Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1906-10-26
To The Voters of the Ninth Con
greSSionaI District of Virginia :

present your District, is perhaps un-
known personally 10 most OF you. and
you may not have the opportunity Of
meeting him face TO face before the
election. ! know il is Mr. Brucc's wish
to see each one of You i'm person: bat
as the time is short, and the District
large and poPuluus. this will be i'm
possible; therefore the writer who has
known him intimately for many years,
and who lives among the people who
have known him from childhood,
wishes TO give you some facts in re-
gard TO his early life and later man
hood that will show you what kind of
man Mr.. Bruce is.
He was born some forty years ago,
about one mile east of Tacoma, Wise
county, Virginia, i'm "a log house that
is still standing on the old farm where
he grubbed and plowed and built worm
fences i'm his boyhood days. He knows
| thoroughly the cares and labors OF the
country farm life i'm this rugged
m )untain section. Here he grew up
sturdy, industrious and honest, re-
spected as youth by all who knew
him. At about the age OF twenty he
Il scided To study law, and after little
reading at home, ne spent about five
months studying under Colonel Pat
rick Hagan, of Scott county; and after
astonishing Judge Kelly, who cxamin-
ed him by the thoroughness of his
knowledge OF the law acquired i'm SO
short a time, ne was licensed i'm March
TO practice law, and i'm May of the
same year ne was elected Common
wealth's Attnmcy for Wise county.
Within the same year ne built him "a
home, married and settled down for
life.
He proved himgclf SO efficient as
Commonwealth Attorney that hc was
twice reelected 10 the Office. serving
twelve years in all.
After his retirement from tho office.
his popularity was so great, that ne
was forced reluctantly To accept Il
nomination for the Senate of Virginia.
and one of the best men i'm the South
west having declined nomination
against him. no other nomination was
made, and he was elected by the COM
bined votes of all parties in his dis
trict
Here in the Senate he proved him
self the champion of everything tend
ing To the moral uplifting of the peo-
pie, and strenuously fought everything
of contrary nature. The forces of
evil fought shy of Bruce; and. in the
language of prominent and popular
speaker, while abiding To the lobby
Ing done by some interests inimical TO
the moral welfare of the people.
There was no button-holding of
Senator Bruce"
They knew it absolutely useless TO
try to influence him in any way against
what he believed TO be the moral in
tercsts of his constituents.
As an advocate Of their material and
financial interests he was equally in
capable of being led or influenced bv
any set of men, or any combination Of
financial forces, however great. Several
railroads were seeking charters that
they might reach and develop the rich
coal fields and timber areas of Lee.
Scott, Wise, Dickinson and Buchanan
counties; but certain railroad influen-
ces hostile to the new roads were able
TO tie up the charter Mr. Bruce labor
ed for weeks to get the committee TO
consider the bills and report, but with
out success.
Mr.. George l.. Carriers great South
and Western road, on which there is
now being spent SO, 1000. 900 to the en-
richment of Dickinson, Wise, Russell,
Scott, and Buchanan counties. was one
of the roads then seeking charter
e'AN' VIZ carter nlllSflf.
f)r once in his life, was on the point of
giving up; remarked to Mr.. Bruce that
he saw no hope, and that he feared his
great scheme must fail.
In fact, the chiefresponsibilhy seem
ed largely TO devolve upon one man.
who, Ike all truly great men, rise to
the occasion and do the seemingly i'm
possible through sheer force of their
unyielding, dauntless wills. Mr.. Bruce.
relying on the justice of his cause, bv
a motion to discharge, forced the com
mittee to report. Their report was adj
verse to every charter. Then on the
floor OF the Senate, with eloquence and
power. he contended for the rights Of
Southwest Virginia, for the opening up
OF this, the richest section ofthc State