Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1929-10-12

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CHAIRMAN ANGELS BLUNDER
Chairman Robert H. Angel, OF
Roanoke, has announced that ne is a
sick man and no one will doubt 1t
after reading his last address to the
public. AS head of the Republican
party in this State, silence for him
would have been golden. Evidently,
he did not like some things Candidate
William Moseley Brown said about
some of the organizations with which
he has been connected in conjunction
with the progressive Governor, Harry
Flood Byrd. The Richmond, Va''
Times-Dispatch voices our view OF the
matter and we cannot resist the temp
tation to reproduce the same. 1t APP
ueared October s, 1929. Here it is;
The most delightful revelation OF
the current campaign in Virginia is
Robert H. Angel, of Roanoke. So far
as our own records go, there was never
another political leader like him, He
is unique among party captains
While the others attempt to hide thelI
innermost thoughts and their rea
! purposes for fear of adverse reactions
Mr.. Angel speaks out boldly, saying
Just what he thinks and indicating
lust the course he will pursue TOWARD
the goal of his ambition.
For biting sarcasm, this is a gem
And again: .-r. ,,.sc,,.,,
Imagine an old-time politician an
nouncing that, in this campaign, it i;
not good tactics to harp on State is
sues, when national issues, spuriou:
but effective in attracting votes, are
ready-made for the occasion! Fancy
an old-time politician advising hi!
camp that it would be q mistake tt
criticize the leader Of the opposition
because that leader is known to b'
particularly able and to have accom-
plished a great deal for Virginia
What party chairman but Mr.. Angel
would admit that his candidate fol
Governor had gone off at tangen
| on a very important matter and tina
| he should have informed himself be
fore launching silly charge?
The above is rich in humor ant
bristles with irony. We admit tina
during an experience Of forty years
we have never heard anything to equa
lit. Brethren, Chairman Angel il
sick. The nervous strain has been tot
much for him. And again:
| 70, .4s
Mr.. Angel is convinced that the
only hope of the coalition to win the
election in Virginia is to revive the
witchery of the presidential campaign
last fall, and he does not hesitate to
speak out. He knows that talk OF
Tammany and Raskob and the other
factors that entered into the defeat
If Al Smith is sheer bunk and wholly
unrelated to this particular fight, but
re knows, further, that such talk
fetches in the votes and votes are the
only things that really count on cleo
ton day. Mr.. Angel realizes that it
is absurd for Henry w. Anderson
10 shoot at the record in office of
Harry Byrd. Instead of speaking to
the colonel privately, however, he tells
US all that the present Governor has
been remarkable success and he, for
one, is opposed to directing attention
to his accomplishments, The chair.
man of the Republican party played
an important role in promoting the
idea Of the Shenandoah National
Park. He knows the facts of that
movement as well as any man in Vir-
ginia. Instead of whispering to DR..
Brown, as any other chairman would
have done, that, in speaking at Roa-
noke of park campaign expenditures,
he revealed gross ignorance Of the
situation, Mr.. Angel shouted it from
the housetops, so that all might hear.
If the coalitionists heed the advice
of the Republican leader, they will de-
sist, as their only hope of victory, from
attacking the impregnable position Of
the Democratic party in this State
and will train their big guns against
Al Smith, Raskob and Tammany.
There are other chairmen who would
have adopted these tactics, but they
would have done it behind a veil of
strictest secrecy. Mr.. Angel, how
ever, speaks his mind without reserve.
The Times-Dispatch has summed up
the situation exactly. Bishop Can
non knows his onions, too. He
wants to win. Still, nothing "Bob
Angel" says will hurt William Nose
ley Brown now. 1t will tend to
strengthen him with the. Independent
Anti-Smith Democrats, who would
like nothing better than to see the
Hon. R. H. Angel and his tribe, Gin
an ash-heap," should they win the
election.