Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-30
THE EASTERN SHORE.
rrr JOINT DISCUSSION BETWEEN
rrgsss. cRoxroN AND BROWSE.
uy croxton refutes the Charges Against
Him and Routs the kepasli-
can Candidate.
,co,,espopdepce o,,ne Richmond Dispatch

n
ONANcocR, September %. 1886
In spite Of the intensely hot weather
. large crowd Of people went to Aceo-
mack Courthouse yesterday to hear the
Joint discussion between Hon. Thomas
Croxton, the Democratic nominee for
Congress in this district, and his Re-
publican competitor, Mr.. T. II. Bayley
Browne. just before the discussion
began the Democrats held mass-meet-
inc in the court house TO elect county
chairman in the place Of Captain Orris
A. Browne, resigned. Mr.. George +.
Psrramore, a prominent young lawyer
OF the county, was unanimously elected
20 GIL the vacancy, and the people then
retired TO tho courtyard to hear tho
discussion.
Mr.. Croxton, being introduced by
Mr.. Parrsmore and received with gene
rous applause, proceeded to make a
speech Of one hours duration. 10 which
be discussed on high plane the iss1es
that divide the two great parties Of the
country. He opened his speech by re-
pl,ipe 70 the charge recently made by
Judge Garrison before Browne meet
ipe, and industriously circulated by toe
friends Of the Republican candidate, that
be (Croxton) had been guilty OF dapli-
city and deception towards Judge Gar
rison in the District Convention two
wears ago, when he was nominated to
succeed Garrison. The charge is that
eCroxton went TO Garrison just before the
Convention assembled and told him that
be would not sbtsgOnize his return to
Congress, and then intrigued TO secure
the nomination for himself. This accu
satiop MIR. Croxton very effectually dis
posed Of by the written statements OF
number of gentlemen who were menu
bers Of the Tsppahannock Convention
two years ago. Among them was Mr.
LLOYD T. Smith, who is one OF the most
prominent lawyer OF Northumberland
county, and who placed Mr.. Croxton's
name in nomination before the Conyen
ton. Mr.. Smith states that he noun.
mated Mr.. Croxton without having
seen or in any manner communi-
Gated with him on the subject" aud
that the movement among the dele
gates to nominate Mr.. Croxtou
was purposely kept secret from that
gentleman from fear that he would
stop the movement or decline the nomi-
nation, as 1t was known "that he did
not desire the nomination, and especial
" that he did not wish to antsgonize
Judge Gsrrison's candidacy" These
statements were substantiated by Mr..
T. X. b. Wright, Colonel l.. b. Farm
holt, and others who were delegates TO
the Convention. Out Of the $4,000
votes represented in the Convention
fully 1900 were unalterably opposed to
Judge Gsriison's nomination on the
ground Of expediency, as the district
was close. When the committee ap-
pointed for the purpose waited on Mr..
Croxton at his home, in Tappahannock,
and informed him Of the action of
the Convention in nominating him,
and s.of the Esstern-Shore dele
gates in refusing to make the
nomination unanimous, he went at once
to the hall where the Convention was
assembled, with the intention Of de.
clinipg the nomination, and made
speech in which he used substantially
the following language mo nan has
ever had my authority to place my
name 10 sntsgonism to that of any gen
tleman who has announced himself a
candidate for the nomination. The ex-
tent to which have gone has been TO
say that if the friends of all the candi-
dates should agree that my name could
produce harmony, aud should c)nce1-
trate on me, might not feel at liberty
TO decline nomination thus rendered.
At this point and before Mr.. Croxton
could announce his determination to de-
cline the nomination, Captain 0rris
Browne and State-Senator Blackstone,
both Of Accomack, and friends Of Judge
Garrison, moved to make the nomina'
ton unanimous, which was done at
once without dissenting voice, and the
nomination was thus saddled on him.
MIR. Croxton de6ed any man to say that
be had ever done the slightest thing to
secure a nomina alton to Congress. His
statement must have convinced every
unpreiudiced mind that he was
guilty Of no bad faith to Judge
Garrison or any one else, and
that his nomination two years ago
was brought about because an over
whelming msjori,y Of the delegates to
the Convention preferred him, aud de.
termined to force the nomination of him
not only without his connivance but
without his previous knowledge, and
against his expressed wishes.
After making this plain statement,
which the Democrats here accept as a
conclusive rebuttsl Of the charges
brought sgainst him, Mr.. Croxton
successfully defended the policy
Of the Democratic party and his own
record in Congress, and severely ar.
raigned the Republicans for the extrava-
gance and corruptions that have charac-
teIized the administration Of the Fede-
raj Government since the war. He ex-
posed the burdensome injustice OF the
internal-revenue system, and showed
how hundreds Of millions of the pub
lie lands belonging to the people
had been given away to corporations
and aliens during the era Of Re-
publican supremacy, and how more
than seventy-three millions Of these
lands had been recovered and restored
to the people by Democratic House oil
Representatives. He also showed how
he bad worked and voted to have the
Blair educational bill or similar mea-
sure passed by the House Of Represen-
tatives, in which some Of its stoutest
opponents were from the northern and
western States. Mr.. Croxton warmly
eulogixed President Cleveland as one o.
u the purest and wisest men that ever
held the office of Chief Magistrate o.
of the country.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Croxten's
speech, which produced fine impress
sion, DIR. John j. Wise, chairman Of
the County Republican Committee, ia.
troduced Mr.. Browne as 4" Accomack's
favorite aud talented son." Mr..