Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-12-04
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1902,
THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED.

THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED.
There has never been any doubt in our
mind that there was well defined scheme
to change the result of the recent Congress
sonal election in this district, so as to give
the certificate to the Democratic candi
date. The effort to alter the returns, by
throwing out precincts in certain counties
and to fraudulently change the certificates
of the commissioners and clerks in Others,
was too general to warrant any other con-
cluson than that there was some person
managing and directing the movement
We are also of opinion that The movement
would have been pushed to completion
had not the tone of the press, the opinion
of the Attorney General and former de-
cision of the Supreme Court of Appeals
alarmed the conspirators and caused them
to halt.
The people will be reluctant to believe
otherwise than that in most instances
where there was an effort to throw out
precincts the judges who canvassed the re-
turns were misled and deceived as to what
was their duty in the premises. While we
are perfectly sure and willing to state that
there was no criminal intent on their part,
we are equally confident that there was
somewhere an individual mind in some
way directing and influencing them to do
wrong. 1t was we'll for these gentlemen
that they were correctly informed as to
their duty before they were thoroughly
committed to partisan outrage, and their
fortunate escape from adverse criticism
will lie valuable object lesson for future
elections in this district
There were, however, very black crimes
committed after the late election by falsi
flying the returns in two of the counties Of
the district, in Scott and in Buchanan. In
Scott the certificates made by the judges
and clerks at certain precincts in that
county were tempered with after they
reached the clerks Office, by some unknown
party, and changed so as to cheat Slemp
out of his majority and give that county to
Rhea.
In Buchanan county, after the commits
sioners had canvassed the return from ali
the precincts and the clerk of the county
court had certified the result, attaching
Thereto the seal of the county, some scoun-
drel got hold If the certified returns AMI
changed it, so as to take from Colonel
Slemp 100 votes that had been counted
and certified FIR him. These crimes in
Scott and Buchanan must have been the
outcome of known necessity of the Dem
ocratic candidate, and were resultant from
a bold scheme, directed by some un-
scrupulous mind, to steal the district for
Rhea. Tie promptness with which the
work was done and it's very character is
prof positive that it was part of a sys.
tenn.
No such crimes as these should go I'M
punished. The guilty parties, whoever
they may be, should be brought to judy
ment. 1t is a matter which affects the
fair name of the Congressional District,
and is dark cloud upon the counties Of
Scott and Buchanan. The clerks of those
counties are also deeply interested In hav-
ing the matter cleared up. Certain reepon-
slbility attaches to them, and they cannot |
expect to escape suspicion if the light is
not turned on. They should be able to
show beyond question that the certificates
in one instance we're changed before they
reached the clerks Office, and in the other
instance that 1t was changed after it left
the clerks Office. They may be innocent
Of all blame, but simple declarations will
not satisfy the public.