The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-05-17
A STRONG LETTER
The Contest Between Congressman
Jones and Mr.. MedIS.
REASONS WHY Mr.. JONES SHOULD
Be REhOMINATED
HspOLlHcAL CAUftRASO RECORD COSGUFS.
Long Service Gives Greater lnIlu,nee Has
Secured Over Hall Million in appropriations,
Etc Etc.

tlc. tic.
Occupacia. Va May II, l9oG.
To The Free Lance.
There is now pending question oi
great Importance 10 the people ol the
First Congressional district, and, indeed,
Of the whole State. for "a brief con-idera.
tion Of which now ask space in your
columns.
Alter hDiug runmiuated continuously
without opposition, ever since his first
election tO thr House of Representatives,
the lion. ". A. Jones is now. Tor the
first time. to have an opponent iu h-
own party. and Democratic voters Will
soon h. called upon to decide whether
the man who hus -o often Iced Oh 'm o.
victory is to De- again their STA Idard
bearer or not. Obviously this ought to
be- decided with rrirnGca. NOT o. the in-
terc-ts or wishes of any individual "i
locu it's. but tO tine welfare OI thrd.strlct,
aud 1i the State al large. and tine only
leai question is which Oi the a~plrlnis Is
likely to best suhser,e this. Other mng-
being equal. 10 must Boz conceded that ~.
p.rirnoe gives decided advantage. il
any man wishes 90 test this lrt ilm sim
plV consider whether hc would prefer to
fru-t himself iu rough weather. on a
dangerous coast. % AN entirely ultried
pilot whatever his natural cnpac ~, oi
io one only his equal. lrt MS say Tor the
purpose Oi Illustration. 100 tins inspect
but with the addition ol thoiougl
know L.dg. ui tine vessel and the coast
and of having lal hand. eye and brain
trained and tested 900 90 huudrrd -iullai
em,rgruclr-. Nay. in much simpler and
more ordinary matters. who woulo
choose am utterly inexperienced CLERK
mrrhauir. or lum manages. 300 preference
% onr thoroughly acquainted with hl'
craft II i- often sand that this u en-
phaucally a practical age and tha'
rublc affairs ought 90 be- conducted ol
strict business principles. Does any busI
ness man dispIa,. tried. faithful aud ciii
ceut agents in order TO- put untrlrd ones ii
their room Should the state then
alone adopt "a method So unbu-ines+.lke
so directly opposed tu common sense
and To universal experience 10 VIII h'
observed that. as rule. those State'
WELD mort influence, in proportion t'
their numerical strength, 80 which th
custom of retaining faithful and capable
representatives iJr the longest po--ib''
period most prevails. Such Wns th'
policy of South Carolina in h.r palml
'lnys. aud the late Senator Hunter lthaI
whom higher authority couii hardly De
adducedl declared that he could hea
personal testimony to the extraordinary
and d.proporti1uate influence Whlcl
that STATE exercised in the Federal cOun
cii-. Such was the policy OF Virginia
also. in The period of her Prcdoininanc'
and have heard the late brilliant an'
gifted Beverly Douglas say that 1t wa
To this in large measure that hcr eNcep
tionnl weight uud influence were To b'
attributed.
Few men i'm the State or in the coun
try. have had the long and iull politica
trimming of the present member from ih'
First district From his youth ! might
almost say from his boyhood. he hai
been an active. JEALOUS. working Demo
crat. gradually extending his sphere o
activity from his own aud the nelglDor
inc counties. 10 the district, the stat
and the country. lie was one OF thos'
who fought bravely and resolutely th'
desperate battle oi the whites in TIM
black belt nta time when defeat wa
a fOrepOue conclusion. While yet very
young. he was an active member Oi th'
State Democratic Committee, and III TIM
position his sound Judgment, 80 mucl
riper than his years. did the state excel
lent service. Long before his first noml
nation for Congress he had labored ia
more abundantly Tor the Democrati,
party than many holders OF the higl