Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-13
THE OBJECT OF ATTACK.
tblackstone Comrier. March 49,


IN their opposition of the latter's confir-
nation as member of the State Cor
poration Commission?
when the question of Judge Rhea s
confirmation was first raised by the
charges brought against him of bribery
upon the bench and classifying the CEN
sus OF has town this paper called for a
tult ana complete investigation and for
just verdict 10 be rendered From
that tme until now we have had moth
ing to say upon the question. We
have waited the investigation and re-
port OF the committee and the action
OF the legislature, believing that BODY
capable of dealing with the situation
and that we were represented in the lee-
islature by as honest and conscientious
representatives in Senator Mann and
Delegate Sydnor as any section of the
State. Both of these, after hearing the
evidence, voted for Judge Rhea's con-
nrmatlon, along with big majority of
the Democrats of both houses Re-
lleving in their honesty and the honesty
OF the other Democratic members. re-
gardless of whether they voted for or
against confirmation, we have accented
the results of the action of the ma ior-
lty In that Democratic spirit which
means a majority rule. In doing this
we wish to repeat there is no word of
censure or blame for the vote of anv
honest Democrat. We grant to all the
honesty of their convictions without
question.
Another reason why we awaited the
action of the legislature in This matter
was the attitude of the RichmondPress
AS soon as thequestion of Judge Rhea's
fitness was raised they immediately
took the side that he was not. Past
experience has taught us that this
same press is very poor judge of
what renders man fit for seat upon
the Corporation Commission. Our ideas
IN the past did not fit with those of
our esteemed contemporaries and we
were afraid to follow them in this in
stance. We waited to see upon what
ground they based their chief objections
to Judge Rhea. The result has con-
vlnced US of the wiseness of our
patience
To us this reason has been made
perfectly apparent. Judge Mann has
been the center and object of their
attact, and Mr. Stuart that of their.
praise. While we had hoped that all
these questions could have been mot
and passed upon strictly upon their
merits. we are prepared. accent the
llne OF battle as thrown down bv the
opponents OF Judge Mann and fight il
out along those lines, even if il takes
not only all summer, but winter and
next year thrown in. A
NOW what was the report of the In
Vestlgating Committee? That no nroof
was Forthcoming to show that .Iudge
khea was guilty of any of the CHARGES
Drought against him. Certainly there
appeared nothing in connection with
enaC Oh bribery nor padding of census
returns. AS to the crookedness in cleo
..ohs, grant that there may have been
strong suspicion of Judge Rhea's guilt.
which has not been proven. we asl, T 70 he
shown where there was an honest election
prior to the adoption of the new consti-
tuition: Where is the man TODAY who
is held accountable for elctions nrior
no that time? Had there beep no
frauds IN our elections, there would |
nave been no Constitutional Convention
Had there been no Constitutional Con
Ventlon there would have been no Cor
poratlon Commission. Had there been
no corporation Commission. there
would have been no Mr.. Stuart sittinr
upon lt, and therefore no occasion for
.he eVidenQespousal of his Gubernatorial
by the Richmond Press.
We have never been party to anv
Oh those frauds. We knew thew exist
ed. Every other man in the State
knew the same thing. Every man who
held a State Office during that time
held IL by virtue, largely, if not entirely
as result of those frauds. Those en-.
Toying the blessings of the new reeiene
d today are partakers of the results
ot those irregularities in the elections
of the State. Shall man be utterly ;
condemned for the acts of those DAVIS?
should Judge Rhea be offered as a sac.
'lflce Tor the sins Of that period? We
ave noted this seeming high plane of
morals that some people and some
out appreciate and encourage This
mango, but lett not be forgotten that ,
n our efforts to reach this high ele- :
,ation we should not single out some in
iivldual upon whom to place the sins {
committed by the whole in order TO 9
make this plane possibility. y
But as we have stated, it is apparent To
is that these attacks upon Judge Rhea :
we're Tor the purpose of hitting Judge
mann, since his actions alone in this
natter were singled out for criticism G
ne Richmond Press have ever been. on 7,
'osed to Judge Mann. No opportunity l.
permitted to escape them wherein E
hey can hit him a lick, it matters not h
oW just nor unjust it appears to those q
'ho do not live in Richmond. We do :
OF believe the people of the state will y
ermlt themselves to be mislead in this l:
any other instance by reading theI n
olumns of the Richmond press when n
Judge Mann is considered. They will a.
e forced to look to other channels and u
lform themselves by other means.
We have the highest regard for orr Il
.lchmond brethren. We believe they q,
'ould like to be fair. But when a =
lchmond man or Richmond interest
at stake, 1T seems an utter impossi- c.
lilty for them to be as they no doubt al
ould like to be. While we pity them a.
this, our sympathies will not permit ~
to let go unchallenged such unwar- l.
'nted attacks as they have seen fit to &C
axe upon our representative and our re
Indldate for Governor. There is one M
ing, however, for which we are =
So eager in this were thev. d
lat they have thereby shown their IN
md and we can now fight for our re- IN
ectlVe candidates, knowing lust M
here the other stands ~As Stofo5 ~