Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-14
MONTAGUE AND RHEA
THE GOVERNOR MAKES A SPEECH
FOR THE CONGRESSMAN AT
wYTHEvILLE.
TALKS ON NEW CONSTITUTION.
Defend. the Present Organic Law,
with Some Qualifications.
HE HAS PRAISE FOR BLAcRsBuRG.
His Plea for Better Public Schools
is One of the Features ofsthe Adj
dress-A Fine Crowd Heard His
E1ceuency and Gave Him the
Glad Hand Mr.. Rhca's Able
Speech.
Defends the Present Organic Law,
With Some Qualifications.
HE HAS PRAISE FOR BLACRsBURG.
His P1ea for Better Public Schools

wYTHEVILLE, VA, October 13.@lSpe-
cial.)-A fine audience of the representa-
tive citizens Of this section greeted Judge
William F. Rhea and Governor A. ).
Montague at the opera house this after
noon. to hear them discuss the issues OF
the pending canvass. Judge Rhea con-
fined his remarks nearly entirely to his
course In Congress and refuting number
of the campaign stories which are being
circulated by the Republican speakers IN
this district, among them that he voted Tor
the treaty with Spain, a measure that
the lower House Of Congress had nothing
to do with. and that it had been passed
by the Senate before he was elected to
Congress.
Judge Rhea urged upon his friends that
there was but one thing that could defeat
him-indifference on their part.
The Governor,s Speech.
Governor Montague is highly esteemed
in this county, and he was well received.
He began his speech with an appeal Tor
the reelection of Judge Rhea by an in
creased majority. He then devoted some
time to a discussion Of the new Consti-
tuition, saying, among other things, that
if it did no more than get rid of the lob
byists in and about the legislative halls Of
the State. that the new Constitution was
money well spent; that it was the solemn
duty of all good citizens to uphold the new
instrument, to make the best of it, even
if they were disappointed with It.
He was most positive when he said
that at no time had he ever said that no
white man would be disfranchised by the
new Constitution, but that if he had writ
ten it he would have disfranchised the
man who said: 1T don't pay me to vote, !"
that he was for America for and by
Americans, and that Virginia was entering
upon a new and clearer day with the vi
cious lazy negro disfranchised
The BIacksburE School.
Governor Montague expressed the hope
to soon see the free schools of Virginia
out of the keeping and contamination of
politics, and in referring to Blacksburg
College, he paid that institution a glori-
Gus tribute by saying that it was the
grandest school of the kind in the United
States and added that in a conversation
recently with Professor Bailey, professor
of agriculture at Cornell, that gentleman
had expressed his great amazement and
wonder at the advantages and opportunl-
ties offered by the Virginia school.
In speaking of the foreign policy of the
government, the Governor said that Ad-
miral Deweys victory at Manila was the
greatest blow ever struck at the commerce
of America, and that the most effective
blow to deliver the trusts was to lower
the tariff duties so as to let in foreign
competitions; that he was as much opposed
n hOI1ntiaa for fha r9ft1o and grain
ers as he was for the sugar growers of
Louisiana; that the people of this country
sold those of Canada, only 100000 people
more goods than to the hundreds of mill
lions of people in China.
Governor Montague's speech was full of
thought and made a deep, lasting impress
sion upon his hearers.