Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-12-11
SOME FACTS.
About The CANVASS of Russell COunty's
Vote.

/
District, and among the sins for which the
Republicans must account is, that prom
inent Republican of Russell, recently a
candidate for lieutenant governor, had for
ced himself through locked door and sc
confused the canvassers that they certified
that Col. Slemp had received 100 more
votes than were actually cast for him.
Now, Mr.. Editor, suppose l am the party
referred to and | want to make full
statement of the whole occurrence, that the
public may know the enormity Of my
crime, and to say that l court a full and
fair investigation of the case.
To begin with, Col. Slemp requested me
to repl esent him at the canvasslng OF the
vote of Russell. L went to Lebanon on
the day the vote was canvassed and soon
after l arrived was told, Bristol lawyer
and some of the members Of the board of
canvassers had been locked up In the
county clerks office for sometime. This
was rather suspicious, but in the light OF
subsequent developments it is clear tn ere
was nothing wrong in it. THIS pure-spirit-
ed Bristol lawyer was only instructing the
bows in the noble science of pure elections
and that they should not under any CIR
cumstances throw out the vote of any pre-
cinct on account of any irregularlty or
mere technical defect; that Judge Rhea,
high.toned, honorable man that ne is,
would not accept certificate if obtained
in that way. These Bristol lawyers are
"tbe salt of the earth" Thinking Judge
Hendricks was member of the board OF
canvassers l told him wanted to be pres
ent when the vote was canvassed. de
said had right to be present as
representative of Col. Slemp but that he
was not member of the board. then
spoke to one of the board and he said l
could be present but could not tell me
lust when or where the board would meet.
This board was composed of four Demo
Gratis and one Republican; the Republican
had not been notified of his appointment
and consequently was not present. Such
slight oversights are not noticed in "the
game of pure politics" So the four Demo
Gratis, without having taken the oath as
the law requires, called themselves to-
getLer in the circuit clerks office and
locked the door to purify the election re-
turns fromfhe various precincts of Russell
county. / went to the clerks office,
knocked and asked admittance, but got
no response. Concluding no one was In !
made further inquiry and was told they
were in there. | went back and called
again for admittance. Was told they did
not have the key, that Sam Meade had It,
Mr.. Meade is circuit clerk and is regarded
as a truthful gentlemen. l went to the
court room, asked him for the key and
told him my business. He said he did
not have the key-that Capt. Gent had IT,
| then went to Capt. Gent who said he
had not had the key and that Meade had
it. Going back to Mr.. Meade he then
told me the canvassers had tue key In the
room. returned to the clerks office
called again for admission, telling them
MIR. Meade said they had the key. They
insisted they did not have it apd party
standing near informed me he saw Meade
lock the door and put the key in bis pock'
ct. Realizing the plan was to let no Re-
publican see that vote canvassed, and
knowing l had a moral and legal right to
be present, walked around to the out
side door of the office, threw myself against
the door and it splung open. Now these
are the facts in the case, and l want to
ask all fair.minded men if they think any
citizen of Russell or of Virginia, with
particle of manhood or patriotism about
him, could have done otherwise?
AS to the other "crime" of having "con-
fused the canvassers," I'plead guilty, for,
to my mind, they were the worst confused
crowd ever saw. They had gotten in
their work of purifying the vote of the
people of Russell, and, notwithstanding the
pleadings of the Bristol lawyer that Judge
Rhea did not want any precincts thrown
out on account of technical irregularities,
found that their oath, which they did not
take, compelled them to throw out four
precincts which gave Col. Slemp a major-
ity of more than one hundred votes and
instead of me confusing" them into
Gel tlfying to 100 more votes; than were
cast for Col. Slemp they certified his vote
to be 1856 less than were cast for him, as
the returns of the various precincts in the
clerks office will show.
Now if have committed any offence
against good government or the peace and
dignity of the Commwealth ought to be
held to account, and am ready for the in
vestigation.
Respectfully,
R. Walter Dickinson.