Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-10-12
Stirring Speeches Made Monday
by Flood and RevercOmb.

by Flood and Revercomb.
= For three hours last Monday
l. the Courthouse u representa-,
n gathering of Rockbridge poop
was entertained by Hon. H. L
# Flood, Democrat, and Hon. Geore
y A. Revercomb, Republican, cand
dates for Congress from this, tn
. Tenth District. A large crowd wa
in attendance, and at times cor
r siderable enthusiasm was develop
: ed. Both speakers We're in fin
. trim and their personal thrusti
were greatly enjoyed by the crowd
> Mr.. Flood is the present able rep
: resentative in Congress from tn
; Tenth District, and Mr.. Rever
comb is the representative of tn,
Seventh District in the State Sen
ate.
Mr.. Flood opened the discussion
} in speech OF one hour. He was
introduced by Mr.. Frank Moore
chairman of the d moe craft {
, County Executive Committee. The
speaker began his address by Il
discussion of national issues, in
which he insparingly charged the
Republican party as being respon-
sible for the existence of trusts.
the imperialaistic tendencies of the
present administration, and the
corruption found in the execu-
tive branch of the government.
This party. he said, protected GER
tain manufacturers by imposing a
high tariff on foreign products
which the consumer had to pay,
and in turn appealed to these same
manufacturers for Ill p g n
funds.
When Mr.. Roosevelt succeeded
the lamented President Mckinley,
said the speaker, many of the peo-
pie thought an honest man had
been elevated, one who would not
hesitate to use his great Office to
deter evil doors. He had declared
himself to be in favor of publicity
| of public affairs, and acting on
this belief many members of Con-
gress FASTENED to introduce bills
calling for investigating the trusts.
A bill was passed approprlating
100000 for the expenses of iEves-
tigating the trusts. Then it was
that many persons thought the in
vestigations would be made. But
alas, they were mistaken, because
the advisers of President Roose-
welt impressed upon him the i'm
portance Of delaying Investigate
ions until after the election in No
vember, as action before would
jeOpardize his chances for re-
election.
Mr.. Flood eferred briefly to the
opportunities that great combines
have of cornering the market. A
few years ago the wheat market
was c0rnered and the operators
made 81, 900, 900; the sugar oper-
atOrs cOrnered sugar and made |
SO, 100000. The same is true of
the tobacco trust, by which $780,
600 tobacco growers are ground |
down by low prices, while the
trust practically controls t h e
market.
He concluded by referring to the
record of Mr.. Revercomb in the
State Senate, who was absent
three-fourths of his time from
duty. In fact he was present only
about 40 days during the session
of POP days. He failed to respond
to 1862 roll calls, but he did not
fail to receive his pay for the SER
vice he did not render. Mr.. Rev.
ercomb introduced only six bills
in the Senate, and neglected every
one of them, SO that they never
got out of the committee.
Mr.. Revercomb was init reduced
by Postmaster McClung Patton,
chairman of the Republican Exec
utive Committee, and spoke for
one hour and thirty m nut ties.
He said he desired to discuss the
issues of the campaign and not
appeal to the passions and preju-
dices Of men. He said he fret
wished to reply to Mr.. Floods
reference to his record. He did
rot remember how many days he
was absent from the Senate, but
he was always there when the
peoples interest was at stake. The
Republicans were in a hopeless
and-eeuid do nothing.
NJ. Flood had done not h
Jig in Congress because the Re-
publlcans were in large majority.
He might be of some service in
the Virginia Senate but none in
Congress. 1t had cost his con-
stituents $4,000 to get one bill in
the committee and he had never
gotten it out.
Touching on general issues Mr..
Revercomb said that from 1856
10 1892 the Republican party had
control of the government, and
.he country was prosperous. The
people were happy in the enjoy. ,
neat Of the fruits of their labor. :
In 1892 the Democrats got control ,
and Immediately prosperity and !
and happiness van
shed. He said that God gives ,
4, 4