The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-01

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portant public duty; but do intend
to 60 to the people Of Virginia and
ask them to decide the senatorial f.
sue and not to leave It to the manipu-
lation of ward-heelers in, the towns
nor subservient henchmen in the
counties. ! want the people aud not
the politicians to determine the mat.
ter. and when they shall have made
their choice, no man will more ODE
dtently bow to the honest expression
Of their will.
mo Machine IN Virginia"
There Is no machine in Virginia:
Yet this is the cutlery. and these are
the tactics employed when a Demo-
CRATIC representative in Congress eS-
ercises his right to aspire to q seat
in the United States Senate which
has not yet been filled by the people
to whom 1t belongs! And why may
] not aspire to the Senate? What
is the so vastly superior title OF the
Governors temporary appointee as to
render my candidacy presumptu-
Gus? ] am q Democrat, and always
have been. For many years. through
my newspapers, ! fought the battles
OF the party without asking or re-
ceiving any OF its honors. For many
other years upon the hastings ] have
cheerfully responded to the party's
call As q member Of the Virginia
Senate for three years tried to be
faithful TO my commission. During
that period many questions OF vital
Importance to the Commonwealth
were considered and determined.
think the journal Of the Senate and
the statute books of the State will
attest the claim that bore my part
in speech and work. Casually. from
| memory. recall that I put upon the
statute books the first comprehensive
| pure food law Virginia ever had. As
| a member OF the Finance Committee
l extirpated from the tax laws some
of the grossest specimens Of double
] taxation. l presented and had passed
by the Senate q travelling auditor and
| expert accountant bill, which was de-
feated In the lower house through the
assembling here of . selfish lobby,
organized and managed by a public
official OF the machine type. now pa
rading over the State In the interest
of my competitor. took part in the
discussion and passage OF the bill re-
facilitating tho Agricultural Depart
ment.
/ Justly regardful Of every legitimate
corporate interest, NOBODY ever sus-
pscted me OF corporate affiliations. Ny
ATTITUDE In this respect was exempli-
fed In the memorable telephone fight
familiar especially to the people OF
Richmond. When that powerful cor
poration, defeated In its twelve years
Of litigation with this city, sought to
grab highways and public streets IN
Virginia and crush out the smaller
companies, I stood In my place, broken
in health. ana day after day and night
after night for more than two weeks
led tho successful fight against the
contamination OF the scheme Many O.
you Will recall how all Virginia waa
stirred over this legislative combat
how the $5.0o0,00 charter went through
.he Senate with the tread OF a cat, and
with the knowledge of but three or. fou.
members; how 1t was dismissed from
the House calendar upon my exposition
Of the case on the Senate floor; how the
bill was subsequently, introduced and
lohbied: how II was p1astered with
amendments safeguarding the rights OF
the people OF Virginia: how II was fl /.
nally abandoned by its own proponents
/ also had part In the LEGISLATION re-
lating to the calling Of constitutional
convention. and In many other enact
ments which the lapse Of time causes
ME to forget.
In Convention and Congress.
AS member Of the Constitutional
Con, ention. think may nodestly
claim to have served Virginia WITH
reasonable diligence ana effectiveness
AS member OF the COMMITTEES or
\ Public Education, I aided in the con.
struction Of the article dealing witt
the educational system of tho State
and. on the Committee OF the Exscu
tive. the article relating to that branch
Of the government. ! helped to put ir
the fundamental law the principle OF
the employers liability, doing Justice
to the laboring classes Of the Common.
wealth ! was not q member Of the
Committee on the. Elective Franchise
but had some share in the construction
and passage OF that important article
FOR the enactment Of which the Con.
stitutionI Convention was primarily
convened. ! think the Journal and the
Debates OF the Convention win attes'
. that bore my part OF the burden ane
the responsibility.
For eight years have been . min.
ority member Of Republican Con.
gress; and. whenever hear the ques,
. ton asked ~ to what 4 Democrat,
member OF Republican Congress hal
done. ! recall with amusement tht
frank. baunt answer OF my friend, Bot
Southall, at Newport News in the las
gubernatorial campaign. when he an
nouhceo ms purpose to retire: Not I
damned thing" I seem. however. Il
have served the people OF my district Al
wei! as could, and to their apparen
fisiactlon.
Aitnoueh nor the ranking Demo
crauc meMoer OF the COMMITTEES or
pank1nB ana currency, my colleague.