Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-03


bill that would prevent man from
crossing railroad from one part OF
his farm to another. You did make
that statement at Boydton. was
present aud heard you make II my
self. and am borne out In this by the
reports of what you said. which ap-
pear In the Washington Herald. the
Norfolk Landmark, the Virginian
Pilot. the Times Dispatch, the Har'
risOnburg Daily News. and again your
own organ. the Richmond Journal.
and other newspapers OF April 20,
1909. Although | Immediately denied
your charge. you are reported to
have made similar statement at
other times and places. | say most
emphaticaily that | never offered or
voted for such a bill. and | call upon
you now to specify the bill. so that IL
may be printed for the information OF
the public that they may judge by
its language whether you are right in
your statement
iou say you voted when In Congress
against the safety appliance bin.
which required air brakes. automatic
couplers and safe handholds. because
the National Switchmen's Union was
opposed to IL: because Frank Sweeny.
the head of that organization. was
fighting L.: and because the devices
were scarcely known at the time. But
You are mistaken about Frank Swee-
ny. head OF the National switch
favored the particular coupler then
in contemplation. which was describ-
ed as one coupling automatically by
impact and which has since proved
SO successful but he favored the bill
even with that provision. as is evil
denced by the following telegram.
signed by himself G. ID. buchanan.
II. Warner. William A. Simsraii ana
Charles Parsons. which was read In
your hearing on the floor OF the
House. Just before you voted against
the bill. by George ID. Wise. OF Vir-
ginia. who was fighting for the bill:
Urge passage OF coupler bill In
It's present form II will result bene-
ficially to all railway employees and
railroads Congressional Record
Vol "a. page 2.247D
fuckers Party Record.
And now as to your party record.
You say that the people OF virginia
understand and appreciate your po-
sition in the fight of 1896. am In
formed that some people think you
refused a denomination to Congress
in 1896. after il was practically Of
fered" to you, to quote your own Ian
guage used at Petersburg, because
you were not in accord with the con-
vention on the money question. and
that you were loyal to your party al
ter your defeat. II they do think so.
they do not correctly understand
your positions in their fight. You
were a candidate for that nomination
for three weeks after the Democratic
national convention had declared for
free silver, and when you knew the
district was overwhelmingly for sill
yer. and that the convention was
obliged to follow and would follow
the national platform: you continued
to be a candidate after all OF the
delegates had been elected and II was
known that out of 220 only II were
instructed for gold; you left Stanton
the day before the convention, a can
yention stood on the money question;
you continued to be candidate az
ter you arrived at Amherst Court
house, and you did not withdraw un-
til you and your friends had counted
noses and found that you could not
be nominated. You then decided 10
withdraw, not after the convention
had declared for silver as you said
at Harrisonburg. but the night before
the convention met, when yoGr trends
we're obliged TO advise you that It
was useless to continue the fight.
Tucker for Free Silver.
As a further evidence that you
we're willing to accept the nomination
on a silver platform, will remind
you that some OF the delegates who
were instructed for you we're also in
structed for silver. ! also remind you
that although the delegates from Am
herst county were instructed, first
for a local man, and then TO vote for
no candidate who was not "a consist
ent advocate of free silver at is to
/. and thoroughly and heartily in ac-
cord. with the Chicago platform; yet.
OfCA FO0l ONh - ~ q INV
published in the LynchouTg News OF
July %. 1896. you claimed that those
delegates were for you second choice
Further. have quoted from contem-
porary newspaper reports from Mel
son, as follows: MIR. fuckers
friends here saw that he stands
squarely on the Chicago platform. and
if reelected, will vote for free coin
age bill"
You say that you spoke FOR the par
ty ticket in 1896. How do you recon-
cile that claim with the statement
you made in your Richmon speech on
Friday "a last; Il could not see my
way clear to 60 upon the stump anp
tell the people Of Virginia that ] be-
lieved is to l silver was for their
good. and God Almighty gave me the
strength to refuse to do Il. and