Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-05-03
THURSDAY, MAY }, 1900.
A GREAT CRIME CONTEMPLATED.


Democratic party in Virginia will make
the constitutional convention question a
party issue. 1t is also manifestly its pur-
pose to use all the party machinery, and
all the questionable methods with which 1t
is so familiar, for securing majority vote
for the convention when the question is
voted upon the oath day of this month.
1t is disgusting to read and consider the
shallow pretexts which the Democracy
offer for their avowed intention of COM
hitting one of the most outrageous po-
htical crimes ever witnessed i'll this State,
or in any country where republican form
of government is supposed to exist.
One reason assigned for the necessity OF
a new constitution is that our Judiciary
system is too expensive and needs reform
ing. 1t is also claimed that other depart
ments of the State government require re-
formation and that the county govern
ments are not what they should be. But
the chief, the all important, reason gwen
for making sudden and violent change
in the organic law, is to maintain the su-
premacy of the Democratic party in Viz
cinia. Then follows the declared means
by which that end is to be attained-a
vicious restriction of suffrage by constitu-
tional authority.
The frequent and persistent declarations
of the party organs and party leaders that
the welfare of Democracy is the highest
consideration, and that deliberate crime
is to be committed upon the political
rights Of certain classes Of citizens to at
tain a certain end, are confessions OF cor
dition Of moral depravity that is peculiar
to Southern Democracy and disgrace to
this once great Commonwealth.
We are told by the Democrats that II IL
their purpose to restrict suffrage SO as to
get rid of the vicious negro vote and the
purchasable white vote, and that to ac'
cornplish that end they will adopt an edu-
caEional qualification for voting. Ih's
avowal is not only calculated 10 arouse
suspicion as to the motive, but absolutely
conyic;s the party Of in>ncerity and dis
honesty. One of the most notable con
tentions OF the Virginia Democracy has
been that public or general education has
tended to injure both the moral and ply
sicial condition Of the negro, and has not
fitted him for a better exercise Of the
rights and duties of citizenship. In other
words, the Democrats have argued that
education has made the negroes more
vicious. Now they propose to &c: nd OF
the vicious negro vote by adopting con-
stitutional provision which will require
him to possess qualification that they
have heretofore contended made him Pc
culiary vicious. If their former conten-
ton was honest and substantial, they are
now preparing to adopt policy that VIII
disfranchise the most worthy and least
dangerous negroes, and permit the vicious
men of the race to still exercise the right
of suffrage-thus placing a premium on
what they have heretofore claimed was Il
vice.
If people did not stop to think and in
vestigate they might conclude from the
bald assertions of the Democrats that the
venal voters in Virginia are found exclu-
sive!y in the ranks of the illiterate white
men; and that the application Of the edu'
cational qualification would, by disquaify-
ing them as voters, remove the purchas-
able element from elections in Virginia.
Those who have given the question hon
est, intelligent consideration know that
such assertions are false, and that the use
of an educational qualification would
not make elections less corrupt and venal.
As class, the uneducated white men are
as honest and unpurchasable as the educa-
ted men of their race. The most venal
men ia this Commonwealth are those who
obey the orders of the Machine, who stuff
ballot. boxes, who make false election re-
turns, who pad and tamper with the regis
tration books, who cheat the illiterate
voters in the booths. They do this vile
work for price-that of receiving recog-
milton from their party in the shape Of
some small offices, perhaps, frequently for
a money consideration.
To our mind this pretended sollcitude
on tue part of the Virginia Democrats for
the cause of intelligent and honest suffrage
is a mask, behind which they are conceal
ing their real purpose to commit one ofthe
most fragrant crimes ever inflicted upon
manhood suffrage. The real purpose is to
disfranchise Republicans, white and black
and establish Democratic supremacy by
constitutional monstrosty.
Tow WATSON, of Georgia, has found out
where he is Eat" He says please