Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-10-27
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 81. 1909.
JUDGE LEWIS LOSES HIS TEMPER

There are surface indications that
Judge Lewis is losing his temper His
bitter and undiGniiicd attack. upon
j. Taylor Ellyson can he explained
on no other hypothesis. II certainly
was NOT good politics. for such out.
breaks lose II candidate the votes OF
many persons who find II difficult 10
reconcile blackguar,lism with the dig
niiy one wishes to see embodied i'm
high officials of the State, while prac.
tlchily no one is attracted to stan.
dard through The medium OF abuse. the
man ON the fence naturally asking !:
Why is il necessary for the candi.
cate 10 Stoop 10 mud singing? IL he
mas real arguments to present why
does he waste his time in making per.
sonal attacks upon other mcn?"
So far rs We can understand the
points 1T issue the controversy be.
tween Chairman Eilyson and Judge
Lewis grows out of Il circular issued
Ivy the State Democratic committee,
giving the -Disratchs account
al Representative Jones Frcdcricks-
hurg speech, in which it was stated
That Judge Lewis once favored mis-.
ccgcnatiGn. Later Mr.. Jones said
That he did moi use the word "misceg.
cnation,' but stated that In Joint
debate Judge Lewis announced that he
was opposed 10 a bill prohibiting mar.
riaSes between negroes and whites.
Whcrenpon Chairman Ellyson sup
pressed The circular and destroyed all
lnl a few Which went out before MIR.
Jones correction was made.
Judge Lewis does NOT deny that he
may have said tina, he considered the
law against misccgenation unconsti.
Imiional. Opposed TO his lack of men,
DRY Two compentent witnesses who
were present when Judge Lewis is
shid to have taken The stand against
the mixed marriage law, positively as
scri that he did announce his opD1si.
zion 10 the law prohibiting miscegen-
anon. AS having Il significant bearing
upon Tie subject the esteemed Rich
nond Evening Journal recalls that i'm
he year SIS Edmund Kinney. a ne
gro residing in Hanover county, was
married in Washington city to n white
woman, also from Hanover He and
The woman returned TO that county To
live. In March, 1879. they were in.
diCtcd, convicted, and each sentenced
10 five years Imprisonment in the pen.
iientiary. On Nav Is, 1879. applica.
lion FOR writ OF habeas corpus was
made By the negro TO the United
States District Court, Judge Robert w.
Hughes presiding. Judge Lewis. then
United States Attorney. appeared for
tho petitioner and argued that the Act
OF Assembly making such marriage n
lciony was unconstitutional and
VOID; that marriage was n civil con.
tract. and that under the civil rights
law, negroes had full power to contract
with white persons as well as with
members OF their own race: he algI
stated thar Massachusetts had long
since repealed her prohibtory law on
This subject. Attorney General Field
appeared in this case on behalf OF
Virginia. The above account of this
case is taken from the Richmond Dis
patch of Nav j.. 1879.
Instead of violent abuse of the Dem
ocratic State chairman 1t would be
more aprcpos for Judge Lewis TO OK
plain just what are his views in re
gard 10 miscegcnation. He seems Il
have lost his case in regard to tho
Chesterfield joint debate. In an,
event the proof against him is sui
iiGiehtly strong 10 raise seriou!