Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-06-06
EDITORIAL PARAGRAPHS.

Our Democratic friends appear to he
very hopeful that the decision of the Sn-
preme Court in the Porto Rican cases will
seriously trouble President Mckinley IN
regulating the terif provisions in the Phil
ippines. So far Mckinley has been able
to remove every difficulty that partsanss
have attempted TO place in his pathway
since he began to establish his policy in
connection with the Philippines. and we
have strong faith in his ability to remove
this molehill.
The Richmond News in speaking of the
kind of man Virginia should have for
Governor said : 1--WE need a man who
will 90 into office determined to do some
thing-to make his administration MEM
orable and his name honorable by doing
something for the good and advancement
of the people of the Commonwealth" If
we are to judge them by what Mcssrs.
Montague and Swanson and their respec
tive friends are saying about each other,
neither of these candidates can fill the
mould of the News.
According to the testimony Of Monta-
que his opponent, Swanson, is a corrupt
machine politician, whose election as Gov
ernor of Virginia would be disgrace. Ac-
cording to the testimony of Swanson bis
rival, Montague, is political hypocrite
and artful dodger, slick wire. .puller. The
character of these two gentlemen is being
established by what has heretofore been
considered good Democratic authority.
Relying upon this testimony the prospects
Of having a worthy Governor of Virginia
are not very flattering-that is if either of
the most prominent candidates of the De.
mOcracy should win.
The Richmond News announces that
the five delegates to the Constitutional
Convention from that city have met and
practically agreed upon plan for reform
ing the suffrage clause of the Constitution.
Their plan provides "that a poll tax of
$l0O shall be paid by February lst of the
year in which vote is to be cast. The
voter must also be able to read OF write
section of the Constitution. All Confeder-
ate soldiers and soldiers of the United
States army who we're honorably dis
charged are exempted from the above
clause" So it is the plan of the delegates
from the Capital City" to not only put
price upon suffrage but to introduce in
Virginia the iniquitous understanding
clause" that has been worked so success-
fully by the Democracy in Mississippi.
Virginia has already been stained by evil
election methods, and We Lardly believe
that the good people of the State will con
sent to haye the Commonwealth further
injured by the introduction of Mississippi
methods.
The news that the Cuban Convention
had accepted and adopted the Platt
amendment was premature. When the
the official report Of the action of the Con-
vention was received, it was found that
the Interpretation of the amendment was
a direct perversion of its true meaning. In
all the conferences between the Cuban
commissioners and Secretary Root he en-
phasized the fact that the President could
make no changes in the Platt amendment,
as it was a mandate of Congress. In the
face of this the Convention has made an
addenda TO the amendment, giving TO it
an Interpretation which is virtual nulif-
cation of some of its most important ar
ticles. There has been meeting of the
Cabinet at Washington for the considera-
ton of the Conventions action, and it was
decided to notify that body that its action
on the Platt amendment was unsatisfac-
tUrv. The Cubans will be given to under
stand in diplomatic but emphatic terms
that the act Of Congress must be accepted.