The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-10
BYRD REPLIES TO
PLANTERS ATTACK
Issues Statement Refuting
Charges OF Duplicity and
Doublc-Dealing.
WOULD NOT LET HIM RESIGN
Farmers Union Knew Speakers
Hostility 10 Lime Bill, But
Retained Him.


patch last night speaker Richard
Evelyn Byrd replied to the attack
upon him in an editorial published in
the July number of the southern
Plante:
The Speakers cardinal sin. accord
ing to the southern Planter. was
posing as the friend OF the Farmers
Union and at the same time serving
the hostile Associated Lime Manufac-
turers as their paid counsel The hos
tility of the two associations dates
/ from the last session OF the Lcglsla-
,ure. when the Farmers Union sue
ceedcd In securing the enactment Of
tile lime grinding bill, committing the
state to the policy OF providns cheap
the State. The measure was unsuc-
cessfu!iy opposed by the independent
lime grinders
Farmers Would Not Release Him.
Nh Byrd after asserting his opin-
Ion that the lime grinding bill is
wrong in principle and practice. ana
/ that ne was opposed TO IL from the
/ beginning, states that ne undertook
TO act Is counsel for the Independent
lime grinders. with no sense OF being
under obligation 10 dhe Farmers
/ Union not 10 do SO. HIS connection
with the Farmers Union. he asserts.
WAS informal in the extreme. He was
designated as its counsel By President
/ Eannaway at the last session OF the
General Assembly but entered INTO no
/ contract received 10 salary and per
formed no service.
Before undertaking to ac; as couu-
I sci for the independent Undergraduates
( in their suit to test the constitutions
olity of the act says MI Byrd, he
served notice upon the Farmers Union
/ that ne could not support the law.
suggesting that Il the union desired
Z II he would resign his position as its
attorney The union replied that &
was satisfied chat Mr.. Byrd had
acted in perfect frankness" and de-
ciined TO accept the pronered resig-
ration.
Mr. Byrd's Statement.
Mr. ByrG's statement IN fuli follows;
( on my return from Winchester my
attention has been called 10 an attack
made upon me Is the southern Planter
/ IN relation 10 the so-called limo bill.
/ Tho facts are these.
"tD Tho lime ACT provides that the
State shall! erect two lime grinding fac
/ tories IN diqerent sections that these
factories shall ho controlled by tho
Governor. tho commolssioner OF Agri-
culture and the Superintendent Of the
I Pcnitcntiary. and that convicts who
cannot safely be worked on tho roads
/ be used in the factories. ] was opposed
10 this bill on prime. pie and as mat
/ ter OF pclicy-on principle because IL
commits the state to the policy OF en-
gazing ia private ENTERPRISE a. mat
/ tel ~ policy because do not mink that
/ three hard worked State officials IN
| Richmond can conduct TWO factories At
distant points, even with the assistance
/ OF dangerous convicts. Being OF this
ornion l said so voted against tn,
/ bill and am So rccorte.i.
"C2) During the last session OF the
| General Assembly was designated bs'
/ President Gaunaawy as attorney for TIE
/ Farmers Union. I received no re-
! tainer am entitled to no salary. made
! no contract 50 .uties We're desig
mated, and. in fnct, under such APP
! pointment have no duties. Any en-
| pioyment for tile Farmers Union would
necessarily be "a matter OF contract.
"(3) When the lime bin vas before
! the Legislature ! attended a caucus or
/ the members OF the General Assembly
who were also members or the Farmers
Union and stated frankly that could
/ not support the bill They were salts
/ ned with my position.
offered TO Retire.
I'D The suit TO test the constitu-
/ ;lonal!ty Of the bin is not against tho
| Farmers Union. but against the state
/ officials who are designated TO carry
/ out the provisions OF the act When l
was employed by the plaintiffs in the
case, out OF abundant caution. before
the suit was brought, ! 5hed Nj J. 3
/ CHnsdnst 10 say TO President Gamma
; way. upon ;he occasion Of a meeting
/ In Richmond between representatives.
/ OF the union and the Federation Of La
+ Dor. that though could not accept
/ employment from the union to sup
/ port the law, / would withdraw from
/ the case entirely II 81 embarrassed the
/ officials OF the union Mr. C!inedinst
/ reported TO ne that the officials were
satisfied that had acted with perfect
| frankness in the matter and saw 10
/ good reason why l should withdraw
I from the case. Again. on June +. 1912,
/ at LNnchburg, at the convention OF the
! Federation OF Labor, | met the officers
/ OF the union. explained my position and
/ offered my resignation IN case my atii-
/ Jude was not satisfactory.
"o5) Al tile session of 1910 the Gen
cral Assembly appropriated $1,000 to
enable the Governor to employ special
counsel in certain cases. The Cover
nor employed me in considerable NUM-
! Der OF cases. and for these cases Ia
two years l received an aggregate OF
| $4,000 OF which $500 was paid by me
to other attorneys This appropria ton
lapsed February 2s. 1912 The remain
ms $4,000 was covered back into the
treasury. and the General Assembly OF
1912 having failed TO renew the APP
preparation, nave no further relation
{ with the legal business OF the state
! All this was threshed ont TWO years
ago Since then my own people elected
me by a large majority 70 the House
OF Delegates. and / received unanl-
nous nomination and election as
1 croakor nj that body"
Aldermen to Hold Caucus.
\ caucus of members of the Board
! of Aldermen has been called for to-
/ nirht Mt 7.i5 O'clock 10 nominate n