The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-18
organs Make Partial
Confession


last. tho 18th instant appeared q communica-
ton signed by John Stewart Bryan. Robert
coaIter Bryan. Jonathan Bryan. Joseph st.
George Bryan and Thomas Pinckney Bryan,
who" they say, ARE all the Messrs Bryan"
So there FIVE of these Bryans Somewhere
in history, fiction, is the story of "the three
little taiiors of Thread Needle Street" who de-
clared themselves to be. I'VE the People Of
England" and undertook to declare It's policies
and regulate Its affairs History. or fiction. is
repeating itself. for here have the Ave little
Bryans of Richmonds suburbs, Who are all
the Messrs. Bryan" who have asserted In their
paper the Times Dispatch, that they were
| supreme In Virginia" and who have dele
gated to themselves the right to make any
charges they see At against Its people especially
Its general assembly, without accountability.
This right has been challenged by me and coun-
ter charges brought. In this communication,
signed by the Ave little organs of Richmonds
suburbs, partial confession is made to the
charges l brought against them OF employing
lobbyist to get through the Virginia legislature
a bill which greatly benefited them, and of
their tax lodging. would very much have
their charges brought against the general as
sembly in their editorial of June sth, which.
charges were at the time denied by me and
the proof called for. since that the first
issue between us and should have been the first
to receive attention This we believe. Is in
accordance less with the code of legal JUS
tice than with that of moral ethics and COM
mon courtesy. But since hope is held out
to bring them to proper recognition of either
of these codes. they having ignored my denial
and. in fact, ignored the charges brought by me
until forced to notice them by their being repro
to take up the charges brought by me. In
doing this 1 SHALL for the present. further con-
leaving that of tax lodging to be dealt with
aater. in separate articles. I wish to repeat,
however what have said in my original charge,
that I have the evidence for every charge made
and will produce this at the proper time, re-
CARELESS of the denial and half confession of
these five little Bry-.s OF Richmonds suburbs
that this is untrue. We say half confession
! for the reason that they admit In their signed
article that there has been trouble about taxes
. hofx thnvr and hn atcun nf
ginia, as well as in the court Of New York. and
all know that where there is much
smoke there must be some fire. But OF this
later. Let me get to this lobby business.
In their signed article, after the few intro
ductory remarks, they say These are the facts.
Following this they give what they purport to
be the facts as regards the bill lobbed through
the last session of the general assembly by
which they have been greatly benefited Now
be it remembered just here that in their edi-
torial in the Times Dispatch OF July sth, after
being forced TO notice them by their repro.
duction in The Richmond Nirginian, they say of
these charges. including that OF employing
lobbyist that 1t was "a vicious and UNFOUNDED
assault tThe capitals here used are n'nel
Now they come forward over their own sig
nature and give what they claim to be the
facts and in this admit they had two lawyers,
lobbyist, working before the finance committee,
which had first consideration of the bili There
fore the charge was not ''UNFoUNDED."
When a is placed upon the stand TO tes-
truth and the WHOLE TRUTH Honorable men
are expected to do this without being sworn
of the truth Is often the biggest fabrication Of
all In giving what they purport to be These
are the facts do these Ave little Bryans OF
Rchmonds suburbs give All THE FACTS?
would like to have them answer this question
, before proceeding further. but their expert
ness in ignoring. side stepping squirming evad-
ling whimpering, clustering. huildozing, part
denial and part confession; having been in aa
VIII say for them Ala ths d they o
do this? Why did you not make full and com
plete confession? This would have been much
4 - hta itk Gov thar
spanking to force you to do this. You started
off very good, but left untold some things and
: points, leaving unstated some Of the most in
terestng phases.
About this brief you refer to as being pre-
scented by Murry NJ. Mcclure and w. d. Card
we'll. what other names are signed to that brief?
Why did you not give all these? Here they are
That brief is signed by Mcclure. Riley Bryan
and by w. d. Cardwell. Now what Bryan is
this whose name appears on that brief? He is
one of the five little Bryans of Richmond's
terested in this bin which is supposed to benefit
you to the amount Of about $l000000o, all of
1t coming out of the taxpayers of Virginia. is
mixed up in its passage. do not know which
one Of the five it is. whether Tom Dick or
Harry" But beg pardon there are no Toms
Dicks or Harries" among these These are no
common folks with such common names, but I'M
common folks with uncommon names, even one
being a saint. And since they have essayed to
|, pose as the patron saints of Virginia, to rid 1t
of the reptiles which infest its general assembly
!, in the shape of the piunderbund and lobbyist
one, at least should have been christened with
, the symbolic patronymc of Saint Patrick But
to return for more of the unstated facts.
Here Is something else you failed to state
You forgot to say who had these lobbyists before
the committee. Who paid them for being there
Who were paying them for assisting you in
prying this big sum OF money out OF the tax
payers OF Virginia. You also failed to state
whether any were ex-members ex-officers of
the general assembly Of Virginia But Of
course they not. Surely you sanity men,
partly in name IL no further. you who have
delegated and consecrated yourselves to the very
high and noble work OF driving these serpents
from the State capitol, who have denounced
these in such vile and vicious epthets. surely
you would not, though you had a $780,
10000 bill at stake. employ of these to
appear before the legislature a committee
thereof.
What became OF this bill after the lobbying