Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-04-07

AS Il state IN my announcement the
most important question is the building
up and support of the primary schools.
These schools are most important because
they affect practically all the children of
the State. We must not cramp the work
OF these schools. We must give them every
dollar that we can possibly spare from
other absolutely necessary expenditures.
We should maintain all our public schools
the year. But in order to have good pri-
mary schools, we must have good
teachers and efficient superintendents. To
have good teachers, we must have good
high schools and good training schools
| have been in the Senate of Virginia for
six years, have studied the needs of our
educational work and stand on my record
as an earnest and consistent advocate of
every measure calculated to benefit our
educational work. / supported the bill of
Senator Thomas, of Lynchburg, making
direct appropriation of 100000 addi-
tional to the public schools. l framed and
introduced in the Senate the bill appro-
priating $55, 900 for the enlargement of
the State Female Normal school, and in
creasing the annual appropriation from
$25, 900 to $4,000. was the patron of
a bill designed to give the State aid in the
establishment OF high schools in every sec
tion OF the Commonwealth, which bill
passed the House and would have passed
the Senate could we have had a quorum
when it was put upon it's passage, the
vote standing eighteen to one. On the
last day of the session tried to take the
bill up out of its order, which required a
two-thirds vote. Twenty-four majority
of the Senate, voted to take the bill up,
but as it required twenty seven votes, it
was lost. This bill would have had the
effect OF establishing high school within
a reasonable distance of every child.
Should l be elected Governor, would
favor as liberal appropriations for the
cause of education as the resources OF the
State would permit" In this connection
let me say, favor the single-book list for
our schools.)
81 see, Judge, that the longest para
graph inyour announcements concerns the
question of good roads. There has been
a great deal of talk on this subject, but
practically nothing has been done. Have
you anything TO add on this subject?''
81 am glad to see that one of the candi-
dates who has recently announced himself
agrees with me on this subject, and now
recommends the adoption of the same
policy which enunciated as far back as
April, 1904. There can be no valid OBJ
lection to employingconvictst to work on
the public highways. If they do nothing,
they are burden on every citizen of the
State, and should be required to work,
and work on the public roads will be as
profitable to the State at large as any
labor which they can perform, and will,
at the same time, take them out of COM
petition with honest labor in the regular
trades. / believe that where tried it has
been shown that convict labor is a most
valuable factor in the construction of
permanent highways. After 1906, by
which time the special appropriations
will have been paid, think the State will
be in aposition financially TO supplement
county appropriations for this object.
Nothing but education should have a
higher claim upon the revenues OF the
State, for nothing affects more greatly
the value of farm lands and farm pro-
duets than good roads. They save time,
labor and expense"
Some persons have tried to produce
the impression, Judge, that you are run
ming for Governor on the prohibition is-
sue. Have you ever voted the prohibi-
tion ticket, or been identified with that
party?"
NO. / have never voted that ticket or
been a member OF the Prohibition party.
have never voted any but the Demo
cratic ticket, and until this time, have
never had my Democracy called in ques-
ton. have received many honors at the
hands OF the Democratic party, which
certainly would not have been given me
had there been any doubt as to my gen.
uine Democracy. was honored by a
large vote for Attorney General at the
Roanoke convention which nominated
Hon. A. j. Montague. / received a large
vote for Judge of the Court of Appeals
when Judge Rely was elected: also
received a very large vote for the same
Office when Judge Riely's death created a
vacancy am now serving my second
term in the Senate of Virginia, in which
body L was honored with the chairman
ship of the Democratic caucus, and with
the craftsmanship of committee of privi-
leges and elections, and was selected as
one of the three senator's on the commit
tee OF six appointed by the General AS
sembiy to conform the statute law OF the
State to the new constitution, and was
made chairman of that committee. ]
mention these things not in any spirit OF
boasting, but in order to refute once and
Tor all the statement, by whomsoever
made, that l have not a right to run fol
the Office OF Governor Of Virginia in the
primary of the Democratic party"
"The statement has been made. Judpe
that you are man ofone idea, certainly
at least that your views on the LIQUOR
question are extreme, and that Won,
nomination would give the liquor ques
ton undue prominence in the campaign
What reply have you to make to this
statement
1t seems to me that my past record
and my views as expressed in my forma
announcement of April, 1904, should b,
a sufficient reply. AS citizen in publ,
life, have given my thought and labor
to alquestions pertaining to the welfar,
OF the Commonwealth, and my announce
ment shows that am not running on &
platform with only one plank"
But, it is stated, Judge, that you ar,
the author of the 'Mann Bill" and tha-
you dignified the liquor question by stat
ing your position upon it in your forma