Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-03-31
THURSDAY, MARCH, 81, 1898.
UNION OF REPUBLICANS FOR VIR-
GINA.

6lNIA.
Virginia is walowing in the mire OF
politica. degradation. 1t is under the con-
troll of the most INSCRIPTIONS political
machine that has ever dominated the gov
eminent of any free people. BY fraud
and corruption the will Of the people is
set at naught and their duly elected rep
rssentatives in Congress defrauded of their
seats. and the halls of our State Legisla-
ture filled with men who are placed there,
by false returns, to do the bidding of the
machine that has created them.
Our State is made to suffer this shame
under the pretense of saving it from Re
publican rule or negro domination. We
are forced to submit to the operations OF
an election law and election methods that
are at complete variance with popular
government. In Federal elections there
is chance of rectliying the wrongs that are
committed by the Virginia machine.
The House of Representatives is empow-
cred to say who shall constitute its mem
bers. 1t has in more than one case eX'
posed TO view the outrageous frauds COM
mitted in the Fourth Congressional dis
trict and seated men who had been cheat
ed out of the returns. Last week Mr..
Thorp, who had been twice robbed Of the
returns in the Fourth district, was seated
in Congress, and two other seats are now
being contested by Republicans from Vir-
ginia, who were counted out by the
machine in 1896.
In State elections it is difficult to reach
the election robbers. They are entrenched
behind laws that were made for their pro-
lection and for the benefit Of the machine.
So, wholesale fraud will continue and Nir-
ginia, shame be intensified, unless thelpeo'
pie rise in their might and drive the
machine from power.
There are many Democrats in the State
who are disguised with and Inundated by
the conduct of the so-called Democratic
organization. They agree with it in moth
ing but its hostility to Republicanism'
That hostility is the outgrowth of sentl'
ment that has been fostered for years IN
our S. ate by the designing men who have
controlled the Democratic party and ma
nipulated the ballot boxes. 1t has also
been kept alive by the discordant leader
ship of the Republican party. We can
safely say that there are thousands OF mel
in Virginia who agree with the RepubIl
cans on nearly all questions and who
would be in the ranks Of the Republican
party but for the unpopular leadership o.
our party and the constant wranglingS
which bring it into disrepute. On the
tariff and financial questions great mum
Der of voters in Virginia are now in ac
cord with the views of the National Re-
publican party, but hold aloof from the
State Republican organization because
they do not respect the leadership Of
the party. These men, who have been
acting with the Democratic party tol
wears, are reluctant to cut loose from then
old moorings and unite with a party that
is split into factious, and whose leaders
they have reason to believe are more am
bilious to control patronage than to adj
vance the interests of the party In
Virginia.
With a united, harmonious organiza
ton, directed by unselfsh, patriotic lead
ership, Republcanism would gather into
its folds Jealous, influential men who still
act with the Democrats from force Of
habit, or who are repealed from Republi'
canism by the unwise and discordant con,
duct of its leaders.
1t is clear to our minds that relief from
the degradation which the machine is in
ficting upon the Commonwealth can
never come from the Democratic party OF
any part oft. Those Democrats who are
honest and want fair elections will always
be powerless to effect any publication in
the organization which the machine con-
trolls SO completely. If reform comes it
must be by the power and work of the
Republican party or some other organiza-
tion. This being true, it should be great
incentive to Republican harmony and
unifcation. To be attractive the party
must be strong and to be strong, it must
be united and patriotic. Let there be a
union of the Republicans for Virginia and
its welfare.
-aoB-