The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-01
Jones in Bold Speech Declares
Martin and Swanson
Chief Offenders -
READS LETTERS AGAIN
AND CONSTITUTES THEM
Returns to Charge That Senior
Senator Was Close to
Railroads and Got to
Senate Through Them

Especial to The Richmond Virginian)
ROANOKE, VA. Aug. 3l.~-Congress-
man William A. Jones addressed a tine
audience here tonight at the Assem-
hiy Hall. His discussion Of the issues
between himself and senator Martin
was received with close attention ana
manifestly with much sympathy. Ere
quently he was interrupted with
hearty applause.
II there were any Martin men in
the house, when Mr.. Jones began
speaking they disappeared before lie
closed, for without question every in
c:vidual In the building was heartily
~ accord with the speaker when lie
pronounced his peroratIon
Mr., jones discussion Of the So
called yellow Dog" letters aroused
the audience to q high pitch OF en-
thusiasn. He told 81 Mir. J. >. b.
Thompsons indignant denial that TIE
money WAS intended for anything other
than To light the Republican party.
TIE day after Thompson denial said
Mr.. Jones. rs read letters showing tsat
Thompson sent money 10 candidates
to obtain their support In the Lesis-
latare.
MIR. Jones In an amusing manner
described how the executive mansion.
and its authority had been moved To
Refers tn Glass.
reference to Carter Glass brought
down the house. MIR. Jones said
that Thompson never had denied or
given any attention te the Holland
letter. although ne tJones, had pre-
scented II all over the State
An interruption By. man III the
audience showed that Mr.. Jones au-
dience was made UP Of Jones and
Glass admirers for MIR. Jones reply
was received with tremendous APP
prevail
Mr, Jones read the letter made pub
lie by him in Petersburg. " hiis doing
SO he took occasion To refer 10
statement from Mr.. Flood that Jones
had asked for money in his district.
MIR. Jones said that he would not use
the words liar or scoundrel" He
would leave them 10 Air. Martin. He
wanted 10 say. however, he never IN
his life asked railroad for q cent
or even discussed such d matter with
a railroad. Mr., Flood had said he
believed the original letter t. elias
Cow had been mutiiated Il have
the original, declared Mr.. Jones I
have had II photographed, Thi4
statement made the crowd shout.
His Charges Established.
Declaring that the charge made
by him twelve years ago that Sena-
tor Martin was comparatively an
known tn the people nj Virginia when
ne was elected TO the Senate in 1898.
and that as far as he was known a.
all he WAS knoYn as an attorney and
lobbyist OF railroads, had been thor
oughly established by the Harbour
Thompson letters. with most OF which
the public had been acquainted for
weeks. MIR, Jones took Up these lot
tiers and discussed them enc by one
in general way Senator Martin
had denied his charges when they
were first made. and had reiterated
that denial a few weeks ago, when
he repeated them In his Lynchburg
speech when two days later Mr..
Jones produced at Woodstock five
letters written by Barbour Thompson
to Senator Martin and others in sub
sanitation of his charge that Sena-
tor Martin had been a railroad agent
and lobbyist. Senator Martin came out
in a third denial. but he did not. Mr..
Jones said. squareiy and honestly meet
the tissue He declared that the
moneys sent him by Barbour Thomp-
son and the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad Company had been sent
prior TO the legislative election of
1891. and had been used by him
solely for the preservation of the
Ang.o-Saxon civilization of Virginia
and TO prevent negro domination. AL
though the other three letters We're
written twenty days after that cleo
ton and clearly connected him With
matters TO com ebefore that 1egis-
iature he had not deigned so much
as to give passing notice to either
one of them. This was so painfully
true that at least one OF the lead
ing newspapers of the State had de-
clared that unless he did make sat
isfactory answer TO tho implications
contained in those letters, It would
not be necessary for that newspaper
to advise decent Democrats how to
vote in the approaching primary.
"Wincing under burning words such
as these, he has at last attempted
an explanation. but he has produced
not a scintilla of evidence. Indeed
his explanation cannot possibly be
satisfactory. even to those of his
Charlottesville friends who have gone
upon records as declaring in advance
their belief In any statement mau,
by him, no matter how strong ant
convincing the proof to the contrar,
may be-"
Martin TOO FOrgetful
Mr.. Jones continued: Il have read
with some care the published reports
OF the speech which bears interna
and indubitable evidence Of laborious
preparation, and what Is said there
in with reference to the Barbour
Thompson letters adds little or moth
inr 10 the denials heretofore made
The intelligent Democrats Of Virgins
are fully as capacble OF interpreting
the language used In these letter.
a Is the man most nearly affected
thereby. lit is noticeable, however
that Senator Martin does not rel,
upon the character of defense pu
forth by the railroad attorneys wnt
have rushed to his rescue In the pub
lie press. that defense which 10 never
made save in criminal courts by those
--- 11sonfinued on sixth PnxAl