The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-05

Richmond. N1. Aug t-Hon "i.
liam a Jones letter. Published yo-tor-
day a. a railIni-r % Senator Martin s.
reply to me crt ri-m of fho Latter 81
D.. .rd made in the First District
Representative speech 80 TT .us.o1 fe0
DAYS ag1. attracted urch attention ln
political cileies auI adds fH she inter
es, BRO che senatorial race Tine letter.
like chat " Nr Mrru'- IS respectful.
IN tone and temperate BOO expression,
though arguriug boldly i1 u.tlin every
claim maize in Mr. Jones discussion
with Clom Glfon.
The friends q Mr Martin profess o.
care very little f1r Mr. Jones letter bu.
the popular impression is that n Is o
very str0ngp3par. The sp0ndenca,
If kept up. promises On grow mIeh more
interesting and t1 take au added warmth
as IL progresses Bong the party at-
tackled. and having taken notice of the
original attack np0n his record. n L.
believed that Mr. Martin VIII reply o.
Congressman Jones. Bo'h NJ these gen
tlemcn have declared that they have In
reserve much material which will make
tbe controversy more lively Mr.. Mar
Q
occasion arose me would not he.itate O.
bring the record Of Mr. Jones under re-
view.
Mr. Jones makes several thrusts st
the friends of Mr. Martin who assisted
IN the preparation Of his letter Il
now looks as though there would be 81
iJiut discussion between Mes-rs Martin
aad Jones The latter, In a private letter
10 a friend here, says that nothing
would afford him greater pleasure than
20 meet Mr.. Martin on the stump. He
add that be VIII NEE, any supporter
# Mr. Martin.
In Mr. Jones rejlinder, the more in
tore-ting statements arc i'm relation ~
Senator Martins waruc1rd and 20 his
connection with railroads On these
points Mr. Jones says:
Il challenged Mr.. Green o. name the
command in which bis hero had serv d
and the battles IN which he had partici-
pAted, and l vas inform q tbat he Was
| in the battle OF New Market Ny re-
DIV was that be was not in that battle.
and that | had always understood be
was guarding the baggage of the bat
| TALON when the battle was fought.
did not charge that be bad failed 10
perform his duty l merely gave the
| facts as l understood them II, admits
/ he was not IN the battle Of New Mar
/ ker. and that his friend was mistaken
in So saving His statement Is,
when the battalion " cadets was or
! dered down the valley on the occasion
If the battle was sick IN the hospital
/ The only difference between US Is that
! I said he WAS guarding the baggage
while he alleges hat he vas sick when
| his battalion was ordered down the
valley. | was in no way esp)nslble for
the airing which his military record
received, and II appears o. me % be
purely case Of save me from my
fiiends
"As to mg statement that Senator
| Martin was known to the people Of
/ Virginia as arailroad agent aud lobby
ist. 80 far as he was known 10 them al
all before his election, | have only &c
say that the idea whether it had rs
origin in falseho1d or malice OF not. il
not "a new one. Senator Martin doe.
not intimate that the idea originated
with me He knows thatlt was cur
] rent through az the othle az tho 'ii,i'
of mis- election II was repeatedly
stated at the time OF his election
and during the SIX years thar nave
SINCE elapsed il has been so frequently
alleged in the pablo press and else
where that the people of Virginia have
LONG since come TO regard it as a settled
and accepted fact He will scarcely deny
that for some time prior to his election
he was in the habit Of spending his
winters in Richmond when the Legs
lature was in session, ana that ne cur
tivated most assidiously the acquaint
! ance Of the members Of that body He al.
mt, he was the piid agent Of a railroad
corporation et that time. and If TIE
CORPORATION which employed him IS
a king for no ] gislafion at the hands
! of the General Assembly II was certain
ly interested in defeating some which
was proposed