The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-13
REV. DR.. CHR|ST|Al
MAKES STATEMENT
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AContinued from First Pagel
truth, might be established. The SUBJ
committee returned and reported that
the subject matter of the said resa-
| luton was of such a character that
IT was not properly a matter OF leg
| islative investigation and that this
| would be reported to the full com
| mittee. l was not invited to the
meeting of the full committee, and
| was of the impression that It's ses-
| sion would be executive. Today the
| house of delegates adopted the re-
| port of the committee. Now, there
| fore, since the house has decided
| that this was matter between Mr..
| w. NJ. Myers and myself, and since
was abused and misrepresented on
| the floor OF the house by the said
Mr.. Myers, where l was poweress to
defend myself, ! deem it but to me
| and to the great causes of temper
ance and virtue for which / stan l,
| that make this public statement:
/ cannot but believe that this attack
was not so much upon me personally,
| but upon me, as representative of
| the Christian citizenship of Richmond.
urging the passage of reform measures
designed to suppress great evils. | was
| actively interested in this legislation
as member of the headquarters COM
u
as a member of the special committee
| appointed by the Methodist Ministers
| conference to urge the passage of the
| anti vice bill.
| j say ! believe the attack on me
was not so much u personal one as
uDon me as on advocate of the passage
of the anti-vice bill, because Mr., My
| ers stated in the conversation that
as the houses OF the red light dis
| trict had to exist he therefore was in
| favor OF licensing them by the State
| Notwithstanding that the existence of
| these houses is now made crime I'M
der the statutes Of Virginia
| From this private conversation. Cap
tain w. NJ. Myers rushed behind the
| double breastworks OF the house of
| delegates, double because there was
no possibility of reply or refutation.
! and double because under article 4.
| section As Of the constitution he could
| not be reached by the court. He there
made a cowardly attack upon me and
uttered terrible threats OF what might
| have happened and cried for the pro-
| lection of tho house. This was not
surprising. In taking refuge behind
his privilege as q member of the house
| he there established record for cou-
! rage similar to record which he seems
| to have made in military service ac-
| cording to the official reports of the
!
report on the street car strike In Rich
mond June and July, 1903, the adjutant
general thus reviews the record of
| Captain Myers "Captin, Battery A,
William NJ Myers, page 1870" I'm ac-
cordance with this order the troops
tconcerned marched promptly except the
detail ordered to Fulton Inquiry
of Major Martin as to why he had
not moved as directed developed the
| fact that the commanding officer of
| Battery A Captain Myers. was pres
| ent and desired an interview at which
he objected to taking his gatling to
Fulton. upon the gfounn~ that the
| streets were too narrow for its use
| and that since 1t could not be elevated
his command would be destroyed. 1t
was pointed out to him that his com
/ mand OF fifty or more men were armed
| with carbines which could be ele-
| waited and that company M. Seventeen
Virginia, numbering nearly fifty rifles
supported him" Page SO. Great anx-
iety was felt for the car details of
| companies d and W. owing to the re-
ports received that they were In Full
| ton or obstructed on the way, but be-
fore the steps contemplated could be
taken looking to their rescue or re-
lief they happily tarned up when 1t
appeared they had been held by the
| commanding officer OF battery tCap-
| Main to meet a supposed attack from
the direction of Fulton" Page 80.
His denunciation of me was SLAM
derous, with apparent attempt OF in
juring me ard my reputation. Ills
statement that / attempted to intimi-
date him by threatening his political
future and his business lis untrue, and
his further statement that | attempt
ed to bride him Is absolutely false.
Furthermore, on March 5th. on the
| floor of the house, Mr.. Myers at
tempted to besmirch and defame my
good name by stating that my let
ter of March 4th to the house OF
that | had published a falsehood
over my own signature" He made
this false statement Notwithstanding
that the accuracy of my statement
was vouched for by Rev. J. w.
| Shackford and Mr.. IS. K. Mckee. to
whom / read my letter referred to
before 1t was published. and mt
withstanding the statement of DR.. G.
V Darlington. And this. too, in light
OF the fact that Mr.. w, M Myers
has not yet published the statement
of a single witness substantiating his
charges. nor has any such statement
by any other person been published.
/ am prepared with Ave witnesses
besides myself to establish the facts
concerning this matter as I have
stated them.
L regret that this conversation be-
tween a citizen and one Of the city's
/ representatives, which should have
been as intended between gentlemen,
was thus dragged before the public
in the general assembly. and distort-
ed and perverted, and made the sub
ject of an attack on the floor of the
house, which was ccwardly and with
out Justification. The decision of the
committee on privileges and elections,
which was adopted by the house, viz:
that this matter was not one for legis-
lative investigation, shows that the
personal privileges Of Mr.. Myers was
as much out of place as the language
which | used to him was misrepIc-
scented and distorted by him.
w. ASBURY CHRISTIAN.