The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-08
Secretary McAllister Sets Sem
ator Keezell Right as to
His Speech
REMOVED THE CAUSE
FOR BITTER ATTACK
Senator Says if Minister Said On
ly What He Claimed There
Was no Occasion for
What Was Said.

.
State Senator George Is. Keezell. as
the result of the very severe aTraign-
inent oi Rev. Mr.. MoAiister, made on
the floor OF the Senate ON Monday
by the senaaor from Rockingham. The
attack ly Senator keezell upon the
Anti-Saloon officer was the result OF
newspaper report OF an address de-
livered at East End Baptist ehusch
Sunday night by Mr. McAlister
Secretary MtAllsteI IN ins letter to
Nj. keezeil. repeats ,ke statement
made to The xiIsinian on Monaas as
to having been incorrectly reported.
and suggests tnat the accuracy OF the
report oI his utterantes should have
been inquired into before thay we're
MADE the suDieet of public criticism.
senator Keezell. N mis- reply says
| that II MI MtAtster version of
what ne said Is correct il removes
the occasion for his remarks which
he regrets.
Mr.. McAlis.er's Letter.
The letter OF Mr. hIcAiisser follows:
Richmond. Va, March I, 1910.
! Hon. George b. Keezen, senate
Chamber, Richmond. Va.
Dear Sir.---Not having read be-
yond mere glance at the headlines.
| the article In the morning paper. .pur-
| porting to be a report OF my ADDRESS
/ at East End Baptist Church on sun
day evening. 1t was with no small de-
gree OF surprise that read the en-
closed statement, clipped from the
| first edition Of to-day's Evening jour
| nal. ss.
| have so often been misinter-
| preted and misrepresented by incor-
rect and unauthorized newspaper re-
ports and accounts. that | have al
/ ways been slow Ia accept as correct
any statement parnoating 70 come
from any public speaker. that saern-
ed unworthy of his profession or
position. Therefore, when the news
| paper reporters called my attention
| to your remarks. relative to me In
| the Senate Chamber. this morning.
and requested a statement from me,
I Immediately took the position that
| II would not be proper for me to
| comment through the Newspapers
upon your remarks until communi-
eating with ytru in person / feel that
| had you adopted the same course that
| no such utterances as are attributed
to you would have been spoken.
fou felt no greater sense of as
| constituent and outrage than |, upon
| carefully reading the newspaper ar
| ticie after a newspaper man called
4 my attention thereto. and L took the
| first opportunity that was afforded
me, after reading the same. to con-
| tradict 1t through the press.
Now. sir, allow me to say in the
most kindly way and in an entirely
friendly spirit that 1t IS matter of
| very little moment to me to be
| charged with representation, SLAM
der and falsehood Ii is of tremen-
| dous moment that I be guilty of no
such thing. and that in allt public
disccurses or utterances that l say
nothing that is 'unheconing gentle
man. 1t IS also of highest impor-
lance that no gentlemen feel that I
have charged him with any impure
or unworthy motive.
Report Not Accurate.
! Therefore. permit me to say:
The report of the Tfmes-piSpatch
on Monday morning. March I. of an
address made by me at East End
Baptist church on Sunday evening
March o, Is in no sense an accurate
statement of my utterances.
did not say that love of reve-
nue. was the cause of the rejection OF
the Strobe bill by the Senate. / did
say that the revenue derived from the
saloon in Richmond was the chief
ground for it's existence, and II the
Legislature should pass a law abol-
fishing the saloons revenues that
Richmond people would vote them
fout in ninety days.
/ / did not say that "twenty-six SEN
ators sat In their chamber In the
State Capitol on Friday evening and
said to the $4,000 petitioners, we
!. recognize no right on your part to a
vote. We will keep this thing that
pays heavy licences and that pays
our campaign expenses" did say
that twenty-six senators by their vote
denied $4,000 petitioners the privi-
lege OF voting on the abolition Of the
saioon--a most fertile source of rev.
did not characterize Senator
Folkes a. q creature OF our ballots.
but did characterize the saloon az q
creature Of our vote: nor did I say
anything that could In any way be
correctly construed as charge OF
make any reference to his personal
faith or belief. / only referred to
him as senator from Richmond
elected by Richmond voters. 4.
Il The whole tenor OF my remarks
! were to chow that the strongest hold
OF the saloon upon tho State and mu-
) nicipaiity was its capacity ms u rev.
stripped of that feature the people
/ would speedily blot II out of exist
4 cnce.
Any statement to the effect that In
! my remarks l made any reflection
!. upon the character or motive OF any
Al senator or public officer, or that !
I referred to any legislator or public
4 official In any manner that was not
perfectly gentlemanly and respectful.
+ Ii without any foundation.
Trusting. II the statements attribu-
tied to you are true, that. tnasmuch
/. as they do me grave injustice tbe-
cause OF no animus upon your part.
bat because Of misrepresentation
. newspaper reports OF my addressl.
: and inasnuch as they piace' ms in an
s improper attitude toward many hon
: orahfs senator's with whom / have
Y kbeen. and am, on most friendly terms,
{ though differing from them on q
question of State policy, that you will