The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-08
ECHOESAOF DISCUSSION
ATsKING GEORGE TIYURSDA Y

RICE THUR SDA Y /
/, of special interests that tho Senate rs
were exposed to many inescnpablc temp
tations, as wns evidenced by tho great
number OF Senators at present under
criminal Indictment. While not denying
tho Senate might DO better. Senator Mar.
| tin pointed out tho service Of the Senate
| In holding up tho Force Bill In 1890, all
argument which appealed greatly to his
auditors and then said amid great
| laughter My distinguished competition
has been citing tho case OF Senator Quay
MS II he Just found 1t outyI It has been
known to tho Decorate party for years,
| and we have tlone what we could to with
stand him, but how will the election OF
| my competitor mako n bad Senator, even
II he were alive. good man." In his
reply, Governor Montague said that tho.
| adoption OF nbArrlmnry would Mt least
| give tho people chance to save then,-
selves In the future from being delivered
into tho power Of any such person AS
Senator Quay had been.
The greater part OF both speeches was
takcntup with discussion OF the primary,
which, was made up and down we'll wort,
tracks. IN concluding his opening adj
dress Governor Montague, In q most
dramatic way, demanded of Senator Mar
| tin that he tell the people where anu
when he had done anything to further
| or to help enact constitutional amends
ment making the election OF senators
directly by the people. In making TINS
demand, Governor Montague called Scna-
tor Martins attention to the fact that
several Democratic platforms had adopted
the direct election Of senators as one OF
| the party planks, and that tho Virginia
| Legislature by resolution had instructed
tho Virginia delegation in Washington
| to use their best efforts towards obtain
| ing this enactment. To this question
Senator Martin replied That he had done
neither moro nor less than Daniel, Cor
man and other leading senators. and that
his failure to net was due to the fact that
n minority of one-third could not con-
! troll a majority Of two-thrds, "as my
! distinguished competitor will find out
! II he is so fortunate as to get 10 tho
| Senate" Continuing, Senator Martin
said that he recognized the value and
| Importance of this enactment, but That
| so far it had been impossible to get
anything done. The Governor also took
| up the senator's record In regard to the
primary in Virginia, and alleged that
! Senator Martin had always actively OPP
| posed the granting Of any primary to
| the people OF this State, and had thereby
walled himself off from an expression
of popular opinion.
''You have no voice unless you have the
| power" said tho Governor, and the
ballot is your power" This power, tho
Governor said, the people would have
received under the primary plan from
the Hon. w. a. Jonca, II the Roanoke
! conventions, under the influence Of Sena-
tor Martin. had not defeated that motion.
The objects Of the primary" said Cover
T, nor Montague, was TO give a full and
! free discussion to the individual citizens
| wishes without regard to- clques, rings
and courthouse crowds To this Senator
| Martin replied that he had been OPP
posed to the primary eight years ago for
reasons that were perfectly satisfactory
Ito him then and now. II fought 1t at
Roanoke said the senator, because the
sole object Of the primary then was to
| defeat Tom Martin" and l am not
ashamed Of what did. THE entire
assessment said the senator, would
then have fallen on me and you can't
blame me for not paying $4,000 II could
! help 1t. An answer which Thoroughly
satisfied his audience. In his reply Gov
ernor Montague said that 1t would not
have been 10000, and Senator Martin
said 1t would, and there the question
| seemed to rest. ~ N5t445
Coming to the present primary, the
Governor said that the senator had
hindered and delayed 1t as far as he
could II did not" said the senator, i
moved its adoption. You saw me do 1t
| when l lose In my scat at the convention
In Richmond last year" Yes" said the
Governor, 'and everybody else saw you
! do IT,"
It required neither brains nor courage
| to get in the wagon when the tail gate
was down. and you could get in or stay
| out; and, as a matter OF fact, the motion
for Its adoption wac made by the Hon.
l ". A. Jones'
The result Of the discussion Of the
4 past attitude Of the senator and Cover
j nor. respectively, towards the primary
somewhat loses Its force as a present
/ issue by reason of the earliest and re-
peated assurances of Senator Martin that
at present nobody In the State more
earnestly desires full. fair and free
primary than himself. The senator's as
surance Of his attitude OF this ques-
i ton seemed to apparently satisfy his au-
ditors. and he addressed himself to other
topics. Senator smoot." said Senator
Martin. lis not Il bgamist, Us my COM
4 petitor has alleged. He is an apostle
and n member OF the Mormon Church, but
whether this membership implies obliga-
lions which make him unfit to- be a
member OF the United States Senate is
), question that l shall not pass upon
4 until hear the report Of the special
] committee investigating that case
| WELL" said Governor Montague,
have always understood that he had two
wives, and do you deny IT." II do not
I deny it, said Senator Martin, "but ]
!. will not be coerced or led nth state.
3 ment OF what / shall do until l know
the evidence in the case. and IN any
event will give Reed Smoot the benefit
of the law and Constitution of the United
States, SO help me God, whether 1t Il
popular or not"
Good roads came In for full share
of the discussion, In which both speak
arr- a GRE daal of den1a pQNY