Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-06-16
CAMPAIGN GINGER.

issue We published speech made by
Mr.. VIM. l.. Royal before Montague
club in Richmond. Senator Martin
next day gave out the following in re.
ply to Mr.. Royal:
II have read the newspaper reports
of Mr.. Royals speech. Disparage
ment, misrepresentation, malice and
vindictiveness have been the charac-
teristic features of this campaign
against me since its commencement.
A few men can always be found adapt.
ed to work of that sort and willing to
do it. Mr.. Royal has made bis contri
button and it is worthy of him. 1t is
but rehash of charges which as |
have always understood were inspired
by him and we're presented in the Leg
islature in December, 1908, immediate
ly after my nomination by the Dem
ocratic caucus and before my first
election. The charges were immedi-
ately investigated by joint committee
in the two houses of the Legislature
appointed for the purpose and a major
ity Of whom were my opponents and
had voted against me in the caucus.
After thorough Investigation this
committee made report generating
me and my nomination from any faint
of wrong of any sort and completely
vindicated every member of the legis.
lative caucus who had voted for me.
After this report had been made, the
Legislature proceeded to elect a SEN
atOr when the report of the committee
was approved by my receiving every
Democratic vote cast in the body. Six
years later the report of this committee
and the action of the previous Legis
lature were approved again by my re-
election by an overwhelming majority.
Nov after the lapse of twelve
years, these false charges are resur-
rected from the pit in which they had
been justly consigned and are being
paraded for campaign purposes on be-
half of my competitor.
Perhaps 1t is the best that they can
do. Honest and fair minded Virgin
ians cannot fail TO put the stamp of
disapproval on methods of this sort, -
MR.. ROYALS REJOINDER.
''Mr. William l.. Royal was seen
afterwards at bis residence and asked
whether he had any reply to make to
the statement given out yesterday
evening by Senator Th0s 8. Martin
He said be was quite Indifferent about
replying to it, but said:
'Mr. Martin says he has always un-
derstOod that the charges made in con.
nection with bis (Martin's) election to
the Senate in 1893 were inspired by Mr..
Royal, and there Is not one particle of
basis for this statement. [ was very
active III trying to have the charges IN.
vestigated, but l had nothing whatever
to do, directly for indirectly, with
originating the charges.
"Mr. Martin says further, that the
charges were Investigated by the leg
islature, and be simply makes himself
ridiculous when he makes this state
ment. The evidence was all taken by
stenOgrapher, and whoever reads it
will see that whenever a witness was
about to tell something that would
throw light upon the subject Mr..
Martins friends on the committee
would make objection upon the ground
that 1t was not in line with the limita-
ton which the committee had put up
On its Investigation, and the objection
was sustained and the witness mouth
was closed. The investigation was
simply farce, as everybody who lived
at the time and paid any attention to
it knows.
''Mr. Martin says that he was ex-
OnerateG by a committee, a majority
of which was opposed to him. The
real facts of the matter are these
There were three Martin men on the
committee, three Lee men, and one
Mckinney man, land everybody knows
that Virginia politics at that time
We're as rotten as punk, and in the
negro counties the elections were what
the ballotbOx suffers chose to make
them. 1t was the politics of the State
and the politicians were upholding
that condition. The reason why the
committee would not go into an in
Vestlgatlon was that it would have ex-
posed that political condition in Vir-
Rlnla, and no investigation was made |
for that reason.
The charges were that the rail-
roads ha1 raised corruption fund and
sent IL into the negro counties to have
men sent to the legislature who would
vote for tool of the railroads to go to
'he United States Senate. Now, for
anyone who has read the record to say
hat these charges were Investigated
$ simply to make himself ridiculous.
No witness was allowed to give any
estimony bearing upon these charges,
kept that some little, tending strong
to establish the charges, slipped in
" accident"
II understand, said Mr.. Royal,
that Senator Martin feels aggrieyed
t my utterances. Now l wish to make
i'm this proposition: I will appoint
ne man, be another. aud the two shall
elect third, to arrange for joint {
ebate, the subject of which shall he |
1e methods employed to elect him to
ne United State Senate. 1 will then
" to his face what I have already b
I'D in his absence. and he can reply
as great length as be sees fit.,,