The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-12
To tie Governor. the Legislature, and the
People of Virginia.

Governor O'Ferran in his message 10
! the Legislature OF Virginia, dcvotes
| lengthy portion TO the Eacc-Tracks and
| Gamblers OF Alexandria county. Had the
| Governor confined himself 10 facts as he
| could easily have done, mad he desired
10 have Informed himself. ana NOT DO
| Waited from exact statements INTO those
| calculated 10 mislead ana do damage
| 90 mon who In no way have violated
| the state laws. either directly or indi-
| fecuy. or abused privileges granted py
| those laws. no one could have mad cause
| 10 complain, but when he so states MS
! case rs 10 present an * parte argument
| and uses the proud position ne occupies
| 10 emphasize the statements. II seem,
| so palpaDly unjust. % say the least or IL,
| that common honesty demands that the
whole truth be told IN a plain, unVar-
| nirhed way
The Governor. in his statement OF the
| case. ls vigorous and strong, and doubt
| less felt aggravated and annoyed az me
| constant and persistent efforts OF certain
| persons Ia this city 10 attack him ior
| not doing what they demanded Oh MN
| ir closing up the race-tracks across the
| river The facts are. that the war besan
| in a igI between the two courses ara
| the matter having been brought 10 pun
| lie attention Just as "A time when Alex
| andria county lands began 10 play havoc
| with the sales Of lands on TINS Slle OF
| the Potomac belonging 10 rich ana pow
| erful syudic3tes, these influences were
! cxcrtei 10 the fullest extent 10 "NiIn
| Alexandra county and prevent the tide
! of enumeration that was rapidly lowing
! into the county. So far from hccyii4-
| ulishine the object aimed at, there mas
| been "A great influx Of Immigration INTO
/ the county o. the most neslfapie people,
| and thousands OF dollars have been Spent
| in lands and buildings between thIs cl,y
| and Alexandria Doubtless. however,
| many timid people were Kept out OF the
| county by the fairy tales told or Alex
| andcr Island. this latter pace ueins "a
| lected as the central object OF spite anu
| libel by the men who, FOR selfish plr,
| noses. have used many honest and good
| peoplc rs their tools IN the vicious and
| untruthful attacks made upon the Island
So much for the busy bees that beset
| Che Governor and lead him into has chap-
| ter on Alexandra couniys Misoeen9'
| We shall confine ourselves 10 ms AT
! facl, iiuon Alexandria Island, which ne
| has sandwiched in between st. Asaph
| and the gamblers generally, and upon
| whose shoulders ne tries 20 lay all the
blame OF the condition of laWlessness IN
! Alexandria county.
we assert emphatically that our state
| meufs herein made can each ana every
| one De verified by the most uh.Ipeacil-
! able testimony, and had the Governor
| taken the DrecaulOn OF asking 81 IT."
| questions or even recollectnR MS own
/ acts lee would have saNel himreu iNt
! liability 10 the charge OF misre prest nuhs
! The people OF his Own state ana colnS
/ gross Injustice 10 corporation
! which has ia uO way or measure violated
! any law of the state.
/ without further comment we shall take
| no The message and show where u does
| Injustice 10 the Grange Camp Association.
| / The Governor says that "pooi-seiilhs,
| book-maklns, ETC. was d, an '," n,,5
! carried on on the Island At no uint
/ have pools % ".ntuals peeh SOFA Oh 'ile
n bv "ctc." other gambling or unlawful
! acts Is meant the Governor is rllslhloiii.-
/ Cd. and consequently sent mislhloiliie i.pI
~.
kind has ever occurred or the Grange
Canp Grounds. and such practices are
strictly prohibited by rs rules, WHICH
have always been r;gioly enloiceu.
. A 10 attracting the worst element OF
WASHINGTON To the island, the toc's are
that IN no crowd can the bad element
| le entirely eliminated. but the association
employed the very pest NttSc tlN'n, -
from long experience and KNOWLEDGE
were familiar with this character OF pto-
pie. and asked. the county althoriNes -
arucint them che association 10 pay
their cosU AS special officers. Dut this r.
orcst was refused. Under the charter The
association had the right 10 appoint its
own officers. lut. out or courtesy, N'-
ferred 20 the legal authorities VINO re-
fuefl However. competent ocircts.s
> ne always kept on hand. ana tnis
worst element was kept moving on me
grounds The history OF the assoclalioh
viii show less pickpochets. less 'outS
and less vicious characters, maze aiu
female upon their grounds than any
similar association IN the country
I'm this connection h IS proper 10 state
,-rf Inc officers ~ the association. act
ing under tne law. had arrested ser oi
gamblers and secured direct evidence.
including their parapn' fnana, ana tIrnsn
them over 10 the ltli anthpilurs OF tlc
,orrtv for trial. and they released thcm
on n nominal bail. After which. the ei-
forts Of the association were directed To-
wards preventing violations Of law With
in their own grounds
Nm
if tho GcsueradOcs at AleNGnncr lsidnd
had violated the laws Of tho state that
hn as Governor. and The Judge OF the
court were pOWerless 10 prevent SUCH
Dos the Governor remember that he
instructed the Attorney-General 10 bring
these neopie az Alexander Island 10 iFial
fnr fhef~ ISOLATION Of law. but by some
strange iuadvertencC The Governor forgot
IN houi 40 the ST. Asapn people while
going for the Alexander Islanders ias
hs only found ont that they were per
forming the dark and peculiar trlchs
that were going on AZ the island, Or
was there some peculiar atmospheric con-
dition that caused the sins OF the one
40 vanish while those OF the other stood
prominently out 10 the public gaze,
4 The Governor quotes from the char
tor of the association, ana then says.
sTTrder this charter grounds were phr-
chased IA Fairfax county &c. pHt
for two or three years or longer prior
~ 1874 there were no exhibitions or fairs
Ma and 7 am informed the enterprise
bad been virtually abandoned by the as
sOciatiOn.
Who could have given such information
ia Inc Governor Surely 10 was not state
senator Mushhach. for hc visited the fair
held I'm the fan OF is9l-
II Could not haye been Hon Joseph vii
lard representative from Fairfax, for he
addressed the people or Fairfax on the
grounds at the fair IN i>Ho.
II could not have been Judge Chiches-
ter Tor he appointed the police 10 the
fairs in 1891. 1872. and ls.3 as the records
n could not have been secured from
,ie court records for there advertise
mems. circulars posters. catalogues. and
tickets of admission and other printed
mafter were filed which show that fairs
were held in lsSj and every year there
after until and including lSh
= The Governor says: In TIE spring !
Of 1904 or the winter preceding. the fran |
chises of said charter were I'm some man. |
ner secured. as already stated, by certain |
nersons in the city Of Washington, and i
these persons. claiming the right 10 act /
under such charter. established the park |
AZ Alexander Island heretofore mention |
"a nI7rr- miles distant from the original |
lorafion in Fairfax county, and have I'm "A 4
most bare-faced manner perverted, the |
n'frnoses OF the charter by making their !
IRVING park simply place as stated I
before for horse racing, gambling, book |
making. pool-seling, etc. az all seasons"
The Inference here given Is that the |
charter was obtained by non-residents In /
an unlawful manner and that the loca-
law. and the assertion made that the |
- ter u,a parxert@i In the first fface