The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-09-02
FLOOD MAKES
STRONG APPEAL
In Behalf of Martin and Swanson.
Reads a Jones Letter.
THOMPS0NS TELEGRAM---ETc., ETC

tive Fredericksburg audience when
filled the courthouse, and among
which were ten or twelve ladies,
made an effective and convincing
speech Friday night In favor OF
the nomination of Senators Thos. S.
Martin and Claude A. Swanson.
Mr.. Flood was presented to those
lpresent by Mr.. G. OCOnor Goolrick,
who referred to the fact that six
years ago Fredericksburg had Civ
on Senator Martin n splendid ma
ljority over Ex-Governor Montague
and predicted that this city would
be found in the Martin-Swanson col
umn on the night OF September Z.
Mr.. Flood was given cordial re-
ceptlon when he arose to speak
and was accorded close attention
throughout.
Many times during his address,
which was filed with satire at the
expense of Messrs. Jones and Glass,
but free from bitterness and mud
singing, the congressman remarks
were frequently interrupted by
storms of applause.
Mr.. Flood confined the better
part OF his speech to the cam
paign between Martin and Jones.
but before closing he took occasion
to pay a warm tribute to Sena-
tor Swanson, whose administration
as Governor he referred TO as the
most progressive the State has
known since the Civil war. mark
ed, said the speaker, by the
good roads and school movementH
l fri, to nj
public official was enthusiastically
applauded by those present the au-
dience evidently being practically
solid for the junior Senator, whose
friendship for Fredericksburg in the
Normal School fight has made him
extremely popular in this city.
Mr. Flood was perhaps at his
best, however, when describing in
earnest words and with marked sin /
cerity the record made by Senator /
Martin at the session OF Congress /
just adjourned. Not only, said |
the congressman. has senior SEN /
ator from this State become known /
TO nearly every Virginian. but his
name by reason of his services is /
familiar TO the people of the cOun- /
try from the Atlantic TO the Pa |
cific. They say he isn't a Demo
crat because he voted with Aldrich .
on some occasions during the ses-
sions of the last Congress In or
der to save the South from the
greed OF Northern statesmen who.
while the Republicans controlled,
sought to grab everything for the
North. but, said Mr. Flood, his
splendid Democracy Is best shown
by the fact that over the protest OF
that great disturber Of the peace,
VIM. j. Bryan, he was chosen by his
colleagues in the Senate as the
Democratic leader. Mr.. Flood
spoke OF how the new senators, in
GLIDING O'Gorman and Lea, had
been, at the opening OF the ses-
sion. prejudiced against Senator
Martin and how subsequently dur
ing the session Senator O'Gorman.
convinced OF Senator Martins pro-
gressive Democracy. had made a
motion in the caucus 10 leave all
questions OF procedure on the vari-
GUS tariff bills to the judgment OF
Martin and how his resolution had
been unanimously adopted. He told
Of Senator Lea's change OF view
toward the Virginia senator and
tins wonderful success in Welding
together a torn and distracted mi
nority. SO effective was his work
as leader in the Senate that a mi
nority of 40 senator's, led by him,
had been able TO effect the passage
of three Democratic tariff bills.
one the cotton bill. unamended.
Mr. Flood said that Democratic
leaders looked forward with great
confidence to the election next
year OF a Democratic president, large
ly as a result OF the party record
made at the extra session, and Il
spoke Of how beneficial IL would be
to Virginia to have her senior SEN
ator retained in power as the
leader OF his party in the Senate.
He sarcastically compared the rec
ord in Congress OF Senator Mar
tin and Mr.. Jones and asked II Mr..
Jones could point out any service
as a congressman which entitled
him to Senator Martins seat
Jones talks Of all the great APP
preparations he has received for
the First district, said Mr.. Flood,
but no one knows what they consist
Of save the regular river appropria-
tions. which come each year as a
matter of course. / believe, said
the congressman, that he claims
credit for the Fredericksburg public
building, but l am told that the
people of Fredericksburg had a
hard time convincing him that
such building could be OBJ
tanned.
Mr.. Flood was satirical in refer
ring to Mr.. Jones alleged dOdg-
ing Of the caucus vote on the Ca
madam reciprocity treaty last win
ter, charging that after sitting for
four hours listening to the debate
Jones, when his name was about
to be called, had made his exit
from the caucus in such a hasty
manner as to attract the attention
of nearly every man present. He
said that prominent farmers were
opposing reciprocity as uncertain as
to its results and that Jones had
deliberately avoided voting on the
question in his party caucus by re
treating before the clerk could call
his name The speaker did not
mince words in discussing Mr.
Jones' record on the ship subsidy
bill. After denying point blank
that Senator Martin ever voted
for the bill, Mr.. Flood charged that
Mr.. Jones had done so at the be-
hest of his Newport News constitu-
ents, though 1t was against the in
terests of the rest of his district,
and after he had the day before
denounced the bill as vicious. In
this connection Mr.. Flood read a
letter addressed to him under date
OF Aug. &c, 1911, from Hon. j. b.
Moon, Of Tennessee, chairman OF
the House Committee on Postoffices
and Post Roads, in which Mr..
Moon stated that when he had
charge of the opposition to the
ship subsidy bill in the House Mr..
Jones had voted against the meas
ure and the same afternoon had
met him, Moon, on a street car
when he denounced the bill as vic
ious and stated that he, Jones,
had left the sick bed of his son
to vote against 1t. Later in the
session (the next day according to
Mr.. Flood the same bill came up
and Mr.. Jones voted for it. Mr..
Moon then went on to say that
Mr.. Jones said to him that he sup
posed he, Moon, was surprised at
a ~rr.N1 "a