Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-07-17
WHITE REPUBLICANS
And The Richmond News.

was glad to read in the last issue Of
the "Tazewell Republican" the editorial
clipped from the Richmond News, which
so ably confirms the position maintained
by me in your columns two weeks ago. l
tell you Mr.. Editor, the Richmond News
tells the solemn truth about this thing
when it says: ut is well to serve notice
now on the registrars that defrauding
white Republican voters will not be toler-
ated. The pledge that no white man in the
State should be deprived of his vote by
the operation of the new Constitution was
solemnly given and we believe that it
must be sacredly fulfilled" That is it.
The Democrats will not tolerate it, nor
will the Republicans submit to it. A few
fellows of the baser sort may attempt TO
violate this solemn promise to see how far
such treachery and tyrany will be tolerat-
ed, but woe to that man who persists in
this per6dy for partisan purposes. 1t had
been we'll for that man had he never been
born.
Now MIR. Editor, am still of the opin.
ion that you and yours are a weakened
set; that you are standing in your own
light; that you are going to fail to take
your political soundings exactly at the
time when you ought to take them. Now
is the time to number our political Israel.
Oh! for Joshua to lead us.
Suppose Judge Rhea has no opposition,
what basis will you have in future cam
paigns to reckon from? tell you sir, this
is childish from my standpoint. Let lis
hear the conclusion of the whole lnatter:
If my prediction and the statements of the
Richmond News are verified, that ode
fraudng white Republicans will not be toll
Grated, then it follows that the Republi-
cans of the Ninth District have thrown
away their opportunity, for which the
leaders who advised this campaign of
"mastery inactivity" will have to render
an account. If on the other hand it shall
turn out that white men are disfranchised,
because they are Republicans, and that
the same fraudulent practices complained
of in the past are continued, then l have
made foo, of myself and those whom |
have called weak. .kneed are the true proph
cts. When the days of registration come
and men are denied the privilege of regis
tering because they are Republicans, | for
one shall refuse to have my name entered
upon registration book in which the
name of my neIghbor who is not fortunate
enough to be the son Of a colder, as am,
is refused just because he is Republican.
Before this article is printed | shall be
in Richmond attending to my duties in
the Senate. l expect to ask the Legisla'
ture to pass a Law allowing one clerk and
one Judge from the minority party to be
selected from a list to Re furnished by the
chairman of the party. There is now no
longer any excuse for partisan practices by
Judges and clerks Of election since the
"menace to a white mans government"
has been eliminated by the registrars.
The rainbow of hope once more spans
the political skies When the best men of
both parties stand tor pure elections we
shall have no further cause for complaint,
When the great white Republican masses
of the Ninth District shall open their eyes
to the new and better order of thing pOlt-
ically they will regret the mistaken policy
pursued in the campaing of 1902. Senator
w. P. Barksdale, of Halifax, who is chair
man of the Committee on General Laws,
says he has his "Pure elections bill''
about ready to offer when the Senate shall
meet on the 10Th inst. Let us hope and
may 1 add, pray for the redemption of
Virginia from political corruption and the
legalized liquor traffic.
Tazewell Va, J. n. HARMAN.
July u, 1902.