The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-11-24
Mr.. POWELL TO Mr.. BlAyDEs
Another Chapter in the Spotsylvania
Controversy.
Belmont, Va, Nov. 2lst. 1910.
To The Free Lance:

and spiteful abuse appearing oveI
the name of r. c. Blaydes rises
again for the eternal years OF Goo
are hers" and will continue TO rise
until Error wounded in agony dies
amid her vOtaries.
Blaydes, Baggett and CrismonC
having together begotten the raise
hood about my supporting Blayde'
and publicly acknowledged the par
entage when they hoped this chic
of their infamy could be made o.
service to them in their fell designs
upon the honor of the Republican
party IN the county Of SpotsylVania
and my personal reputation, no one
expects them to deny it now
The surprise is that they did
NOT swear TO their certificates
and violate another Command
ment
The interdependence of these par
ties and object of their conspiracy t'
iniure me were shown in my reply
To Crismond. and being reminded
that your space was valuable anc
urged TO limit my remarks, | refer
TO that instead OF repeating mere
| would make no reply were your
papers only read IN our county
where these parties are known.
also refer 10 my letter OF Oct
2O-22. the truth OF which has MOI
been obscured by Blaydes. although
the very transparent cloud OF his de
NAL aad abuse hangs over most OF
IL. Notice. however. in his repor'
of the meeting he claimed 20 pei
cent. increase in the party.
In his last letter he says II has
increased largely. but names on
IN one man, TURNKEY, whom he says
he forced into ranks after he
became chairman.
III he forced him into ranks why
did he not force him TO vote foI
him Tor chairman?)
he also cOntradicts this state
ment when he says In the fall OF
1906 when | was first made chair
man was opposed by the Iurh-
leys and Peter Powell.
How could James p TURNKEY op-
pose him then when he was not IN
the .Arty according to Blaydes?
The only other TURNKEY | ever
saw in a Republican meeting is Ira
+. Turnkey .who.it is true, did oppose
Blaydes then. but he is single and
not plural.
In nis lasi letter ne did not clam
Nc was called upon from every parl
of the building" after others had
sookel and nominations made ana
made The great speech. closed
amidst great applause, he claimed
in his report of the meeting, bu'
merely says he called the meet
ing 10 order with a speech Even
this is not correct.
Everybody who attended the
meeting knows ne did not rise frou
mis- chair. that Crismond read me
cau stated the object and contin,
ned 10 talk with few pauses until
il adjourned. He says the vote Ioi
chairman was Powell 40, Blaydes
81 refer TO what has already
been published and the FOLLOWING
statement by eye witnesses:
Il was present at the mass-meet'
ing Sept. 18Th, 1910, and heard the
vote announced for chairman ano
also counted it and it was Fowei
SIS and 81 for Blaydes.
All that stood in each case were
counted whether qualified or ho'
or Republicans or not.
saw no unqualified voters OF
Democratic voters voting for row
Ell and l know practically all tha'
voted for him. ,,,,.
did not count the vote
hut know this statement is correct
as was there and heard and saw
everything. ,,,
ID. W. Brooks.
refer TO the foregoing contra
dictorv statements Of Blaydes as
showing the habitual untruthtulness
of the man by his own words
Messrs. Wheeler, Brooks ana
others were elected by Livingston
district as members of its precinct
committees and county executive
committee and duly reported 10
Crismond as secretary OF the mass
meeting. vet he and Blaydes dld
not send their names to the State
chairman to be commissioned as re-
ouired by the party plan OF organ
ization. but substituted others IN
stead who were not elected.
They did the same with seVerai
committeeman elected by Berkiey
district and they certified only two
from the other two districts VINO
were elected by those districts or
the mass-meeting.
Disregarding the wishes OF the
people and falsely certifying other
names than those elected to be
commissioned as members of the
county executive committee because
they think they can control them.
Besides the Democrats voting for
Blaydes already published, men
ton the following. and these are
not all:
Bob. Hugh and Charley Hocka-
day, Berry and French Acors. Will
liam, Julian, Willie, Jr., Joe and
Jim Hart.
He. of course. denies the Cole
mans ran him and as to this re-
fer to my first letter and shall not
publish the evidence unless denied
by some of them over their sigma
lures. as | did not seek this con-
troversy and shall not bring any
more people into it than necessary
to defend myself.
My personal relations with them
have always been pleasant. l am
sorry there was no witness to my
talk with either of the three con-
spirators, except Baggett and l have
the following letter as to that:
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 10, l9lO'
Mr. s p. Powell. Belmont. va
near Sir. was present and par
t;cipated in the conversation DC
wen Mr. S. l. Baggett and your
lie In the p. o. building here ias'
April relative to the hepuu ,,i =
can Craftsmanship of spo.sy l van"
connty In justice to all cohcein ,.
"a viii cav that / heard no prom
&C. or statement that you "ouiu
n , onpose Mr.. Blaydes; do not pc
iieve that one was made ana ain
norfident that Mr.. Baggett Is ~
error and mistaken IN 'hiHA ~ ssSaE
'0u Very truly yours,
w. P. Mansfield.
Al. Mansfield is a relative and
NJ, 40 I ala not publish his let