The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-11
JUDGE CHICHESTER

UUUul UiiIUulUIlii
CONTINUED from First Page.)
afternoon by long distance telephone
lrom Richmond TO Charges made by
Delegate 5. +. Powell, of Spotsyiva-
ma County. to the effect;
First. That / was packing the
electoral board, presumably of Spot
sy.vania County, so that 1 might con-
trol the mex, primaries.
Second. That i have knowingly
appointed a deputy treasurer as a
member of the electoral board In vio-
laeon of the Constitution of Vir-
ginia.
Immediately upon the receipt Of
this message / came to Richmond to
demand proof OF these charges by
such means as the Legislature might
see fit to provide. l understand that
a resolution has been prepa "ed call
ing on Mr.. Powell to produce his
proof. This resolution meets with
my hearty approval / also under
stand that some effort has been made
by some members of tho Legislature
and others. who. of course. feel as
sured that the charges have no foun-
dation in fact. to get Mr.. Powell to
withdraw his charges. ! appreciate
the good intentious and kindness OF
lneSe people, OUT 4 Jiust lI1SiSt THAI II
Mr. Powell thinks he can prove his
charges or believes them to be true.
that he be required to produce his
proof.
IF the charges have scintilla OF
truth in them and the Legislature did
not remove me, ought to resign and
/ would do SO. A simple withdrawal
Of the charges, unaccompanied by a
statement from Mr.. Powell that there
t~t.t ty, hny fhara-
! fore, be unsatisfactory to me.
No Interior Motives.
In reference to the first charge l
will say that 1 have never made any
appointment to any office with any
/ Interior motive In view. Certainly /
| have never had in view my own per-
! sonal interests. Even II ! had any
| desire to do the things Mr.. Powell
| accuses me of / have been in public
| life long enough to know that the best
possible assurance of reelection to
office. especially to judicial office, IL
conscientious discharge of duty.
| Four years as Comm onwealth's Attor-
| ney OF Stafford County. seven years as
! county judge OF Stafford and King
| George Counties. and between four
| and five years as circuit Judge OF the
! Fifteenth Judicial Circuit have con-
| Armed this conviction. I live in Stat
| ford County, four miles from Fred
{ erickshurg, and consequently know
3 only a limited number of people in
/ any of the counties of my circuit. ex
/ cept Stafford.
AS required by law I make n great
number of appointments In all these
counties. 7 am forced to rely. in max
ing these appointments. upon the re-
/ concentrations of persons in whom
have confidence. ] never make any
appointment unless / satisfied Of
the honesty and efficiency Of the per-
sons recommended. This is the rule
Il have adhered TO. and presume 1t Is
followed by judges all over the State
Where personal acquaintance Is limited
there is no other safe method.
The Frazier appointment.
+ This Is the plan l followed In APP
+ pointing Mr.. Frazier. but In this case
after Mr., Frazier had been recon-
mended, knew from my personal ac-
auaintance with him that he was alb
solutely honest and above suspicion
He was appointed to I'LL the unexpired
term of Mr.. Harris. who resigned. SO
far an l know the members OF the
electoral board In every county In my
circuit are absolutely honest men and
would not countenance fraud In cleo
lions for minute, II 1t happens that
any of them are not absolutely relia-
Bile. men who recommended them were
mistaken.
This charge, as I view II, involves
two propositions.
First. that the men appointed were
political crooks.
) Second. that knew them to be such
when I appointed them.
Il respectfully submit that Mr.
Powell can prove neither of these pro-
positions.
The second charge that / know
Inc fNr ~ta to- ,;nfo
ton of the Constitution Is also untrue
1t is true that Mr.. Frazier Is a deputy
treasurer, but, of course. did not
know it at the time or did not think
of 1t. or havn 1t called to my attention
If 1t had been l would not have APP
pointed him-there could have been
no reason for so doing. There is some
legal question as to his eligibility, but
, would have taken no chances.
The Unsullicd Ernine.
Finally. I dislike the unpleasant
notoriety attached to this matter, but
I feel that the Judiciary in Virginia
should be above suspicion in all re-
spects. and any and every charge from
whatever source or of whatever ma
ture, however, ill-founded. should be
fully cleared up. This is my wish in
this instance.
: tSigned)
"R. II. L. CHICHESTER"
Mr.. Powell went to work last night
on the paper setting forth his charges
and his evidence to support them. and
will present the paper to the House
at the earliest possible moment The
matter will probably be referred to
the proper committee and a report
. made to the House. The action OF tho
House will depend upon this report.