Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-12-11
THURSDAY, DECEMBER IL, 1902
REPUBLICANS NOT UNJUST

REPUBllCANS kUI UNJUSi
The Richmond News, which we esteem
.rv highly, in its issue of the 2nd inst.
ntained an editorial under the head:
Virginia Republicans Unjust"
In that editorial the News recounts the
that: ''The Democratic newspapers
- he Democratic masses in Virginia are
dlips all they can 10 secure honest cleo
ttns in this State and the Virginia Re-
ptbhcan newspapers should be fair in their
eminent" We know of no Republican
newspaper in the Commonwealth that Is
commenting unfairly on this laudable, If
late effort of their Democratic contem'
polaries to secure honest elections. Upon
the contrary we have bid them God speed.
The News then gets down to discussion
of the conditions that followed the recent
election in this district and says:
"Judge Rhea, the Democratic nominee
there promptly and manfully expressed
the sentiment of his party on the subject
Within two or three days after the election
and even before the returns were all in,
lie announced that he would not take ad-
vantage of any technicalities or accidents
or of any foul counting and that if Colonel
Slemp was elected he should have the
certificate"
Because the Republicans of the Ninth
Congressional District have no faith in the
sincerity of Rhea's professions, made after
he found he could not secure a certificate,
the Richmond News says the Virginia Re-
pubhcans are unjust 1t says: There is
no sense, no policy and no propriety in
refusing to recognize and commend the
good actions of an opponent"
We would like to enquire what good
action Rhea performed in the NATTER
He denounced the Richmond News for the
bold manner in which it called attention
to the effort that was being made to rob
Colonel Slemp of a seat in Congress.
Rhea said the News was not Democratic
paper, and be did not announce that be
would not accept a certificate on techni-
calities until he was informed of the
opinion which bal been given by the
Attorney NERAL. Up to that time
Rhea's emisaries were busily at work in
different counties in the district, and he
lntinued to claim that he was elected
after he was informed of the changes that
had been made in the counties that
chan yed the result as announced the day
after the election.
Besides, the Republicans of the Ninth
District known that Rhea's special mes
sengers or friends were in the counties
where Re ;urns were being changed, and
have abundant reason for believing that he
knew what was going on.
We have heard that some of the most
distinguished Democrats in the district
have expressed their lack of faith in
Rhea's declaration that he would not ac-
cept certificate gwen him on technical.
ties, and that they have sneered at it as
ga deathbed repentance. We regard it
as an after.death repentance, something
like that o. the rich man who wanted Laz-
srus sent to him with cup of cold water
The Republicans of the Ninth District
believe, and their faith is founded upon
rock Of facts, that Rhea and his managers
became alarmed when public censure be
gan to pour In upon them; that they
dreaded an investigation of the work that
had been going on and that their loud
cries for honesty were hypocritical, some
thing like the old ruse of 'stop thief"
We wish our contemporary the Rich
mond News and all our Democratic COLI
temporaries who are for honest elections,
would send honest, painstaking CORES
pondents to the Ninth District and have
them investigate the situation before they
praise Rhea and censure the Republicans,
by saying they are unjust. Let our con-
temporaries" come and see," and then
they will know and believe.