Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-05-25
Mr.. JONES ACTIVE.

- OOs6ANcS oitu lOI WtthS HAS DSSff
making vigorous canvass for renomi-
nation. He is particularly anxious to
receive big vote in the Northern Neck,
his home, speaking at all the courts in
the four counties before the campaign
closes and making number of local
appointments. He spoke at Lancaster
court Monday and White Stone, in the
same county, Tuesday night, going to
Reedville for Thursday night. IAN of
these announcements would have APP
peared in the CITIZEN had they not con-
cealed them from us.
Mr.. Jones spoke for more than two
hours Monday and held the attention of
the seated audience very well, about
one-half of it cheering him encouraging
ly. At first the courtroom was filled,
crowded during the tablet unwilling,
but when about half through his address,
which Immediately followed the unveil-
ing, the rear part of Mr.. Jones audience
vanished and there was standing room.
From his standpoint the speech was a
good advocacy of his claim for Is years.
service. 1t was the opinion, however,
of unprejudiced minds that the Con-
CHEESEMAN'S speech was labored, and
that his dealing with Mr.. Mears on the
salary proposition was not altogether
fair and was a ''play to the galleries. 4"
The press dispatches (which, by the
way, appear to lean to Mr.. jones' do
not indicate any repetition of FIVE times
as imputed to Mears by Jones. The
speaker said he had invited joint debates
with MIR. Mears, but the latter had
declined. He failed to state that Mr..
Mears, an opponent of the primary, was
also opposed to joint debates, regarding
the welfare of the party; also that
committees and candidates elsewhere in
the State had discountenanced Joint
debates between Democrats in this
Congressional campaign. He could have
found Mr.. Mears at Mathews court
Monday, where he was advertised. His
reiteration that during the twenty years
In public life Mr.. Mears had not can
vassed and worked for the Democratic
party is denied by Mr.. Mears himself
and by his friends on the Eastern Shore
and the Pennisular who say he has ever
been active in the party's interests.
Mr.. Jones defended his position on
the primary, claimed credit for its in
cipiency at the Roanoke convention and
its success at Norfolk convention, and
had slap at Senator Martin for oppos-
ing it at Roanoke yet moving the adop-
ton of his Uones) primary resolution
at Richmond. The speaker was pro-
foundry earnest in defense of the pri-
mary and pledged undying faith to it.
Times change, policies change and men
change their views; so maybe the pri-
mary will before long bring up the
ghostly rear with free silver, which Mr..
Jones as devoutly and earnestly swore
fealty to few years back.
His appropriations from Congress in
sixteen years had amounted to half a
million dollars, and then he made the
astounding statement that with the ex-
ception of the Norfolk and Richmond
districts he had gotten as much or more
than any other Congressman in the
United States! We did not believe we
heard Alright, but several others stand
ing by also understood it the same way.
Evidently it was slip of the tongue.
The First District has more water
front than any other in the State. There
are virtually but three tidewater dis
tricts, and of them we have gotten the
smallest appropriations. The James
river alone got two hundred thousand dol
lars at the last session of Congress. and
many other districts in the United States,
we will venture, got more than half a
million (Mr. Jones' 16 years of effort)
In single year. We give credit to Mr..
Jones for what he has done in sixteen
years, but it is our belief that new
man could do as much in less than four
years. But each to his way of thinking.
Aiack, alas Mr.. Jones believes an
experienced man should be retained in
office. Pity this only applies now and
IN personal sense. For six or seven
years the distinguished Congressman
has been fighting Senator Martin and
using just the opposite argument /! But
hear this: When Mr.. Jones soas support
ing Mr.. Lloyd Smith for Attorney General
ff!e oh Richmond Dispatch quotes Jones as
saying that he (Jones) soould support Smith
because he (Jones) faeored rotation in
Office!