The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-10-28
SCHOLARLY SPEECH
Hon. A. CapertOn BraxtOn Delights
Democrats.
HIS ABLE ADDRESS AROUSED GREAT ENTHUSIASM
CAMPAIGN Issues Strongly Stated from Demo
cratic Standpoint

campaign tSucS oHOheD 'ia"u Nv" 'N"'
cratic Standpoint.
The Hon. 4. Caperton NnXton. o
Staunton addressed the voters ui freder
ericksburg in the courthouse Thursday
II ght.
The practically unanimous vcrd"t o
those who heard Mr.. BfaNtOn Was that
his speech was one OF the most scholar ~
and powerful arguments, from the Demo
cratic standpoint, heard IN fndcricks
burg for many years Mr.. BraNton had
a splendid audience OF representative clt-
liens, whose spontaneous and frequent
outbursts of applause attestcd the du,
appreciation his splendid address iuerlied.
The meeting waz presided over by Col.
T.. u. Cole, the city Democratic char
man. who introduced Mr.. Granville Il
Swift. Democratic candidate for House
Of Delegates. who in a graceful and alr
propriate speech introduced the speaker.
Mr.. BraNtOn arose amid iiuttrring
storm of applause which lasted Tor some
minutes. and nj once launched into dis
cussion OF the issues Of the pending cam
paign
Heemphasized the impoltan of elec-
tions generally. and declared that the
most dangerous thing confronting Tree
government is apathy.
PARTY RECORDS COMPARED.
He compared the records of the Demo.
cratic and Republican parties and said
that the Republicans left state finances
and State credit i'm worse condition when
they were defeated in lSN3 than that oil
any state in the Union. The Democratic
party settled State debt by issuing cen.
tury bonds at , per cent. interest and
had paid of more than S4,OOO,OuO OF
principal during the % years OF control
of affairs Has established an agilcul-
tural department, n labor bureau an
oyster fleet. rebuilt the capitol and while
all this has been done taxes have been
reduced lie then paid a beautiful trb'
ME To theConiederatc soldier aud declar
ed that antagouism To- him had given
birth To the Republican party, while th,
Democracy had provided for and taken
care Of him. Said Campbell Slemp hal
helped hv his vote 10 turn ont rs door
keeper Of the House an old ONE legged
Confederate soldier and put "a recently
emancipated negro in his place. The
Democrats had improved and advanced
University of Virginia and other state
institutions aud the free schools.
lie then discussed the free book ques
ton. and Illdled the Republican argu
ment i'm their invOr Said Republicans IN
Western Virginia promise the people in
that section that they shall not help ~
buy ire books for negroes IN Eastern
Virginia. but that ii su~essiul IN thu
election they will make each district take
care of Itself. The speaker charged that
Republicans were an uugrateiul lot and
did not appreciate any of the blessings
the Democrats had bestowed upon them,
that particularly was this true IN the
vast improvements the Democrats had
made in the peutcntiary. where nearly
all the inmates We're Republicans.
The Democratic party. declared the
speaker. has adopted new constitution
which had eliminated the negro as II
factor in politics. aud which had more
than paid the cost of the convention
which framed il during hc first year ul
it, operation. hy taxation on railroads
and other corporations, aud had render
ed possible reduction of the taxes winch
the people have To pay.
ANOTHER CHARGE AGAINST JUDGE LEWIS.
The speaker then discussed the liepub-
ican claim that they ar new lily white
party. and declared that whatever
right they now had 10 this claim was
the result of thorough scrubhlng al
ministercd To them 10y the Democrats,
very much against their VIII.
He then took up Judge Lewis
record and referred 10 the charge
made by Congressman ". \. JOnesin his
speech here, in reference 10 his opposition
to the passage OF the statute prohibiting
intermarriage between the races, and
declared that Judge Lewis record at
other times bore odt Mr. Jones charge
that Judge Lewis had attempted, by
habeas corpus proceedings TO getanegro
man out of Jail who had left Virginia
with white woman, married her IN the
District OF Columbia aud had come back
to Hanover county Va, To reside with IN.
wife. aud who had been arrested and
iailed under this statute. He declared
that Judge Lewis in those proceedings
had attacked the constitutiUnality OF
the statute.
The speaker next INDUCED in Il strong
argument for the principal OF regulating
railroad rates. which he declared was a
Democratic measure; that \ irginia had a
CORPORATION commission, established 10y
the Democratic Constitutional Couven.
ton. which had performed splendid
service along this line; that President
Roosevelt was a recent convert to this
Democratic idea.
He declared that the Republicans IN
one breath boosted OF having gotten rid
of the negro in politics and in the next
demand that because of this very Tact
southern representation in congress I've
cut down.
Judge Lewis. he said. had Federal
troops brought to Petersburg in 1876,
upon an affidavit stating that the pur-
pose was to insure a fair election IN Nir-
einia. while as a matter OF TACT, az was
afterwards shown, it was part OF pre-
conceived plan of the Republicans to
steal the presidency.
Mr.. Braxton closed his splendid speech
with a stirring appeal to all true Nir-
pinians to snow the Republicans under
good and deep this fall.
MISSIONARY BOX