Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-04-14
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
THURSDAY, APRIL, II, 1898.
GO AND SEE.

Virginia who doubt the truth OF the charges
made against the Democratic machine as
to its fraudulent practices at elections in
the State. There are other Democrats
who know the charges are true, but who
pretend to doubt them. With this latter
class it is useless to talk or argue. With
the first class a sense of justice may be
aroused and the truth ultimately brought
home. To the honest Democrats, those
who favor fair elections, we say, Ego and
see," that is investigate the facts, andyou
will find that the Democratic party In
Virginia is in the hands of an unscrupu-
lous machine that will sacrifice every prin-
ciple of right that it may continue to hold
power.
The present election law was originated
for fraudulent purposes. 1t was so con-
constructed that there would be no hope
for any opposition, no matter how power
erful, when the machine wished to succeed
This law not only gives unlimited oppor-
tunities for the party in power to perpe-
trate any conceivable measure of fraud
but it extends an earnest invitation for
ballot robbery.
The electoral board of each county
and city consists of three persons, WHO are
elected every two years by the Legisla-
ture. All the electoral boards in the
State are composed of Democrats. These
men meet in secret and select the election
officers for their respective counties and
cities without any regard for the rights or
wishes of the minority parties. In many
of the counties nearly all the election Off
GERS are Democrats, at numbers of pre-
cints no Republicans being selected to
share in receiving or counting the ballots
of the voters.
The electoral boards also appoint the
registrars, and some are appointed who do
not hesitate to perjure themselves and
commit the most fragrant outrages upon
the rights of registered voters. They are
authorized by law to make lists of voters,
claiming that they have removed or
died and after posting these lists, strike the
names they embrace from the registration
books. The lists are prepared and posted,
and person selected for the purpose I'M
mediately tears down and destroys the
posted lists. When election day comes
the voter appears to vote and is informed
that his name has been posted and after
wards stricken from the registration books.
RThere is no remedy. The election law has
been made to shield such crimes and the
Democratic machine laughs at the pro-
tests of the voters who have been cheated.
Under the election law, after the polls
are closed the election officers are en-
powered 20 90 into room where no one
except themselves are permitted to enter,
and, unobserved by representatives of the
opposition party, count the ballots.
What splendid chance to stuff the ballot
boxes? The law was framed for that
purpose and in many sections Of the
State the opportunity is not lost.
To show that the intention of the ma
chine when the Australian ballot system
was adopted was to cheat and defraud,
every conceivable device was used by cleo
toral boards, in many of the counties, to
design the ballots so as to confuse the 70
tiers. German text and other peculiar
faces of type were used in printing the
names of candidates, and the names were
not printed uniformly on the ballots,
were shifted in positions IN as many ways
as possible. Besides, no voter had an op-
portunity to know who were candidates
until one of the ballots was placed in his
hands by the election judges; and IN nu-
merous instances men had been induced
to let their names be put upon the ballots
for the purpose of deceiying and confus-
ing voters. These names were selected so
as to have them resemble the name of the
Republican candidate as nearly as posi-
BILE. In the last election for members Of
the legislature the electoral board Of Cum
berland county fraudulently and inten-
tionly left the name of the Republican
candidate for the House of Delegates off
the ballot. There was no method discov-
cred to rectify the wrong or punish the
offenders.
If any Democrat doubts that the election
machine has been corruptly used let him
90 to the Tenth Congressional district and
learn how Yost was defrauded in 1894 by
German text ballots and other devices,
how he was cheated in 1896 by having the
returns improperly made out in one of the
counties of the district Then let him go
to the Fourth Congressional district and
ascertain the disgraceful methods that
we're used by the election machineto cheat