The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-30
SpecioIto III, 1,,,,o,ni,

t'b''ihi " 4 ms ines Dispatch
Roanoke Va. July 29.-in spite OF
the heat of the evening and the I'M
certainty that meeting would be held.
more IMAM 1000 representatives of the
Democracy Of Roanoke gathered to-
night at the Assembly Hall to listen
u an address by : Gordon Cumming
or Hampton. candidate for the Demo-
cratic nomination for Attorney-Gen-
cral
1t was $40 o'clock before the
meeting was called to order. ATTORNEY
william Walls. OF this city. represent.
atFe from Roanoke in the General
Assembly. presided and introduced Mr.
Cumming. Mr.. Walls expressed his
pleasure at seeing SO many Democrat.
present TO greet the speaker, and spoke
briefly OF the fitness OF Mr.. Cumming
ioF inc position TO which he aspires
Questions Their Fitness.
Mr.. Cumming is rapid but effective
speaker. and for three quarters OF an
hour held his audience in closest attcn-
ton Ills address was devoted TO the
EXPRESSION Of some reasons why he
should be made Attorney General in
preference TO either Mr.. Pollard or the
incumbent. Judge Williams. He did
not attack his opponents personally.
but spoke rather OF the question OF
their fitness for the position as evil
denced by their public records Mr.
Cumming said in part
i!tt' ID no more important Office
10 he filled than that OF Attorney Cen
eral The time was when II was the
duty OF the Attorney General 10 take
up the records OF the Commemorative
attorney in some Important criminal
cases. and II those records were we'll
prepared the Attorney General had an
easy time Of ii and would win the
case.
III the Commemorative attorney was
careless fellow. the Attorney General
had TO lose his case. The situation is
different now. and more important
duties fail TO his lot
The Constitution provides that the
Corporation Commission must be in al
most daily conference with the Attor-
ney-Gcneral do not desire 10 discuss
the personality OF my opponents Tho
question s. who do YOU want for your
Attorney -''cneral' DO you wan; a man
who goes through the Commonwealth
utterinE glittcrng Ecneralities? DO
YOU want a man who has TO secure out
side attorneys to help him out, or do
YOU really want man who can All the
Office and attend 10 its important
duties?
Eastern Virginia has no, had
state elective office since the Civ.l War
More than forty-fiV years have passed
since she has had the tenIerity to pre-
sent candidate. ] present my cand-
dacy first on this ground that the geo
T.
ness demands aomc recognition Of this
Important section OF the State
Under Obligation 10 No ono.
i don't care for machine or anti
machine. viii go into Office II YOU
choose 10 elect me. under obligation to
no man or set OF men ever made do
not oppose organization. bu, If that
organization shall say that any man
shall not run for Office II he chooses.
am done with H. appear as a lawyer
qualihed 10 practice law. and present
my candidacy as n citizen upon my own
merits. There are other reasons /
am the youngest man OF the three can
ddatcs. and this is the day OF the
young man"
Mr.. Cumming then took up the part
that Southwest Virginia is taking In
the matter OF appointive and elective
offices in the state, and presented
list showing a number OF persons we'll
taken care OF in this way
II appeal to you" ne said TO take
n broad view, and ask you il II is fair
to give all these elective and appointive
Offices TO section that does not give
the Democratic majoritics ii should
give. and that with all the organization
and INSTRUMENTATION we have been un-
able fully 10 wrest from the Republi-
cans.
~ have known the Attorney Generals
o!tcc for years, and / know why that
ed. viii tender 10 that splendid cx-
Confederate soldier from Petersburg
man that both personally and profcs
the office of Assistant Attorney Gen
cral Whatever prestige the Office has
attained is due TO him and through
him
LAS to Attorney General Williams, I
state without fear Of contradiction that
no State case OF any Importance has
been decided In favor of the Common
wealth through the efforts of the At
torney- General.
Four cases were cited by the speaker
who declared that not one OF them had
been decided afiirmatively for the State
in which Mr.. Williams had not been as
OF them the Attorney Generals office
was severely reprimandcd by the court
because IL was unprepared.
Turning his attention to Mr. Pollard,
the speaker said:
Il asked Mr.. Pollard to tell the PEG
b ie OF IN b o nov Of y LINES ne b mas
lenge him to state that he has been
there more than three times. l chal-
lost every case that he has tried there.
II YOU wanted TO employ lawyer
would you secure one who had lost
every case?
10 do with the passage of any law, and
MI Pollards giitterins generalities are
all p,opp n,o ko You cannot ieEisate
cate morals into the people.
Should the People Pay.
Mr.. Pollard touches the fee system
and says he wants a change There
is only one change. and that is to
switch to a salary basis. Who would
have the salaries to pay? The tax
ample: If the Norfolk and Western
Railway wishes to condemn n piece OF
land there are certain formalities that
fees to be paid which must be paid by
the railroad company. Is 1t fair that
the, people should pay these fees?
II do not say that the fee system is
perfect. but do believe in a broad
self -government. This question should
he left for local settlement rather than
TO the General Assembly of Virginia
am opposed to maintaining the pres
ent fces II the salaries arc reduced and
paying the surplus over to the State
FOR the support OF the poorer counties
of the State"
The record OF Mr. Pollard in the Con-
stitutional Convention was taken up