The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-26
BATTLE LINES
DRAWNF0Rv Va.
SENATE FIGHT
Swanson and Davis Both Send
ing Out Campaign Litera-
ture to Voters.
BITTER CONTEST EXPECTED
Machine and Anti-Machine
Elements of Democratic
Party Involved.

RICHMOND, Va, March 25.-
Battle lines have been drawn for
what promises to be one of the
most interesting and spectacular
political engagements ever staged
on the political terrain in Virginia
the contest between United
States Senator Claude Swanson and
former Governor Westmoreland
Davis for the nomination for the
Senate in Washington.
Although the primary to decide
the winner will not be held until
June, both the principals and their
legions of adherents. are already
intensely active. There promises to
be no cessation of their feverish
interest until the issue is decided
At the polls.
Hard Test for Machine.
This is to be frankly struggle be.
tween machine" and "anti-machine'
elements within the ranks of the
Democratic party. but with the Re
publicans throughout the State pos
sessing potentialities to swing the
issue in one way or another
Senator Swanson is one OF the
dynamic engines OF the "organiza-
ton" otherwise known as the ma,
chine" which is generally accredited
with debating who shall hold office.
what legislation shall be passed and
what governmental policies adopted
in the Old Dominion. He has served
as representative in Congress from
the Fifth district and also as gov
ernor of Virginia. Shortly after the
expiration of his term as chief execu-
tive in the spring of 1910 he was
named by Governor William Hodges
Mann, his successor in the executive
mansion, to fill the vacancy caused
by the death of the beloved and bril-.
liant Senator John w. Daniel, of
Lynchburg.
Senator Swanson has served con-
tinuously in the upper house Of Con
gress since his appointment. In 1911
Carter Glass, then Congressman from
the Sixth district and now United
States Senator, waged a bitter and
relentless campaign throughout the
State to defeat Swanson. but such
was the effectiveness with which
the machine" worked that Glass
was defeated by the usual predicted
ma jority.
In the Senate, Swanson invariably
voted with the Administration Demo.
Gratis and allied himself along strict
party lines in balloting on all meas
ures. He is a member of several
prominent committees in the Senate,
among them being the Naval Affairs
Committee.
Davis Record.
Former Governor Davis. although
always prominently identified with
State. civic and agricultural move
ments in Virginia. never held public
office unit. he wss unexpectedly nom-
mated for, and elected governor four
wears ago. He IL one of the few men
who did not have to serve a political
apprenticeship in the State.
In the three-cornered fight for the
nomination in the fall of 1917, the
machine" was repr scented by the late
j. Taylor Ellyson. but, because Davis
had served AZ president of the V!r-
GINA Farmers Alliance and had
great strength among the agricul-
tural interests, and for the additional
reason that he was not believed to be
IN sympathy with the prohibitionists
and other reformers I'm the State, he
wor the nomination and took Off ,e
on February 1, 1918.
During his campaign for the
nomination, Davis made q number
OF pledges to make the State govern
ment more efficient, less unwieldy,
moro cooperative with both farmers
and business men, and to conduct
affairs along strictly business lines
by means Of a budget system.
When he turned over the reins OF
State government to his successor,
h. Lee Trinkle. eight week ago
he was universally eulogized as 1.-The
governor who fulfilled his every
promise and redeemed all of his
pledges"