The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-29
.DOWlNG MAKES GOOD:
BRAXTON MISSED
Lancaster Man Makes a Great
Speech and Creates En-
3 thusiasm.
thusiasrn.
1specia, 10 Tho Timcs-Dlspa,ch.)

Especial to Tho Tmcs-Dispatch)
AIARTINSVILLE, VA, October 2s.-
! This has been a gala day with Democrats
ir Henry county. The barbecue served
at noon at Banner Warehouse was ex-
cellently cooked and splendidly
SERVED. Seventeen hundred were
fed. The speaking took place in Browns
Warehouse, where there were about one
thousand present. among whom were
many ladies' The meeting was called to
order by County Chairman r. w. Blair,
who introduced Mr.. ]. r. Downing, Of
expressing his pleasure at being on the
soil of. Henry for the first time and ap-
propriatinR to himself the compliment
which he said the ladies intended for Mr..
Braxton in coming out. He began his
address by declaring he stood for old
splendid record that the party had made
in virginia for the last twenty years,
asked what the Republican party in the
State had done that they should be
placed In power, and declared the Con-
stitutional Convention had paid them
back for all services by giving them a
coat OF whltewash.
He complimented President Roosevelt
on his Democratic tendencies which were
making him popular. He. alluded to the
fact thatsa Senator had to be elected.
and mentioned Martin, which evoked con-
candidates for Senate and House in
Henry, and urged upon his hearers the
duty of supporting them.
He opposed the free school book propo-
sition Of the Republicans. declaring that
IL they were in earnest their proposition
ferson, the patron saint Of Democracy,
as the father of the free school system
in Virginia; showed that Tire Democrats
had put the system in operation four
years before they were required under the
constitution to do SO; declared that
though the Republicans now claimed TO
be Lilly AYhite, they were the same old
party still.
Il He was especially severe In his allu-
sion to reconstruction days and the for
nation Of the Underwood Constitution.
He said that fifty-four out OF one hun
dred and five members Of the convention
were negroes, and they had to send to
Illinois to get a man to pray for them.
He denounced the effort Of that body to
disfranchse white men and put the
iron-clad oath on them. He alluded to
the Jones-Lewis controversy, declaring
Judge Aews was denying that he had
never been charged with. and couldn't
deny opposing the law making 1t a crime
for races to inter-marry in his famous
Chesterfield speech. He said he ought tc
have turned black when he said 1t. He
alluded to Swanson as. star risen In
the West, which wise men from the East
had come to worship, complimented the
ladies highly, saying they were always
right, and closed with beautiful tri-
butte to Virginia, her history and hel
resources.
EIe held the close attention OF the
crowd for an hour and a half. He toe
several anecdotes and received consid
cradle applause. He made a fine i'm
| preston The crowd was large anc
! good -humored.
I The cause OF Democracy was much
strengthened by the events Of the day
| The Danvlle band was present, and dis.
| coursed fine music. Braxton missed his
train in Roanoke, causing much xdisap-
pointment by his failure to reach here.