The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-11-19
FROM
"a. DR.. ROSEBR0
Compliments DR.. Dunaway's
Letter on Judge MOncure.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CENTENNIAL
The City Of ciaksvls. Tenn.-hi2ht Riders
Abound In That countfy-Trlbuts to Virginia.
Clarksyille, Tenn. Nov. 10th.

!
DR.. Dunaway's letter to The Free
Lance on the character OF Judge Moncure
and the account OF the centennial OF the
Presbyterian church, each read with
great interest, stir me TO send q letter
IRON iar-away Tennessee. The pressure
OF work from my new duties here has
been so constant that | have been let
hitherto" from writing.
| read DR.. Dunasay's article with
sincere pleasure, not only because OF the
excellent manner 10 which he drew the
portraits OF one who wore worthily the
spotless ermine OF judge, but also be
cause he set forth his Christian principles
as the source aud crown ofhis character.
feared sometimes that had rather
much preaching In some OF my letters
and II was a comfort to feel that | was
In company with so good and great "a
man as DR.. Dunaway, whom all Freder-
icksburg justly hold in such honor and
affection.
Attendance on the centennial exercises
was prevented by duty laid on ms BY
the faculty of the University, to attend
the meeting OF the Synod oi Tennesee, to
present the claim OF denominauonal col
| leges. Some Of these institutions seem
50 anxious to get on the Carnegie fund
that they are ready TO cut loose from the
church that founded and endowed them.
We believe here that the small denomi-
national colleges are doing the best work;
that our boys are safer there than In the
big State institutions; also that the wise
thing for such colleges To do Is to depend
on their own constituency for students
and financial help and not To humble
themselves as suDpliants to 'ich men.
This trip took 50 much time, could not
ieel justified In taking the long trip to
Fredericksburg, pleasant as that would
have been.
On our journey here we found the ecoun-
try parched from the long drought; even
In the far-iamed blue grass region OF
Kentucky the fields were brown and
often caught fire from the engine sparks
and burned along the railway. That
drought has continued. September gave
US q slight shower, but October none. so
the condition Is distressing Cattle must
be driven a long distance for water;there
ls no fall pastursge; farming operations
cannot be push d, while the roads are
marked for miles by the clouds oil dust.
The Cumberland river here IL 50 low
that boats can not pass, so low that one
can cross on the stones; lower than ever
before in the memory OF the Oldest In
hsbtaht."
Clarksyllle Is well situated between the
junction OF the Cumberland and Red
rivers, on q high plateau, shaped like a
horse shoe. While the river Is not so
picturesque as the Rappshannock at
Fredericksburg, still the situation Is at
tractive. The city has been very thrlv-
ing and much culture and wealth made
1t very attractive. IL was the third dark
tobacco market in the United States,
and had the largest ware house in the
world with many smaller ones and all do
Ing thriving business, till war arose be-
tween the Tobacco Trusts and the Farm
ers Association.
Personally, my sympathy Is with law
iul efforts to prevent trusts from throt-
ting the farming and Industrial interests
The relation that should exist between
wealth and labor IL well illustrated by
Abraham and Bosz, nigh types OF gen.
tlemen, aud their laborers. When wealth
combines its power TO opprese the weak,
to crush competition, then il NAV iustIy
be resisted. The farmers have been the
least favored by State or National legis
latlon aud have often been under such
hard conditions that life has been a
a struggle for existence. The Farmers
Association was legitimate and wise
move to protect themselves and prom
ised much relief. When, however, they
began to force those TO enter the associa-
tion and to sell their products through
IL. who preferred to remain independent,
they took the wrong step and opened
the way for the worse element to assume
leadership, then came the lawlessness,
violence, property burning and even
murders committed by the Night Riders.
Clarksville is In the midst OF the to-
bacco strife and has suffered greatly;
warehouse after warehouse Is empty,
residences are vacant, many are out oil
employment, citizens OF the city and
county surrounding have been driven
away by threats OF violence and q boy
colt has been threatened; the city Is
guarded constantly lest raid should be
made, property burned and perhaps
some shot. 1t is stated that this guard
and the fact that there is only one en-
trance to the city, at the mouth OF the
horse shoe, except by the bridges over
the rivers, is what has saved the city.
Ia addition to the financial loss, there
have been alterations, bitter strife and
even family feuds. whose evileffects years
will not undo. Good men on both sides
deplore these facts and know not how
far this will extend as the long-suffering
farmers are greatly aroused and threaten
the same things as to cotton and pea
nuts. Nav Virginia be spared the Ills
that are here.
One OF Fredericksburg's sons, Rev. DR..
Horace Lacy, is greatly loved here and
many gave ne doubly cordial welcome
because Mrs. Rosebro was kin to Dr..
Lacy" We find many congenial and de-
nghtful people here who have given Us a
warm welcome, my work is pleasant
and encouraging, our home comfortable,
still the heart cings to old friends and
to Virginia.
"Nowhere the sun shines quite so bright,
Nor sheds the moon such silyery light,
As In Virginia.
Nowhere beneath sky so fair,
Bloom flowers quite 30 sweet and rare,
As those that bud aud blossom there,
In Old Virginia"