The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-20
WHY VOTERS OPPOSE WATTS
Sound Reasons Assigned by a
LIFELONG Democrat.

ing and Saving Wood Will Not Sup
port the sELF-MADE TICKET Be.
oau'e OF the Objeotio nable Timber IL
Contains and the Undemooratio Way
In Which 1t Was Made.
Yesterday THE TIMES encountered
one OF the founders Of Roanoke, whose
name Is we'll known to almost eyerv
voter in the city, and when the subject
Of local politics was brosohed the ap-
pended conversation ensued:
(Which OF the Legislative tickets do
you think will be elected?"
my observation leads mo to think
the Cltizens" ticket will win"
why do YOU think SOP"
Ihere are many reasons for it. They
are cumulative. But they are we'll sum =
married. when we say it ia due to con.
tinued defiance OF popular opinion aud
the persistent violation of individual
rights in the interest of few ,mineer.
ing corporations, such as the Roanoke
Gas and Water Com pany.
What made the Democratic party
the most powerful political organization
In America was the perfectly i'm partial
fairness OF it's original method of select
ing suitable men to form o strong gov
eminent based upon the highest moral
principles. Mass meetings were held
and the men best qualified for the work
required OF them were chosen for each
vacant Office without resort to trickerv
or self seeking That was really gov.
eminent by the people, which is the
essence of Democracy and it's greatest
strength. Wherever and whenever that
principle is abandoned the party will
orfD
TO oppose selections thus openly made
because every voter participated in
making them.
Now that is all changed. Candidates
nominate themselves and then insugu-
rate sort Of guerilla warfare through
oy.ways and hedges to circumvent the
PUBLIC and get together enough
claquers to enablo them to claim the
party endorsement. But in that cues
tionably selfish course they overlook
the fact that voters who have no voice
In nominating e candidate are in no way
bound to support him.
Formerly when the candidates had
been nominated an executive committee
was then appointed to manage the cam
palgn. Its power and duties terminated
on election day. 1t Was com posed of
men OF influence, based upon charac ter
and atanding. Now eager sspirants for
anything in sight by manipulation get
themselves appointed guardians OF the
party and then constitute themselves a
machine 10 get offices for themselves or
their friends or patrons, relying upon
brow beating, bribery and Cabling, or
Whatever other measures seem most
prohtable, to force all voters of the
party whose name they have appro-
prlated TO support any candidate they
mn
nave even the audacity to try to appro-
pirate the newspapers. But in that
particular they are far behind the
founders OF political parties, who always
consulted the newspapers before making
the nominations.
nero In Roanoke the candidates ell
ing themselves Democrats nominated
themselves and then went 10 Salem to
toss up for the privilege of using the
name or the party supposed 20 have tho
most votes. They were so selfish thai
they would not identify themselves with
one another for fear OF losing possible
strength By contact. They are not tho
real choice of any party whatever and
no strictly party man is bound 10 vote
for them"
What do you think o; Mr. Watts
c,ndidacy?'
quitting up Mr.. Watts vas nothing
short OF direct affront to every tax
payer in this city, all of whom have
been moro or less mercilesslY bled by the
lnsatably greedy Roanoke Gas and
Water Company. People who refuse to
submit TO the petty extortions practiced
by that company svery day are likely 10
meet MIR. Watts in the Courts al tho
retained attorney paid to enforce any
atrocity that voracious corporation
cnoosea TO perpetrste upcn the helpless
and unwary. Many cases could be cited
IN which thst company has been utterly
mercliess In It's domineering eXac lions
IL seems to have It's employees we'll
CHOSEN for the peculiar WORK before
tnem. whether they are people natur-
ally devoid Of conscience. or whether
the policy OF the company is 80 brutslly
gresplng as to siifle every human i'm
pulse In those com PEELED to enforce it,
Is question have often felt somewhat
curious to determine. AS council for
that company, Mr.. Watts could not we'll
have been altogether ignorant of these
gacts which are 80 conspicuous to others.
YET while employed as the representa-
1.-Two OF this community in the Virginia
senate, ne had the hardihood to attempt
enlarging the powers Of oppression
vested In that corporation and which
are now SO outrageously abused.
"These things Mr.. Watts and bis
friends have undertaken to explain
away by stating that the water com
psny's bill was offered by request In
certain sense thatis probably true. AS
oounstl for the Gas and Water Company
Mr.. Watts was probably requested to
look after the company's interest.
but here is the Senate Journal of
1894. On page 200 we lind that on the