Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-13
SWANSON FLAYS
REPUBLICANS.
Democratic Leader Has Fine Recep.
ton at Richmond Academy.
lFrom Dlsnntchl


for his ticket before large audience
in the Academy of Music, Richmond,
Monday night, and he was given a
splendid ovation. The occasion NAV
very properly be termed Demo-
cratic love feast, for the audience was
composed Of party men without refer
ence to past differences, while on the
stage were leaders prominent in all
factions. Iardella's band discoursed
sweet music, aud there were many
prominent ladies in the boxes and in
the audience as well.
| One incident which foretold har-
mony of action was the introduction
of the permanent presiding officer,
uon. j. Taylor Ellyson, Democratic
nominee for Lieutenant-Go
by Hon. James Aston Cabell, his
unsuccessful competitor in the recent
primary.
MIR. Swanson expressed his graft
tude to the speakers preceding him
for their complimentary references to
himself, and paid them both deserved
tributes. He declared he was the
candidate of no faction but of a
united and harmonious Democracy,
which had buried past differences,
and was standing for party principles
in a common brotherhood for the
common good.
81 desire to impress upon you the
vast Importance of this election, ("
continued the speaker. Not in years
has there been one in this State so
highly important to the people of
Virginia.
"What have we involved?
1--WE are fighting for our splendid
school system, as well as for the
management of all the asylums of
our State. You must determine
whether the Democrats or Republi-
cans shall appoint aud control the
policy of your splendid State Cor
porstion Commission, which has con-
trlbuted So much to the best interest
of all the people"
The speaker then pointed ont that
a seat in the United States Senate,
and all those on the State Supreme
Court were involved, and declaring
that the issue was sharply drawn
between Democrats and Republicans,
he said amid great cheering, that it
was wonderful to him how the Re-
publicans were making so much fuss
over the fact that at last they had
succeeded in naming q high man for
an honorable position.
'All have to say about this is,"
he declared" that if Judge Lewis is
such good aud great man, he is in
mighty bad company. The Repub-
licaus claim that they are now an
entirely new party. This l take as
a concession that they have been bad
before. | soy they are the same old
party. / ask you who is their boss
and leader in this State? That man
is Colonel Slemp, than whom none
ever took more pride in the infamy
of Mahoneism, aud who voted to kick
out a Democratic one-legged Con-
tederate soldier as doorkeeper of the
House of Delegates to place negro
in his stead.
"Who is Judge Lewis, the Repub-
lican nominee for Governor ?'' he
asked. Lets measure Judge Lewis
aud see if he is a new convert who
has cleansed the Few Republican
party of Virginia"
The speaker declared that the FIRST
public position Judge Lewis held was
that of a commissioner of the United
States government, given him by the
Republican party at Culpeper in
1868, IN Reconstruction days. Mr..
Swanson denounced his signing an
affidavit to bring Federal troops TO
Petersburg to conduct the election
there in 1876. eff he is regenerated
man, who has come to cleanse and
purify his party in this State. /
declare to you that he must lay
before the people some convincing
evidence against this unconstitu ton
al and unauthorized action. / saw
that man who, in 1876, had no
more respect for the law and Con-
stitution of his State and country. is
not fit to be entrusted with the vast
powers and responsibilities of the
governorship of this State.
"But how about some of their other
contentious? They have gone to
Iowa in order to bring Secretary Shaw
here In an effort to add decency TO
their campaign in Virginia, and / am
constrained to remark that the COM
pliment has never been returned.
You don't find them inviting Repub.
llcans from Virginia to make speeches
elsewhere or to take places in the |
Cabinet at Washington.
Mr.. Swanson declared that il was |
important for the Democrats of the
South to preserve control of their
State governments, and he invoked as
an evidence the whitening aspect that
had met the human eye from Della
ware to Texas just following the war,
and which had lasted until the Demo
Gratis had regained control.
81 call upon my Republican
friends to point out the State in the
South they have controlled since the
war, where corruption, disgrace and
suffering have not followed in their
wake. If Repubiicanism could sue
coed anywhere in the South it was in
Kentucky; and yet the administra-
ton they had there was one of defal-
cation, disaster and ruin, followed
by foul assassination never to be
forgiven and never to be forgotten.
Mr.. Swanson referred to Mary
land, North Carolina, Delaware and
other Southern States, and said this
generation had never witnessed s1cb
a series of miserable failures as had
come with Republican administra.
hon within their borders.
lyon cannot gather figs from
thorns, nor grapes from thistles," he
went on sand toll NO., tkos ,tI