Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-12
THE PARTY COLLAR.


of the dominant political party in Virginia
it was CONTEMPORARY said that every one
of his followers wore the Malone collar.
Some of them wore it willingly and frankly
admitted that they were proud of it, and
regarded it as badge of honor. Others
chafed about the neck, and were disposed
to snarl and bite when twitted with their
bondage by those of the opposite party.
Many of these latter finally asserted their
manhood and tore the collar of, refusing
longer to be the political slaves of the great
boss.
In time the Malone regime came to an
end and all Virginia breathed freer. We
congratulated ourselves that the day of
political bossim in this old Commonwealth
was past, and that the political collar had
been broken and buried But let us not
deceive ourselves. That old Malone
collar has been resurrected and reforged,
and it is as strong to-day as ever it was in
the days of Malone. Virginians in all
parts of this free State are wearing that
collar about their neck. Some of them
wear it willingly-God save the mark
others wear it unwillingly, but they cannot
get it off. The collar fits so closely and is
SO strong that it can only be removed by
political decapitaton.
We are not trying to be funny. We are
not joking. We are telling sad and
serious truth. There are thousands OF
party men in Virginia to-day who have
got the machine collar around their necks.
1t is fastened and locked and the machine
has the KEY. The machines name is en-
grayed on the collar, and 1.-THE men who
wear that collar are the slaves of the
machine. They will not admit that
it ls true, but they know it is true, and
they are, some Of them, we hope, ashamed
of it.
But for that matter there is hardly a
man in Virginia who has not in days past
worn the collar of the Democratic party
Many of us did not like it, but conditions
were such that Democrats were compelled
to stand together. whatever the cost. We
wore it as gracefully as We could, and
made the best of 1t. But some of us have
pulled our heads out of the collar, how
ever great the strain on the vertebral may
have been, and so help us, Freedom, We
will never wear it again. Liberty is sweet
Richmond Times.
We congratulate the Times upon its
earnest declaration of freedom, and hope
it will not be frightened by any imaginary
conditions to again become wearer of the
collar.
The editor of this paper was one of those
who revolted against Mahones methods
but we say, without fear of contradiction,
that Mahoneism was never half as bad as
Martinism. Malone was arbitrary ant
impractical, but be and his followers never
committed crimes against the ballot box
If General Malone had ever advocated
such methods as have been employed b,
the Martin machine against both Repuli
cans and Democrats, we honestly believe
that the most of those who stuck TO tn,
little General until the last would hav
deserted him in disgust. The Democratic
party has been made triumphant in Viz
GINA by the fraudulent and violent meth
DDS of the machine leaders. Its corrup
ton and dishonesty have been tolerate
: by honest men in the party, because the
we're scared into the belief that there wa
danger of negro domination. Fleein
from an imaginary evil, they have place
themselves in slavery to the most viciou
political organization that has ever dis
graced any civilized country.
We are glad to see that the Times ha
cast aside the shackles, and hope tha
there are many in Virginia who will follo'
its example.
We are heartily opposed to bossism, an
hate corruption in politics. We despis
them when they exist in oursown party
and will never cease to fight them in an
party.