "struggle," and as a
result there is refreshing cessation of hostiities
and meek and contrite spirit in both quarters
that is no doubt the direct outcome of extreme
lassitude brought on by the strenuosty of the
battle of bosh
The contest for mayor is the real one. The
aldermanic choices and the city treasurship have
been quite lost sight of in general for the
head of the ticket. Any one of the mayoralty
candidates is capable of filling the position we'll.
The worst thing that can be said of any of them
is that their discretion is open to question when
they aspire to an office that is worth so little and
requires such personal sacrifice. The patriot
ism of any man who will offer himself as target
for the sings and arrows of discomfort in situa-
ton such as that now existing here is a sterling
recommendation, however.
The man who should be elected mayor of this
city next Tuesday is the man who can best recon-
Gle the warning factions here, all other things
being equal the man who is big enough and broad
enough after it is all to enter upon the dis
charge of the duties Of his Office free from par
tisan perjudice, under obligations to no clique,
faction or factionette, the man of the broadest
charity, the man who has the happy faculty of
making good hot fight and forgetting it as soon
as it is over, and the who has eye single to
the best interests of the city. To this man every
citizen owes common duty. 1t is to get behind
him and support him in every worthy effort that
will help the city Of Virginia to make the best of
it's magnificent opportunities.