Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-09-03
REPLIES TO Mr.. CURLETT.

| n
EDITOR VIRGINIA CITIZEN.
MY attention has been called to let.
Ter from Mr.. John Curlett, addressed
20 the Editor of the Northern Neck
News and published in the last issue OF
your paper. in which Mr.. Curlett makes
the assertion that he furnished me
with hist of persons whom he desired
10 act as judges at the several pre-.
cincts IN Richmond county in the recent
primary, and that he requested me to
INFORM him as to judges immediately
upon action of the county committee.
itis with great reluctance that un-
oertake to answer Mr.. Curlett's charges.
particularly as shrink from such CON
troversies, but since he has seen fit TO
oraw me into the matter personally and
10 reflect upon the integrity Of the cleo
.ion ofncers Of this county as well, |
feel that l cannot, in common Justice
70 those gentlemen or myself, permit
ms statements to pass unnoticed.
In reply to the first part of his state
ment l desire to say that have never
received from Mr.. Curlett, or from anv
one for him, the list he claims to have
furnished me; nor have / ever received
from Mr.. Curlett, or from anv one for
MN either orally or in writing, anv
suggestion or intimation as TO wbar
persons he desired to serve as iudoes
IN this county at the primary held
on August 9Th last. l was Informed nv
Mr. Curlett at Lancaster Courthouse
on the third Monday in July that he
desired to submit such list and 7 then
invited him, as Ihad done on several pre-
Vious occasions, to send the same to me
or some other member of the commit
tee, but from that day to the present
Tune l have heard nothing whatever
from him in anywise connected with
the subject.
In answer to the latter part of his
statement, l wish to say that have no
recollection whatever of having been
requested by Mr.. Curlett to inform him
as TO the judges selected by the com
mittee. No secrecy was EMPLOYED in
the selection of judges in this county.
nor was there any occasion for such
secrecy, and if Mr.. Curlett had REQUEST
ed me TO furnish him with the names
OF the judges after they were selected
by the county committee would have
cheerfuily done so. The committee
exercised unusual care in the selection
OF judges in this county and only such
men as were we'll known to possess
character, integrity and intelligence
were chosen. 1t is preposterous to as
sumo that ! or anyone else could have
mad any reason for Withholding the
names of these gentlemen from Mr..
Curlett or his friends either before mr.
after the primary.
l have made no effort to ascertain
how the judges at the several precincts
In the county voted in the primary. but
can state with certainty that one of
the judges at this precinct (Warsaw)
voted for Judge Mann and Mr.. CurletL
and that he was selected by the COM
mittee because it was known before
hand that he intended to vote for those
gentlemen.
l hardly consider it necessary for me
to refute the charge that Republicans
were allowed to vote i'm the primary.
This charge constitutes such a serious
reflection upon the good name and char
acter of the men who acted as Judges
that 1t needs no denial. These gentle
men are too well known in this county
to require any defense at my hands from
this unwarranted attack. / will only
state that the poll books used in the
primary contain the oaths and sigma
lures of all the judges, as we'll as the
names, occupations and postoffiee ad-
dresses of every person who voted in
this county. These poll books are in
my possession and open for the inspec-
ton of Mr.. Curlett or any one interest
ed, as they have been ever since thev
were returned. If Republicans voted
1t can be easily ascertained from these
books and i cordially invite an inspec-
ton of the same. think it not unrea-
sonable to say that this charge should |
not be repeated until this has been done.
AS to the statement on this subject
which is attributed to DIR. B. A. Mid
dleton, while feel that DIR. Middleton
is abundantly able to refute such charg
es in his own behalf, | will take the
opportunity to say that no one who is
acquainted with this gentleman and his
high character as a man, a physician
and a citizen, to say nothing of his life
ong devotion and service to the princi-
pies of his party. will believe for one
moment that he ever seriously made
such statement to Mr.. Curlett.
j shall also forward copy of this let
er TO the Northern Neck News for
Respectfully.
j. w. CHM, JR..
Chr. Dem. Co. Com. Richmond Co.