Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-03-07
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1901.
THE VICIOUS AND VENAL.


should be affected by it.
There seems to be an impression with
the Democratic papers, generally, that the
vicious and venal voters are mostly found
in the ranks of the poor and uneducated
classes. In this conclusion the press is
greatly at fault We do not deny that
there are many vciou. and vensl men
among the poor and uneduCated, but there
are proportiouately as many among the
well.to.do and educated classes.
Let us take the definition of the word
"vicious' and see if We are right in our
assertion. The word vicious Is defined
addicted to vice; corrupt in principles or
conduct; depraved; wicked; given to bad
tricks" etc. While We will not under
take to fix the proportion Of vicious men
among the rich and educated as compared
with the poor and uneducated, We will as
selt without fear Of contradiction, that the
proportion is very hesvy. 1t is fact
that In FIR nee the statistics for 1900 show
that the rerceutage of crime among the
educated was greater than among the I'M
educated clcsses If We 90 into our court
houses we will find that the men who are
tried for crimes are more frequently able
to read and write, than otherwise, and
nearly always able to pay their lawyer
fees. THIS, perhaps, is due to the fact
that the smoant u iliiteracy lie constantly
decreasing
1t is net our purpose to detrsct from
the beneficial results that flow from the
general education of the people, or to bold
that the accumulation Of wealth is injurious
to society, but to deny that the vicious
vote in Virginia can be eliminated by a
constitutional provision that will affect
only the poor and uneducated. In other
words property or educational qualitca'
ton for voting will not accomplish that
object.
If we apply the word vicious to personal,
business and political transactions We be-
lieys the majority OF the corrupt in Vir-
GINA will be found not among the poor
and uneducated. The educated scoun-
drels are great in number. They scheme,
cheat and defraud. but are smart enough
to keep clear OF the clutches Of the Law.
If caught they paw their way out or receive
a consideration at the hands Of jury that
the poor and less favored man does not
receive.
In politics, the most vicious ale the
shrewd and corrupt scoundrels who pad
the registration books, manipulate the
ballots and falsify the returns. We might
Justly associate NTH them the men who
make election laws that suggest fraud in
every line and to accomplish crimes upon
suffrage. Such men would not be reached
by property or educational qualification.
There are many thousand Of them in Vir-
ginia. They are frequently bride givers
and bride takers. They are not only
vicious but venal TLey have been prac'
ticing frauds at elections until they have
become the boldest and most expert
found in any State in the Union. They
are venai, because they receive emoluments
in the way of patronage or actual cash, for
the vile work they perform.
The restrictive suffrage clauses of our
present constitution are as follows: 1.-The
following persons shall be excluded from
voting. First, Idiots and lunstics. Sec
ond. Persons convicted of bribery in any
election, embezzlement Of public funds,
treason, feiony OF petit larceny. Third.
No person who, while citizen Of this
State, has, since the adoption of this con-
stitution, fought duel with deadly
weapon, sent or accepted challenge to
fight duel with deadly weapon, either
within or beyond the boundaries OF this
State, or knowingly conveyed a challenge
or aided or sesistedin any manner in fight.
ing a duel, sLall be allowed to vote or hold
any Office of honor, profit or trust under
this constitution, .,a ns..bf
These restrictions are tolerably ample.
With provision for disfranchising the
bride giver and the ballot thief, it would
be enough. aa 4 n,a
We again protest against the evident
!. purpose of the Democracy to regulate suf-
frage by educational or property qualif'
cations. Its declared purpose of eliminat-
ing the vicious and vensl vote cannot he
accomplished in that way, - aen
= CONGRESS at it's next session will be hap