The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-10-24


ability. Had he hn' served the state
with hnlf the lehl DE- served himself the
Declarations in the lrrAH Olllrr Wnull
have been brought ton stop iour yeas
ago The one Thought ia Mr. Gravc'
mind in connection with the Crismond
affair wnnll seem To b. how he can use
il To advance his own pol tiral fortune :.
We are told that u reelected MI.
Graves will not again neglect ms pnolc
duties in defiance oi the law. Nhen "A
candidate fohr wears ago. did not Mr.
Graves prom'se in his rGri announcing
his candidacy aud soin his publicspe
that he would discharge the duties OF
the office faithfully? Who will say that
he has kept that promise
When he quaiGel IA Commonwealth =
Attorney did not Mr. Graves tase npoh
his Inns the most solemn oath 10 dis
charle the duties Of the oiire ialthlil'yi
Who has the temerity to assert That
he has kept that oath!
The voters Of this county may Justly
expect from MIR. Graves some better e'i.
dents than mere promise that ne VIII
faithfully perform his duties u re-e'c "a J.
II MIR. Graves now truly appreciates thr
claims watch The State and county nave
upon him ~ "A public Ohirer, II be hG SIN
cerely repente1 OF his gross neglect OF
duty. let him bring forth lruits meet Tor
repentance. let him place in the n@nds
of ". & DlllArd one hundred and tWe1ty
i've Ia one hundrei aud ii'ty dolaf- to
be turned iuto thecounty tieasu-y his
would serve TO make good ~ poru OF
| the expense which the Iri-mond invest
| cation has cost therounty. 10 Won br
| a visible and ;argble evidence oi ten
ton 20 amend hi ways IL might b. a.
cent, by the people "a an earnest Of njei.
ity To the public interest IN the fuiufe.
There If no question of seeking To pun'rh
MIR. Graves The Office al Comno' Do
I wealth's Attorney If not hla prl' ait
property to be held by him orto BE- tufne1
over 20 DcJarnette OrrOme 0'her mh q ~
his peasare. Ii does not belong 10 him,
but % the people he will not sui r %
he should fan Of r. election Tie does not
need the Off -. lie Is "A shrewd has e.s
man lie Is man OF wealth, judged 10y
the standards Of tAi- section. Ills Tor
tune In much larger thanis generally up
posed. lie can stop work any ia! win
means sufficient 20 support him All hi-
family 10 ease anu Giiluence
II | believed that be- had made flith
iul and efficient public officer ! AN man
enough 10 say 80 No matter wnet my
personal feeling toward MIN might oe
But know that many who supported
Mr.. Graves Loyalty aud unselfshly fur
year- ago have had good reason o. re-
pqnt their action aud earnestly and
sincerely believe that il would b. apdblic
calamity Tor Mr. Graves ever tO get his
grip upon the OLD county.
IL has been many years since ! espi-ef
70 any office. IL is not my expecta ion
ever again % Ark anything ~ the ha ids
of nv iellOw.citiE Us Any man 10 thls
county. who will make a faithful nnd
efficient public officer il Satisfactory 20
me. n Mr.. Graves should be re- elect d !
shall possess one advantage over some oi
those who are now bent upon retaining
him in office know hy experience what
treatment men who have been tru- nod
unselhsh friends to him may expect AT
bis hands. TheJ do not.
Henry NJ. Holledsv.
Holiday, Va oct y, 1903.
P.S.:Mr Graves a--erts that the method
adopted by him in checking NJ the ti'rk
was ~ sale and sure as that prescribed
by law. How was il then that the To-
yestigAting Committee found n e
of % deeds reported during the p'ri d
when Mr. Graves should have eXamiDed
the records and certified TO the correct
Ness Of The same
~ source Of information vas open to
l.
Gray-s. The Committee went 10 IA
Deed Books IA the law plainly directs.
Mr. Graves did not 20 20 the DEED BIZ ks
A. the law directs. The reason the 4. IN
mittee found the shortage Is that u I'll
lowed the method prescribed by Law.
The reason that Mr Graves dill not fi-
cover the shortage Il that be did MOI fol
low the method prescribed by law !,
he had gone over the Deed Book at the nj
of each month and certified corr ct
statement ~ the results Of that eXRni'
nation upon the Daily Record Book 81
Taxes paid % the Clerk, a. the law r..
quired him 20 do, the numker OF de,G'
spread upon the records during the four
years OF his incumbency ~ ascertalaed
by him must have tailed with the nun
Der az ascertaioed 10y the COMMITTEE
Going 10 the same source iOriniOrmatlOu
the results must have been the same.
II the Clerk had failed 10 spread the
deeds upon the record ia the proper
month. he must have pnt them upon he
Deed Books in some month thereafter
. 40 considerable number OF deeds could
nave been withheld from the Deed Book,
for period Of four years without ~
absolute certainty Of detection lb'
. amount reported a. due the state ron
. month to month might have beel mac
curate, but the agg regete amour report
. ed during the four years must haV'
, agreed with the amount ~ found due b.,
/, the Committee The Committee mah'
4 no examination OF deeds which have no
been spread upon the records And
there are any deeds in the Office VIII "a
!. should have been spread upon the record
% prior 70 February -. 1903, Mr. Grave
. did not bring them to the attention q
i the Committee.
\ Mr.. Graves statement has a certsi
! air Of plausiblity. But TO one who ha
!. examined the records the matter II a
|. plain "a day. The law Was framed 60
enacted for the express purpose OF pf'
r venting precisely what has occurred in u
n Clerks Office OF SpOtsylyania county
n And it will inialibly prevent such "A IL
= plorable condition OF affairs where III
d Commonw seltha Attorney does b
- duty. The records of the Office show "
q. things,
?. Mr. Crismond is a deisulter aud NJ
.. Graves during the whole Of his term
% office has been guilty Of the grossest an
n. most culpsble neglect OF duty in op'
n. and contemptuous defiance Of the las
10 Shall we punish one and reward Il
q other
ID Henry NJ Holladsy
Il PLANNING FOR THE ELECTION
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