Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-08


s'r"ying idea had triumphed. In
Gideon Neich. on" Of "the poor white
crash" born Ia circus tent. so pea
pie said the demagoguc OF d-ma.
.oIu.s In stephens opinion this
Gideon vetch had become Governor
81 Virginia. Yet the placid coura.
Of stephens life flowed ON precisely
a. II had flowed ever since ne could
remember. and the dramatic hand 90
Washington had not fallen II wn~
SIN go recent. IL had com. ah"ut y"
unexpectedly TINT people At least
tn. people tn" yonnR man kn"w aud
esteemed wcr" still trying 10 explain
how II had happened. Th- old party
mad been sleeping. ~ course. IL had
grown too confident. som. said To-"
f"rpuient. and IL had slept nn peace
tuliy. in spit" % the stirring strength
~ III" labor leaders. IN spite of Tia"
threatening coalition OF the new fac
tlon<. IN spiie even % The sw!ft :"
volt against the stubborn forces 81
habit. OF tradition, ~ ov"rw"-ntug
authority. His inther. IA. knew held
tho world war responsible. buf tneii
his mother was 50 constituted that
she was obliged 20 blan" SOM. body
or something for whatever happened
Yet others. ne admitted. 49, well aS
his mother. h"ld the war responsible.
FOR Gideon Vc,ch II the great
struggle had rps, him on, In sOm.
gigantic rataclyEm. az II IL had bro.
ken through ~" once srlid grnuud
~ established order. aud had re-
leased Into tho world all the "Npln
sly" gases o! disint.grarion, OF IL.
struction
For himself. IN" young man re
fec,ed now. h" had always thought
otherwise II was 81 period. he felt.
-. humbug radicaiism. 81 niulbas
"loanence; ", ne possessed h"th "i;
and discernm-ut enough to -" that,
though Ideas might "Splod. in empty
talk. SIN II took id-ss to MAKE ,hs
sort ~ explosion That was d.af"n-
ing one's ears All the Nat formuia-
81 IN. centuries could net produc.
single Gideon N.rch such men were
part Of tn. changing world. they an
sHcred not I" reasoned Hrgurns nj,
bu, Ia tho loud crash OF breaking
idols stephen hated V"tch with AL
mir heart. bu, h. acknoHl"dr.d MIN.
re ava Nsi lfN 20 tNHFt ihf lIlNI :
Tremendous veraci'y. Ms integrity ~
neinI. his in-vi,ahlensS-. An inner
"nt intellectual honesty compelled
stephen 10 admit thar, tn. derna-
gngue." as ne called him. had his APP
prOprisre plaC. in IA" age ina; pro-
duc-d him that ne existed rather as
an uutl"t for political t-nd-nc!e. than
aS the product ~ International vio-
l-nCr He was more lhan th"atri-
cal at;Itude-a torrent Of words
Even free country and stephen
though, s"ntimentallv az America 4;
a free crUnir!'-mu h.N. it
tyrannirs OF opinion, and consequent
IS it, rebels against current c"nvir-
lions In tho older countries h. had
imagined that II might ne possihl" u
hold with tn. har. and run with IN ?
hounds. hut In ~. land of onpor
tuni,y fnr AL Their. wa> loss reason
10 n" astonish"d when tho hunted
turned 81 last into tho hun'a-. Where
every hoy was taught tina, no might
som. day j.. President. why should
one stand amazed when the ambitious
son of circus rider b.came Gov
"rnor Of Virginia. After All. fair
lfll ana no N'IS WIS Tue tfSl 'nt
the most conservative ~ politicians
the best that even John B.nham couli
ack
Yes, there was a cause, there was a
reason for IN" miracle az disorder, or
IL would not hav" happened The
hour had called forth the man hui
IN" man had hc-n there awaiting IN
strokes. listening, listening, with MS
ear I" the wind 1t had been tn
umph ~ personality. one or thoS.
rare dramatic occasions when the
right man and the appointed tim
come together This the Young man
admitted candidiy in tn" very moment
when he told himself that he da,es,cd
IN" dcmaSogue and all his works \
man who consistently made his bid
for the support OF the radical eie-
ment. who stirred up the forces ~
discomfort because h. could harness
them to his chariot. \ man who was
horn in circus tent. and who still
performed In public The tricks Of a
mountebank, That this man had
power stephen granted uncrudging
iy; but II was power over III. undis-
ciplincd. the half.educated. the men .
tally unframed ~ was power. ~
John Benham had once remark I'd
with touch OF hyperbole. over emptS ).
stomachs.
There we're persons In stephens in =
innate circle thcrc are such persons
even in the most conservative com
munities) who contended that Vetcn
was In his way rude genius Judge
ioratio Lancaster Page. for Instance
insisted that the Governor had a
charm OF his own. that. The wasn't
ha!f had TO look At IL YOU caught him
smiling, that he could even rcasol
like one az u.s." /. YOU granted hin,
MS premise. After the open dsbat.
between Nctch and Renham-tbe
great John Bcnham. hero Of war and
peace. and tireless laborer in IN.
vineyard OF public servicc-after thi,
memorable discussion. Judge Horati,
Lancaster Page had remarked in his
mild. unpolemical tone. that though
John bad undouhtedly carried of the
| flowers Of rhetoric, there was a good
deal OF wholesome green STUFF abou,
that fellow Netch" But everybnd,
knew that man With n comicaI habi,
of mind could not be right.