Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-03-21
PILOTS GREAT
TACTICAL VICTORY.
CAPTURE ENEMY'S GUN
BOAT AND STEAM 70
SAFETY

&c on that unique body Known a. the
Virginia Pilot Association, that which
It frst seemed certain defeat 1t the
beginning Of the 1924 session q the
General Assembly oe Virginia, has
been. IN the face Il overwhelming
odds, transformed into clsan-out Nc
tory for these hardy mariners.
Out Of iae many bills sponsored IN
both the House and Senate, not .
single anti-pilot member viii have to
his credit one word OF legislation
that which goes on the s4Atuts books
having srnanated from the House Com
and championed from begin
ming to end by the pilets and their
& an4s
AZ alertness as -asourcafulnsss
OF the .ot Association in ITS battle
for existence agar confident, Gun
ming ant remorssiess antagonist was
never Displayed to better advantage.
The legislative weapon aimed against
the pilots was seized by thsm and not
only rendered harmless but converted
INTO an inzt-ument Of defense; .
staapch. protective statute Of equity
ana effectiveness. Not single Of
ienssve f.Ae8re desired By wsstmore-
iaad n-Fis and his army Of henchmen
hss been retained In the measure, de-
soite the powerful lobby that infested
tns corridors OF hotels and the capitol
during the sixty days Of the session
just closed. Leader and henchmsn
have been routed. The pilots are vio-
torious again.
The wBr witch has been waged
sgs.nsI L. pilots for the past four
Fears laS furnished en- unexRmpled
case of persistent misiaformation and
yellow jour nallsm which has consist
emily pre-. I'd upon the ecedulfty OF the
uniformed and wherever possible, In
spirsd envy ana class hatred. West
moreiand Davis as Governor used ev-
cry ays.,s Die method and exhausted
all the resources of his own and that
Of his cohorts during the 1870 and
1922 sessions of the Lsgisls ture
against the pilots. He was aided then
and since that time by the Southern
Planter. which unstintingly fed the
poison OF prejudice to the farmers
through the medium Of its columns
Everything that could be invoked,
contured uP or Invented to fnfiame H.
feeling. insite resentment, arouse in
dtgnatton and inspire hatred on the
part Of the men of the soil against
the men OF the sea. was employed. It
was asserted, repeated and reiterated
that the pilots were driving shipping
from Hampton Roads, that the rates
were too high, that they were max
Ing enormous profits. that their bust
ness was q monopoly, that there were
not enough pilots, that the association
was q political organization of power
ful influence: in short hydra-hsaded
monster that covered the entire State
Of Virginia and which was strangling
the life out Of the Old Dominion.
Consequently, 1t may not have been
strange that persons not knowing any
thing about the pilots and their asso-
citation, except what they read in the
partisan press. were led to believe
that an organized party Of ssmipirates
VII a4t hx onH
neglect and that the situation needed
heroic action.
However, little by little, the truth
became Known and by steady devotion
to duty. the ire Of the enemy was
quieted and the batteries of poison
gas made more or less innocuous. FL
nally, it became apparent to the ma
jority that the Virginia Pilot Associa-
ton was in a class to itself by virtue
Of the occupation of its members; that
Il lie unique in its service; that its
personnel is efficient. the equipment
ideal: that shipping ia actually at
trscted and not diverted by it's activi-
ties; that its averaged rates are the
lowest II tire United States; that in
stead Of making enormous profits, the
members OF the pilots association
have not earned enough the past two
or three years to pay living expenses
and that they never have been in
politics except TO defend their own in
tsrssts-and this Is admitted to be
the right, az well as the natural ten
dency Of all virginians.
How this was brought about, with
all the big newspapers Of Eastern vir-
ginia behind the Davis forces would
make interesting reading il told in de-
tail, which space forbids. The victory
Of the pilots snatched from the jaws
q defeat, was no less decisive than
that Of the Marine II you should ask
Billy" Cardwell. he undoubtedly
would attribute 1t 10 hard work and
tactical maneuvers. while Captain
Boutwell,. the veteran president of tbs
association and revered reconteur.
would very likely ascribe the sudden
turning Of the tide Of battle to the
INK that always casts spell upon
the enemies Of the pilots and keeps a
benevolent wsathsr eye upon them
and their friends. not to mention the
occult possibilities dus to the left hind
foot Of q graveyard rabbit, which the
captain has been carrying in the left
hip pocket II his tesns during the
heat Of fighting.
Lst that be - It nay. In true nau-
s5cal phrassology. the plots have Gap
tursd the enemies gun-boat. put it
crew IN irons. read the riot act 70
them md steamed into = harbor Of
safety On their own course and under
their own fas. A. the joily Captain
ssys. We havs me. the enemy and
tAs1 are ours" And everybody IL
oAssr1ng ne victory, except. Of course.
the ssAly disgruntlsd enemy who Fro
fsssss net 70 seem to realise that his
1ssD laid political schemes have been
'eemplets1y wrecked an the roof u
riletags.
Captain Boutwell, largely attributes
the victory Of the pilots 70 the farmer
delegates VINO have grown wise to thu