Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-09-01
JONES OFFERS TO
MEET Martin HERE
Congressman Challenges Sen
ator to Joint Deb tie in
Staunton on Sep. |
GETS fine RECEPTION HERE

In Fine Speech MIR. Jones Renew
| His Attack on Senator Martin
and Virginia Machine
In a rousing speech in which
challenged Senator Thomas S. Marti
to meet him in StauntOn in joint de
bate on September 1, on which dat
Senator Martin is already announce
to speak here, Hon. William A. Jone
for two hours and half Monda.
afternoon addressed fairly wei
filed house in the assembly hall o
the county building, in the interest
of his candidacy for the United State
Senate.
Mr., VIM. G. Abney announced Mr.
| Herbert Taylor, who in few words
introduced the speaker.
Referring to Mr.. Taylor's intro
duction, in which he said Mr.
Jones' record in Congress was with
out flaw or blemish, the speaker stat
ed that he wished he could say thai
himself but with FL years of public
service he didn't believe any mans
record could be faultless. That he
had made mistakes in that time and
had cast votes he would be glad if he
could change, he was willing to adj
nit. Mr.. Martin, he said, was
scheduled for an appearance in Rich
mond Monday night and would pos
sibly attempt to show where he had
made mistakes. On the other hand,
up to this time, no vote had been
shown up to which exceptions could
be taken and, in spite of the fact that
there were only eight more working
days before the election, he hoped to
be able to answer any criticism Sena-
tor Martin might make at this late
day.
He mentioned a Martin rally at
which a friend of the Senator had
referred to him as a candidate for
Martins seat" and of his impudence
in attempting to wrest it from the
present incumbent. Senator Martins
term, he reminded those present, eX-
pired March, 4, 1913. and neither
the Senator nor anyone else has a
claim to it.
Denies ''Mud-Slinging"
For five months he had canvassed
the State from one end to the other.
In his first speech in Norfolk he had
defined his position on great public
questions and had since discusset
Martin and the machine" of wlic
ne was the head in Virginia. II h
1ad ever misstated Mr.. Martins posi-
ion, no one had come forward to c5r
.ect him. At the outset, Martin mel
lad said his campaign was one {
That this was 50 Oh
hat he had done any "mud-slinging'
le stoutly denied and asked his hear
IFS to be the judges.
The public record of public ser
rant, he declared, was public proper
y and such a one should be willing |
or it to be laid bare. His personal |
ecord he had no desire to criticise |
tut his record as a servant of the |
,eople he felt justified in examining |
md recognized the same right with |
egard to his own.
Martins Press Bureau
Senator Martin claimed that he,
dartin, was working sixteen hours
day in Washington while the speak
r was campaigning in Virginia. Mr..
ones stated, however, that Senator
Iartin had found time to maintain /
bureau of about Is clerks who kept
Ip his letter writing to Virginia peo-
lie. The content of some of these
ctters, he discussed. One of them
q particular spoke of having served
he people in the Senate for 16 years
nd of Jones service in Congress for
4 years; that he had been able to
ttain a prominent position in the
;enate and to accomplish great
hings for the people,; that Jones had
.lso made a good record in the House
md that the best thing for the in
erests of the people was to perpetuate
his happy arrangement. The fact |
hat this letter advocated his return |
o it. The Sims pamphlet was a
limsy defense and Senator Martin |
lad made no defense himself. Any |
or vituperation, however
le claimed, was the work of the other |
tide. He had simply stated that the |
statements were incorrect and as an
Instance of 1t called attention to the
act that Judge Sims pamphlet said
Martin voted to reduce the tax on
ron ore when the record shows that
ron ore went in on the free list, that
Aldrich moved tax be put upon it
md Martin voted with Aldrich. In
he matter of lumber, the pamphlet
says that Martin voted to reduce this
AK from 50 to 1.50 when in reality
here was no such proposition before
he Senate.
Following his public utterancts in
regard to the Sims pamphlet, Mr..
Jones stated he had received a letter
rom Judge Sims in which the writer
claimed entire responsibility for the
made in the pamphlet,
yet this was the pamphlet which
Senator Martin was sending out as a
of his position. The
Mr.. Jones stated was in
and mistated the facts, and |
o send it ali uyer the State as show