The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-13
Senator ThOs. S. Martin.


lis' q. railroad corporal ions j don't
know whore MIR Jones gets this idea
but | do know that il had is origin
in falsehood and malice. because !
have never 80 ay p,rca of my
|lif, De the r.pr n'a.iy, of any
railroad OF Other corporation. or
81 any person or persons in con-
u elton with any matter pending he
fore any gisla i've body state or
national Many such rctainefs have
been Offered ne as lawyer. but
invariably have declined them. /
have never i'm my life had my cOursc
rs a citizen in respect Ia any public
matter embarrassed 10y 4 retainer.
No one can truthfuiy say that
/ have been retained To represent. or
have. in fact. represented any inter
est for a corporation. or any cine
else. before a legislative body. The
only connection / have had with
railroad corporations was this:
Before my election TO the Sen
ate. was local counsel for tho Rich
mond and Allegheny Railroad Com
pany. until 10 was consolidated vi. b
the Chosap ako and Ohio Company
/ | then became the local COINS FOR
7 The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Company, which | had not before
that time represented. Ny ayr O.
ment with the company was TO pros
ecute and defend suits and transact
ali legal business in which they
might be interested i'm five counties.
for which | received an annual sal
airy. II was a retainer solely in
legal matters. ! did NOT oven know
The pr, sidcut of the company. Mr.
~ T.. INGALLS,. until after was elect
cd 10 the Senate lie. as we'll as
every other railroad president in Nir
sinia. was opposed to my election. ]
never presented any other rail
road corporation but. az the records
of the court will show. brought
suits a-aiHs, them Whfn / wls
elected 10 "a Senate. sicHcd my
position as local counsel for the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Com
pany and since that time have
represented no corporation whatever
In fact I have been unable 10 give
any attention to the practice OF law.
and have De, cted my tine exclusive
iy To my IIhii duties"
Thought SANDER, a, i,,,i.
The statements made in that in
terview were repeated ly me in
many public speeches in Virginia.
and thought these old SANDERS had
been forever put to rest, until Mr..
Jones revived them in his speech
on Friday night last
I,cit,rat,s Formal Denial.
Now. referring TO the letters read
by Mr.. Jones at Woodstock for tn"
purpose OF proving his statements,
desire first 20 reitcratc every
word which let out in the Ricn-
mond Leader on July ~. 1899. And
in my above quoted reply OF last
Saturday to Mr. Jones Lynchburg
speech. have never in my life rep
resented q railroad corporation, or
any other corporation or any per
son or persons, before any lcgisla-
tive body for compensation or with
out compensation. /. OF course, do
no remember the letter purpOrting
to have been written by Mr.. j. S. II.
Thompson to me on the 2Sth day
Of september. 1891. but have no +
disposition whatever to question its
authenticity.
In 1891. Mr.. John S. Barbour was
living. and was member Of the f
Senate. was not in public life nor
contemplating any candidacy for
the senate or for any other office .
was taking. and had for many
years taken a very active part in
the conduct Of the Democratic cam
paigns in Virginia. bestowing a
great deal Of time and labor. ana
such contributions of money as !
was able TO make TO accomplish sue
cess and maintain the political SUI
premacy of the white people in the
state. At that time the franchises. .
not having been taken from the nc f
groes they constituted a constant f
menace, and our campaigns were cx-
ceedingly difficult and expensive. As
a member of the Democratic Com .
mittee. | was in the habit Of assist
ing Mr.. EllysOn. the chairman OF
the State committee, not only in the
conduct of the campaigns. but in
raising the necessary money for cam
paign purposes | solicited money
from the managers of railroads and .
from other men Of wealth. who, like .
the railroad managers were interest /
ed in the prosperity and good order .
of the state, and in preventing ne /
gro ascendancy. which all knew I
would be destructive of property /
rights, as well as of our civilization. /
Mr.. J. S. b. Thompson. Mr.. AK
tell and others from time to time
made contributions or assisted in
raising funds Every dollar contrib /
uted by them. including the $500 /
mentioned in Mr.. ThOmpsons letter
of september 2S, 1891, or realized f,
from any source. was. so far as !
have any knowledge or connection
with the same, disposed Of in the
interest of the Democratic party,
and not one dollar was intended TO
be used. or was given to be used or
was in fact used, in the interest OF
the railroads or of other corpora
lions They were asked TO con-
tribute to the Democratic party, and
the money contributed was contrib
uted for that purpose. and used for
that purpose alone. The railroad
interests did not concern me, and Il
never at any time, in any way. rep
resented them in any legislative mat
ter. Several OF the letters, have
no doubt. referred to the candidacy
of Mr.. r. II. Cardwell for the posi-
ton of Speaker of the House OF
Delegates, in which I was much in
terested, as he had been for many
years one of my closest and most
highly esteemed friends.
Knew of No Such Fund.
Mr.. Jones, in his I.ynchburg
speech. is reported to have charged
me with having been zone of the
disbursing agents of what he terms
the yellow dog fund OF the rail-
roads" presume by this he
means to charge that a fund was
contributed by the railroads for cor
ruption purposes.
know of no such fund.
The only contributions made by
the railroads or by railroad men OF
which | have any knowledge were
the contributions made by them
above stated at the request OF the
Democratic managers to the Demo
~. aF.N