The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-07-27
Mr.. 7. ST0KElEY
COLEMAN
ne Replies to Mr.. GOOIrick'S Chal-
lenge For Joint Debate.
He Also Answers cA@Es on Anonymous Postal
cSds. Etc

He Also Answers cA~Es on Anonymous Postsl
cSds. Etc
6potsylvabia. Va.
July 23rd, 90
Ar. c O'Co1Or Goolrick
fredericksburg, Va
Ny Dear Sir;
have just read from The Free Lance
letter from yGu addressed 70 my
brother & Richelieu Coleman. 10 W hieh
better you challenged me or my brot her
flr a lint debate In Fredericksburg on
Thursday night. July 2Sth, and 20 reply
III retO will say that | am very fpDd Of
rot discussions. nevertheless ieei tn c
~ j. useless TO debate any question with
my man who Is famous Tor making
Omises and as equally famous Tor
breaking them after they are made. r
b. IL remembered that during our Int
debate at SpOtsy lvania you promised
thu good people of that county 10 exp ain
through the columns Of she press what
you then called The Cooper Episode. +"
but not withstsnding your sacred obliga-
tlDDs you have absolutely failed to ex
plain how J. 3. Cooper's name got on
that Article OF a few OF the e1-COufeder-
ates ot fredericksburg as publ he'd IN
your behalf
noNt uhnutQ several postal
cArds by the voters OF Fredericksburg. en-
title The way Mr.. Coleman fevls to-
wards the Normal School" on which
csrd there Is printed AL extract from my
- och at SpOtsy lvRniA rel alive 10 the
Normal School, which Il a. folluwk:
bis school was established hsre on con-
IN Ion OF an appropriation Of 500 600 by
the city OF fredericksburg, SpOtsy lvania
and stafford. | want 20 say right here.
II Spo sylvsnia Is burdened with any
sJca appropriation as that, you had bet
ter let the Normal School remain dead
ard buried. Ii will be observed tnat
sail card does not bear the signature Of
ATTY one, but seems to have been circu-
lated broadcast through the mails in
fredericksburg. do not know whether
you are the father OF this card. since IL
" u be remembered that you cumme,. ted
In ur speech at Spotsy lvaDia On the
publication OF anonymous cOmmunica-
u ine, referring To them as being publish
ed by parties who did not have the nerve
to sign their namfs but n YOU afe the
author oi said card. am sorry that you
have lost your nerve and did not have
sufficient Influence with your f,iends TO
Induce them 10 sign up Tor you ia the
event they were acting ia the Int ct II
your canvass.
Said card concludes as follows: Are
you willing TO vote on August 5th for "a
man who feels like that towards the
Normal SCHOOL, | wish 70 saw that it's
conclusion, As well as il, caption. is a
political dodge gotten up topromots TIE
interest Il one candidate unfairly at the
expense of another; besides it is deceiv-
ing, misleading and entirely unjust. as
one would think ! was the candidate for
the DemocraticnominatiOn for the House
Of Delegates
II YOU are the author q said card you
should have taken upon yourself the
duty of finding out how { Richelieu
Coleman stood on the Normal School
question without trying 10 prejudice the
minds OF the voters With any extracts
from NV speech, and this Information
" could have easily ascertained from
an examination of & Richelieu Coleman's
pl ,tiorm as explained by him at the
April term OF Circuit court OF Sp tsyl-
van which is In part a. follows: If it
be our pleasure to nominate and elect
me as a member OF the House OF Dele
ga'es from this district ! shall do every
thing in my power 10 secure good ap-
preparations for the Normal school at
| fredericksburg" Ny position in refer.
ence to the Normal School is this: / am
al ways glad 10 SEE any steps towards
public advancement, aud for that reason
am IN sympathy with the school; how
ever, do not feel that the people OF
Spotsylvania county are able TO pay out
$50 600 for the establishment OF euch "A
school and for that reason am Of the
same opinion now as | was at Spotsyl.
vania am glad the school has been
located at fredericksburg, and / am 10
favor OF reasonable appropriations from
t.e> tate To maintain aud keep il a going
and profit able institution
Nhie on this subject W ut you ex.
pain why Fredericksburg only rec. lived
f25 600 for the establishment OF said
school when Harrisonbu.g received
$50 600. although you had she commit
tee report 10 favor % Fredericksburg?
And, again, is it not true that you had
to enter ibtJ compact a I'd cOmprumise
wholly unbecoming among legislators
Ia order to get any thiog for your town.
/ am informed that you have recently
purchased OF the fredericksburg Devel-
opment Company a number OF lots. II
/ this be true, may / ask whether those
lots are Ia the neighborhood CT the Nor
NAL School site and are liable TO be pur-
chased by the State as an addition to
the school grounds, and II so, would not
this greatly enhance their value and
cauee you To make considerable money
In the transaction? Abb IL these things
are true ! must say that IL looks too
much Ike political grating for any hon
orabie man to sanction.
Iwant you further TO ex plain why YOU
voted for ths Ward law IN the last Leg
islature and then attacked its eonstitu.
tiOnality In your fathers court2 Do we
pay legislators to make laws and then
try to have the court TO set them aside
as unconstitutional Was not your po-
sition Inconsistent, and could you repre-
sent the State and private citizscs, both
at the came time, when their inter- SITS are
entirely In cor fct, the one with the
other
Did you not 10 open debate at Spotsyl-
vania contend that you favored and
supported IN the Legislature all laws 10
the interest OF temperance, and when
charged you up with not voting FOR the
Byrd Law you promised to explain in
reply, and this Is another promise you
completely ignored.
Respectfully,
t. Stokeley Coleman.