Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-11-01
The Real Charges Against Judge
Lewis

The Real Charges Against Judge
Lewis
The leading editorial in the
Y Richmond Times-Dispatch of last
Friday was review of the conten-
= tlon between Judge Lewis. Re-
5 publican nominee for Governor,
: and Judge Hundley as to the
statement Of Judge Lewis with
8 reference to his favoring allowing
;. the races to intermarry. The
: article, in part, is as follows:
There is popular impression
that the Democratic organization
, of Virginia has charged that Judge
L. L. Lewis stood before an au-
dience of negroes at Chesterfield |
Courthouse in 1877 or 1878 and |
declared that he was in favor of
miscegenation. No such charge
was ever made. No man who
knows Judge Lewis believes that
he now favors or that he ever
favored mixed marriages. The
charge is sim ply this: That DUR
ing the debate at the time and
place named Judge Lewis, who
was then United States District
Attorney, made radical speech
to the negroes, and greatly excited .
them by telling them how they
had been wronged by the white
people, finally remarking, NOW l :
tell you these things and l am not |
afraid to do it, and / have as good I
blood in my veins as any white .
man in the State" Judge Hunc- II
ley as well as he can recall, re- q
piled: "You- profess to be a @
friend to the negro; now wish to o
ask you this question. There is p
now under discussion in the Legis- 10
lature bill to prohibit the inter =,
marriage of negroes and whites 81
under severe penalty, I,as friend III
Of both races, think this a wise
and that it should be ~
passed. want you to tell these W.
negroes whether you favor that OF
pill or oppose it," Judge Lewis ei
'ephed, says Judge Hundley, that .n
he opposed the bill and was in DC
avor of allowing the intermarriage I'd
# the races. III
1t is fair to state, however, that r,
dr. Jones did not make any charge
gainst Judge Lewis until he and
Ir, EllysOn had had a converse
ion with Mr., S. S. p. Patteson of al
richmond, who was present on eS'
10 occasion of the joint discus on
on at Chesterfield Courthouse, say
hen Mr.. Patteson said that his
collection of Judge Lewis's re- par
arks was in accord with the Ch'
'collectiOn of Judge Hundley. tee'
nbsequently Mr.. Patteson said in gin
letter to Judge Lewis that he all
d rot remember the exact Ian rail
lage used by either speaker on con
AT occasion, but that he was GER abu
in that the subject of internar- II
age was discussed and that Judge mon
avis said either that he would one
It vote for a bill to prevent the negl
termarriage of the races, or that in t7
cb measure was of doubtful III
the {
There is no question of veracity the
tween Judge Hundley and Judge sour
wis, for both are known to be Isl
lthful men and we no nore be- nish
We that Judge Lewis would deny teacl
Itatement which he knew to Ee proc
10 than we believe that Judge 9nC
lndley would make statement road
ich he knew to be false. 1t is 3rd
a question of memory, but the the O
.ponderance of the testimony All
ms to us to be in favor of Judge accol
ndley. His recollection seems es of
be clearer than that of Judge last
wis and Judge Hundley is sus- rond
ned in part, at least, by the ed:
tlmOnY OF Mr.. PattesOn. Let moor
again emphasize, however, that ligen
lrg the statement of Judge end Il
udley literally and in it's ems to tn
'ty there is still no semblance this
/ charge that Judge Lewis ad- for pl
ated m see g n u t i o n. The favor
pie charge Is that he expressed tions
lself as being Oppoeed to any 1t il
Islatlon prohibiting tie inter plato
-riage of the races, leaving at Ro
ties and blacks free to inter- word
,ry if they so desired. not r
Here can be no doubt as to tory
ge Lewis's attitude a year or the
ater, at least towards the legal abund
ect of this subject. In 1878 thew
nund Kinney, a negro residing groes
hanover county, was rarrled old CT
Washington City to a white
nan. also from Hanover. He
the woman returned to that Gazette
lty to live. In Mereh, 1879, Oct.
: were indicted, convicted, end throue
sente9ced to tve years In herd 0
in the renitentiary. and O
Nay 15' 1919, application for glnia.
1T of habeas corpus was made Mr..
ne negro to the United States his fal
riot Court, Judge Robert W. an up
hes presiding. Judge Lewis, Miss
United States Attorney, ap. her no
ed for the petitioner and ar Mr..
that the Act of Assembly leave {
ing such marriage felony they g,