Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-06-12
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
THURSDAY. JUNE y, 1902.
REGISTRATION BOARDS.

I The Times warns the convention that
it Should make no mistake in this import
ant matter, that it should take nothing
for granted and that it should as body
know that the men who are to perform
this delicate and difficult task are men of
character who can be relied upon to dis
charge their duty. Men of character
what kind of character? Where is the
man of unblemished character and incor.
ruptible integrity to be found who will be
willing to serve as member of a Board
of Registration and execute "the under
standing clause" in the spirit and for the
purpose that induced the convention to
engraft it upon the suffrage provision Of
the Constitution? The Times need not
hope to find such man until it has sue
ceeded in finding an honest thief or 4
truthful perjurer Men who will dis
charge their duty How would the Times
have them discharge it? Will the Times
kindly define its views as to what consti
tutes the duty of the Boards of Regstratl
ton in the execution of 1.-The undelstandH
Ing clause?" -Brunswick Gazette. "
We believe that the new law should be
administered honestly and courageOusY
We believe that it should be administers
in such way as to debar from the suf-
frage all negroes who are not fit to vote
and all white men who are not fit to vote
We believe that some negroes shOulCa be
admitted to the suffrage and some Thite
men excluded We can see no reason
whatever why an honest registrar may
not administer the Law honestly and with
out violence TO his conscience. Hence il
is that we are urging the convention to
appoint none but honest men ont these
important boards.
We certainly do not want the hw ex
ecuted by tricksters and ringsters snd the
tools Of ciques and factions. If SO, the
law will be dismal failure, anG the.
blame will fall upon the Constitutional
Convention. Times.
We are surprised at the persistent effort
of the Richmond Times to make itself
believe that the understanding clause"
has been made from an honest purpose,
to be honestly administered, Especially
is this surprising when the Times so EN-
phaticall, states what it believes will be
an honest administration of the clause.
Has it not been declared oger and over
again by the trainers of the new suffrage
law that no white man shall be disfranchis-
ed, and that the understanding clause"
is to be partially administered TO accom-
pIish that end.
We agree with the Times in the asser-
ton: 1--WE Can see no season whatever
why an honest registrar may not admins.
ter the law honestly and without violence
to bis conscience" As a further state.
ment we will say, that We can see no
reason why dishonest registrar may not
administer the Law dishonesty and with
out violence to his conscience. The Times
may also rest assured that the registrars
in most of the counties of the state will be
'tricksters and ringsters ard the tools of
ciques and factions" Does not our ear
nest and hopeful contemporary recall the
fact that the understanding clause" was
made temporary because it wac to be used
fraudulently, the argument being that it
was better to have temporary than perma-
nent fraud in our elections?
We want the Times to file away these
remarks of ours for future consideration,
as we shall file its statement as above
And We nov predict that the most vicious
and corrupt political tricks that have
ever been known in Virginia will be
developed under the new suffrage law
If this does not happen the designers of
the understanding clause" will consider
it "a dismal failure" We trust we may
be mistaken in this opinion. The law is
bad one, but we trust it will be honestly
administered.