The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-11
WEAVER SEVERE IN
ATTACK ON KEEzElL
CHAIRMAN Of HOUSE FINANCE
COMMITTEE SEVERELY ARRAIGNs
FORMER MEMBER OF SENATE.
KEEZELL ON THE SCENE
HE COMES TO RICHMOND AND
MAKES VIGOROUS REPLY
TO MIR. wEAvER's
CHARGES.

Claiming the floor on a question o.
personal privilege, Aubrey G. Weaver
delegate from Warren county anC
chairman of the house committee sor
finance yesterday attacked former
State Senator George b. Keezell, fol-
a letter which was written him, In
one OF the most bitter attacks heard
on the floor of the house for many
days
Mr.. Weaver declared tha. Mr.. Kee.
xell was a manufactures of false evi.
dence and man who prostituted his
public Office 10 his private gain. He
said that as chairman of the finance
committee, Senator Keezell had used
his influence TO pay himself s4oo as 8
member of the fish commission and
that he had caused the taxes Of the
Chesapeake and Western railroad te
be reduced and had put the money
In his own pocket,
The attack by Mr. Weaver was
brought about by letter written By
Mr.. keezeil To Speaker Cox and pub
lished in Sundays Vyginian. in re-
ply to speech made on the floor OF
the house by Mr.. Weaver, when the
general appropriation bill was under
consideration An item paying the
unsalai1ed Aip-country members OF
the fish commission S4a0 each lfor
two years. for extraordinary services
rendered was the cause, Mr.. Weaver
attempting to show the house the
item should be striker out. He did
not say that Senator KeezelI had
used his position 10 pay himself this
money but merely traced back the
item To its origin.
In his attack Mr.. Weaver said:
Il take consolation In the fact that
no statement that gentleman can
make can jure me where / am
known. and no statement that gen
teman can make Will carry either
weight or truth where he is known
Il did not say, Mr.. Speaker. tina,
Mr.. keezeil had used his position as
chairman of the senate committee or
finance TO pay himself as a menbei
of the fish commission. This must
have been known 10 the gentleman
and consequently BELIEVE that hi
invented and manufactured a condi.
ton so that he could vent his wills
venom upon me.
But l do now charge. Mr.. Speaker.
that Barney keexell did take advan-
tage Of his position as chairman OF
the senate finance committee to pay
himself S4~1 as a member of the State
board OF fisheries
He charges me with spleen be-
cause he would not allow his hands
to be tied in the bank deposit reduc-
tion matter. But l tell you, Mr.
Speaker, that his hands are tied, They
were tied by his own people because
the people knew he was not faith
full public servant; because he used his
official position for private gain.
MIR. Speaker I waive any exemp-
ton / may possess as a member o'
this house. and | call upon Barney
keezell to answer this charge.
The existing records show that SEN
ator Keezeli caused the tax OF the Ches.
apeaka- Western railroad To be- eeaaeed
This reduction amounted to $226-0a
This money would have gone into the
treasury OF Rockingham. Instead. II
went into Senator Kezelrs pocket. This
gentleman, after what is known about
him. charges me with attempting to
Islander him. His charge is maiciously
false. His conduct in numerous
transactions Is known. Mr.. Speaker,
and had he been member Of con
gress and guilty of such offenses he
would today be behind the bars,
when the Chesapeake Western scan
dial was published Barney Keexell
brought libel suit against the local
paper. The management Of the paper
appeared in court with dispositions.
among them one by the deputy treas
urer, and announced that it was ready
to prove the truth of its publication.
For some reasons best known to