Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-09-16
KENTS SPEECH
AN EYE OPENER.
Republican Candidate for Governor Asserts
That Under Democratic Machine Rule
Expenditures Have Increased More
Than $2,0OO,OL0.

gubernatorial campaign here today,
with Captain W. P. Kent, their candi-
date for governor, as the principal
speaker.
Capt. Kent's speech was a series of
charges, not only against the efficiency
of the Democratic rule in Virginia, but
against the Democratic leaders, whom
he declared, had formed themselves into
a political ring or "officeholding"
trust for pecuniary and other advsn-
tages.
At the opening of his speech Captain
Kent made it clear that he does not in
tend to conduct a mudslinging cam
paign, but he does propose to tell the
truth without fear regarding the af-
fairs of the State.
One of the important features of the
speech was the declaration that Vir-
ginia, under Democratic rule, had in
creased its expenditures in the past nine
years from three to five million dollars,
and likewise the salaries of the State
officials have been increased from $107,-
900 to 1924, 900. He charged that the
andlIo VI Tie OIdIC nave Dceu IQlSIQAn-
aged.
He also took a shot at Judge Mann,
who he declared is the friend of the
liquor dealer and the advocate of the
prohibitionist
Captain Kent said, in part:
1--WE do not propose to inaugurate an
abusive campaign, nor simply to harp
and criticise, but we do propose to tell
the truth fearlessly, to state honestly
where and how the State and its affairs
have been mismanaged, and to offer to
those citizens who are interested our
reasons for believing that it would be
for their best interests to try a change
of officials and of management and
methods. The present state of affairs
is not satisfactory to either Republican
or to Notwithstanding Democrats. They
are not satisfactory to the taxpayers
and the people. l do not say that our
State officers and their associates and
employees are dishonest. 1 much prefer
to concede integrity of purpose and mo-
tive to each and every one, but in so
doing must adopt the only alternative
and charge incompetence.
To prove the merit of the Republicans,
the speaker said:
In the so-called Republican States
we see particularly an advance in labor
legislation as compared with the So
called Democratic States. We see in
the Republican States a far greater
betterment of labor conditions as to the
hours of employment, labor bureaus, in
spection, sanitary conditions, female
and child labor. and the protection of
labor organizations. Again, we see far
better educational facilities in Republi-
can States than in Democratic States
We see better roads, we see better laws
regulating corporations and public utili-
ties. And we see the national Republi-
can legislation which regulates food,
drink, and drugs adopted more quickly
in the Republican than in the Demo-
cratic States"
Taking shot at the Democratic State
Machine, Capt. Kent said:
''For over twenty-five years now the
management of these affairs has been
really in the hands of not only the Dem
ocratic party, but, according to the
Democratic papers and Democratic lead
ers, in the hands of an Office holding
trust which has so controlled the action
of the party as to keep the offices and
their emoluments in the hands of a
favored few.
"Our Democratic senators and repre-
sentatives are the leaders Of the Demo-
cratic party in the State, and if we be-
heve the leading Democratic papers,
the Virginia Democracy is not concern
ed in advancing the interests of the
people in either nation or State, but is
simply an office-holding trust, whose
members are concerned chiefly in the
official positions they hold and the pc
cuniary and other advantages to be de-
rived from such positions"
Regarding State extravaganza, the
speaker said:
'T cannot here today go into such de-
tail as would like concerning the ex-
travagance and wasteful expenditures
of the past few years, but a few fig
ures will suffice to prove that my asser-
ton is moderate one. First, l want
to give figures showing total receipts
and expenditures:
Expenditures Receipts
1899. ..... Bill, ,431 $3,475, ,4O4
1908. .... 4,076,00 3,675, ,507
1908 .. 5,786,019 5,526, GIT
''In the past years the deficit was
made up from surplus in the treasuary
remaining from the preceding year.
Now we must increase taxation to meet
expenditures or increase our bonded in
debtedness. Now what has brought
about this increase of nearly 100 per
cent in ten years? Well, here are