The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-17
FLOOD AND PARKS
Talk to Democrats at the Court House
Here Unique Speeches and Remark
able Admissions.

Two Democratic members of the Con
stitutiona Convention, Hon H. ID. Flood
and Hon. Il. $ Parks. addressed an
audience OF l3j voters at thecourthouse
here Tuesday night On the stand besides
Messrs. Flood and Parks, were Hon. II.
+. Garnett OF King George, City Chair
man II. II Wallace, and Hon \. Il. En-
brey. who introduced the speakers The
audience was composed principally OF
white men. there being only ! ! negroes
present.
Capt Parks was the first speaker, and
said i'm part that hc despised demagogy.
would not appeal to passions, would
make plain statement of existing con
ditons and let the people Judge whom it
was to their interest To trust; that Flood
would follow him, and according To
Scripture. the best wine was saved for
/ the last: 80 that he was neither n MOnta-
cue. Swanson. Martin or Daniel man, but
/ a Democrat. because Democratic prln-
/ ciples are the best for the State and ma
/ ton. lie thought there should be two
/ parties i'm the State. and evenly balanced,
/ because. when so, each would be more
/ careful of the trusts repOsed. ana the peO-
| pies affairs properly administered. PeO.
/ ple are not going To vote for Montaguc&
| Go rs men. but rs the opponents of the
principles deartoevcry Democratic heart.
Said he: Letus review the history of the
Republican party. Ii was founded in the
| North. was organized to free the negroes
of the South. and was sectional party
because il made war on the interests of
e /. IL fsa... . la.
negro, gave him the right 10 vote by a
tremendous war. disiranchised thousands
oi white men and put them under the
negro. pilaged and bankrupted the treas
ury of every Southern State, played the
devil with the judiciary. filed offices with
negroes and Ousted white men. Ii wasa
sectional party, and no Southern man
should support il.
The Democrat, party lived on Mount
| Sinai and found rs base there. ltsmotto
was the Golden Rule" DO unto Others as
YOU would have them DO unto You Ii
/ had no dark places in its history The
| Democratic party instituted free schools
i'm this state prior To the war OF Cleo.
Ii passed the land-grabbers' act; hevoted
for il. was proud OF it and would not
vote to repeal IL if sent back To the
| legislature.
Capt. Parks said there was no propo-
stion before the Constitutional Conven-
| ton To disiranchise a single whitema or
worthy negro but if it was not for the
Fifteenth amendment he would dsiran-
chise every negro voter in Virginia. He
compared the present with the Under
wood convention. I he former was in
d Q .N.fta. tslttI 3. -
perday. and would be- in session now but
for the action of the military officers IN
command of Virginia cutting of their
pay Bear with us patiently and we will
rive lu a Constitution 'h't will be not
only acceptable to thepctple but credit
to t r men that made j.. hr said
He closed by appealing 10 thtpeopleto
vote ana 10 Sc that their nDlghbors
voted
HON. % u. FLOOD
MIR Flood said he was glad to stand
upon the sacred soil of fredericksburg
sacred because OF the precious Southern
blood that had lccn shed here Sacred
because OF the name it had made in his
tory. sacred because of the spirit of de- /
yltion eyinced 10y its men and women IN
a cause they considered just Devoted /
10 It's memories he referred % Gen Mercer. F.
one Of its sons. who iellat Princeton, and
10 the 600 minute men who were the irst
in colonial times 10 march 10 Nl"iams-
burg.
His speech was devoted to state affairs
almost exclusively.
Said since 1869 $4,000, 600 had been
received into treasury of state and there
had been only one defalcation, of few
thousands of dollars. and the deiaulter
wasnow behind prison bars COntrasted
this with Nicely, RathbOne, etc. and
Others who stole money in Cuba and
now at large.
Spoke of the increase Of $500. 600 year
" i'm State revenue without increase OF
taxes. Expenses increased, il is true, but
the increase was for benefit Of people in
way OF public schools, etc
Gave history OF the Underwood Con
stitution and the vicious measures which
were eliminated by order Of Congress.
Said purpose OF calling present COnyen-
ton was for restriction OF suffrage.
pledge YOU a. member of the Suffrage
Committee that no white man will beds
franchised. and il can effect it, every
negro will be DISTINGUISHED. The negro
should not vote. because when he does
he becomes a tool of vicious white men.
Said Republicans appeal for fair cleo
tions The evil can be remedied. In thirty
five counties in the State the negro vote
is not counted in order to retain white
supremacy. Disfranchise the negro and
you remove the cause for unfair elections.
Then it will be Anglo-SaXOn against
Anglo-SaXOn and the stain Of stealing the
ballot in Virginia will be blotted out.
Said he was opposed to the education
of the negro. 1t puts them in COMPETE
ton with skilled white labor in factories,
etc. Explained why Convention dis
cussed taking of oath, that in the Under
wood Constitution was a provision that
the franchise law should not be changed,
and if oath were taken and that clause
changed. they would have periured them
selves. He closed by an appeal to sup
port Wallace for Senate and Biscoe Tor
House OF Delegates
Hon. J. R. Purcell of Prince William.
put the finishing touch on the occasion.
He was in the audience, and alder it was
! q. al ovorr no mounted the rOstrum for q