The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-09-16
REPUBLICAN SPEAKING IN STAFFORD
Mr.. Brent Severely Critieises the De
partment of Public Instruction.


A crowd which filed the small court
house at Stafford listened attentivelv To
the Republican speakers there on Mon
day. The first address was by Hon.
NJ. h. Lowry. who took the oppor-
tunity afforded him OF addressing his
former constituents. urging them to
stand b. the Republican State ticket
this fall and place Stafford in the Re
publican column. He spoke optimisti-
eally of his party's chance Of success
nm November. and severely criticised
Judge Mann. while praising the Re
publican nominees.
He introduced Jas. l.. Crupper. Of
Alexandria. candidate for treasurer.
who made practical business talk for
about ten minutes. which seemed 70
take with his audience. and who in
turn gave way 10 the principal speaker
of the day. Frank +. Brent, Of Lancss-
ter county, formerly a strong Demo
crat, but now a full fledged member of
the opposition party and its candidate
for superintendent of public instruc-
ton. Mr.. Brent made from his stand
point good speech and incidentally a
mighty long one. but he held attention
of the crowd fairly well. His speech
was devoted principally TO a severe and
bitter attack on the State Board of
Education. which he characterized as
an arrogant and despotic body, careless
of the rights or wishes of the people
and not responsible TO the people for
its actions under the last State Consti-
tuition. Right here IL may be remark
ed that Mr.. Brent is eX-secretary Of
the State Board of Education, which
position he held when a Democrat and
up to the time Mr.. Eggleston became
superintendent of public instruction
He told his audience that he resigned
when the latter was elected because
from what he heard of Eggleston he
BRENT didn't believe they could
get on together.
Mr.. Brent laughed at the credit given
EgglestOn for his discovery Of that
much talked Of irregularity in the sale
Of school registers TO the State, alleg-
ing that the so called exposure didn Z
save the State over $500 He criticised
the purchase Of mahogany desks for
the department of education. saying
these desks could have been bought
cheaper in Richmond; pitched into Mr.
EgglestOn and the board on account of
the desk ruling whereby the board pur-
chased all desks. alleging that the desks
could be bought cheaper by the ind-
vidual local boards, citing the celebrated
Norfolk case as proof and also criticised
Mr.. Eggleston for ruling that all plans
FOR school buildings in Virginia should
be made by an architect. Mr.. Robinson.
of Richmond. and by no one else. He
charged the department with being
rankly extravagant and bitterly criti-
cised the Democratic party for refusing
20 make school trustees and superin-
tendents elective officers. He also crit
icised at length the recent election by
the board of education Of the school
superintendent. charging that politics
entered largely into their selection and
citing the Lancaster county fight where
DIR. Frank w. Lewis. leader of the
anti-machine forces, was bitterly OPP
posed for reelection by Governor
Swanson and Superintendent Eggleston.
but who was finally elected over W.
Mcdonald Lees protest lie amused
the audience by referring to Mr.. Lee
as the Commodore and 10 the Maury as
papa 5 launch, by which name he said
II was known at Irvington.
He pitched into the Legislature fer
passing what he said was an uncon-
stitutional act, increasing Mr.. Eggles-
ton $ salary. and when Mr.. Goolrick. Of
this city. member Of the last house
shook his head and reached for the code
containing the constitution, Mr.. Brent
exclaimed. "Ohl you will say the in
crease was not prohibited. but the con-
stitution prohibits an increase or de
crease In the salary of the any execu-
tive officer and | consider the superin-
tendcnt of Instruction such an officer -
lie also attacked the General Assembly
for increasing the salary Of W. Med
Lee, chairman Of the board Of fisheries
He pitched into the Democratic ma
chine in Virginia (Mr. Brent when a
Democrat was an INSTRUMENTATION
mani and said that the only reason he
could see for having three different
arithmetics in Virginia was 20 enable
the machine men TO learn how to count
votes that were never cast and the only
reason for having two grammars was
TO enable Democrats TO learn TO speak
the language of the tribe. He closed
his speech by a reference to national
affairs, telling how the Democratic
party under the leadership of Bryan
has lost its former glory and prestige
and appealing to his audience TO help
place Virginia in the Republican ranks