Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-01-31
THURSDAY, JANUARY 81, 1901.
WHAT THINK We 2


The Scott county ballot and those equally
az diseraceful that were used in other
counties have shocked the conservative
Democrats SO terribly that they do not
only denounce the dishonest ballots, but
admit the party has been disgraced by
using such means to secure success.
The developments that are being made
in the Walker Rhea contest, from what
we can learn, are not likely TO make honest,
conservative Democrats feel less ashamed
of their leadership, but will increase
the disgust that has been created and has
been enlarging ever since the Scott coun'
ty ballot WAS exposed. There was much
curiosity expressed at the time Of expo
sure as to who shaped the ballot and who
suggested it. We have been told that
that question has been practically settled
1t will be remembered that there was a
man by the name of James A. Stone who
figured very conspicuously as manager for
w. F. Rhea in the Congressional election
of 1898. In that campaign he made such
an odious and odorous record that it be-
came necessary for him to withdraw from
public notice. As registrar at Bristol he
was charged with tampering with the
registration books, and was proved to Lave
engineered numerous frauds at the cleo
ton in that city at the election of 1898.
Later, when General Walker was tried
for shooting w. s. Hamilton, this same
Stone, who was clerk of the court in which
Walker was being tried, was charged with
attempting to play dsreputable trick IN
empaneling the jury. He shortly after
wards retired from public notice by re-
signing his cerksnip, and it was hoped
he had ceased to have anything to do
with the politics of the district. This
was a mistake, and Stone, who had
served his master faithfully in 1898, was
assigned silent but very important work
in the campaign of 1900. He was con-
stituted and created ballot designer"
When dispositions were recently being
taken in tile Walker. Rhea contest at Pu-
laski, G. w. Hartman, a member of the
electoral DO ,rd of Pulaski county, while
on the witness stand, stated that the form
of ballot used in Pulaski county was given
to him by stranger, whom he had never
seen before and had not seen since. That
stranger was James A. Stone, and he told
Hartman it was good form of ballot to
use in Pulaski county. Shortly after the
election we met a prominent Democrat of
Pulaski county who told us that he had
voted for Rhea, but that the ballot used
was dishonest and disgraceful. 1t was the
form furnished by Stone, which Mr.. Har-
man turned over 10 the electoral board,
who in turn gave it to the printer to use
ia the construction of puzzle, called
ballot.
When General Walker was taking depo-
sitions at Bristol, James a Stone was ex-
amined as a witness. Stone admitted
that he was the man who gave the form
for the Pulaski ballot to c. w. Hartman,
that be got up the form of ballot to be
used, and that before doing so be talked
with w. F. Rhea and with w. d. Smith,
of Scott county, about the form of the
ballot, and that Smith took copy of the
ballot he prepared, but that he did not
show Rhea the form of the ballot after he
got it up.
We imagine we can see those three ex-
perts consulting and exchanging ideas
about how the puzzle should be con-
structed. 1t was conspiracy that went
to the bottom of honest elections in this
district and completely overthrow them.
1t was also shown in the testimony
taken at Bristol that the ballot used IN
Washington county and Bristol city was
gotten up by John Gose, one of Rhea's
confidential strikers.
The form Of the Scott county ballot was
left to the printer, according TO the testi-
mony of the electoral board of that county.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the form
was furnished by w. ID. Smith, who is a
known expert in constructing ballot puz-
zles, and who was in consultation with
Rhea and Stone about the form of ballot
to be used in the district.
The printer who printed the Scott coun-
ty ballot has disappeared, and w. d.
Smith was too sick to appear and testify
when summoned by the contestant, Gen.
eraI Walker.
It is not difficult to trace the Pulaski,
Washington, Bristol aud Scott ballots to a
common parentage. Is there any doubt
about who was the parent /?
Another peculiar fact has been unearth.