Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-10-08
For House Of Delegates,
], POWELL ROYAL,
Of TaZeWell.
RUSSELL COUNTY POLITICS.

Mr.. Henry A. hOutn, d pIOiDlhoht law
yer of Lebanon, Va, has declared him.
self an independent candidate for Com
moawealth's Attorney of Russell county.
He has all his life been a consistent Demo
crat, but has become disguised with the
unfair methods by which the Democratic
MN leers and heelers have been CONTROL
ing his county. Mr. Routh has addressed
a circular letter to the voters of Russell.
In his circular he says;
sin aspiring for this Office, let it Je dis
tiuctly understood that want no nan 10
become a criminal by debauching the bal
lot box for my sake, and though l may
lose of partisans of both ranks by the Ut
te1ance, state what well know when
say, that for the past six or eight years
elections have been by.word, a Kissing,
and nothing short of public and private
disgrace. That all manner of corrupt
practices 70 defeat the voters will, and to
change minorites into inajorities, that as
a last resort in many of the precincts, |
do not say ALL the ballot box has been stuff
fed by eliminating tickets cast by the
voters, and supplying them with an equal
number filled out by partisans, and men
whose lives fit them for such a purpose,
is an open secret, and they who do it have
been known to boast of it in the OPEN"
n Mir. Routh then, speaking of the cor
! rupt practices of the elections managers IN
Russell county, says:
"No selfrespecting individual can en-
dolse il, no free people will long submit to
it, and all men, be their party affiliations
what they may, should unite in condemn
ing it,"
Then comes this manly declaration from
Mr.. Routh. 1t is a declaration that
should win for him the support of every
honest man in Russell county: "lf elec-
ted, and the preparation of such frauds
and the dickering with the ballot box
after night.fall shall continue to be the
rule, shall endeavor to hold the perpe-
TRAITOR of such foul practices up to that
measure of public scorn which he shall
deserve, treat him as a malefactor, and
endeavor to mete out to him that punish
ment prescribed by law for such Grimm
as"
Holding such sentiments as the above,
if Mr.. Routh had been Commonwealth
Attorney of Russell county last year and
non-partsan jury could have been &C.
cured, there would now be more than one
elections officer in prison, serving terms
for the crimes committed upon the bal.
lot at the election last Fall. At one
precinct judge of election was caught
stufing the ballot box The Common
wealths Attorney failed or refused to
bring the matter before grand jury, and
certain citizens were compelled to take
the ballot-thief before a Democratic jus
tice of the peace That officer made the
affair ridiculous by finding the accused
guilty, and sentencing the vicious Grimm
al e ten minutes confinement in Jail. If
the sentence was ever executed we sup
pose it was merely formal. At another
precinct in Russell, we have been told
that at the same election, the ballot box
was kept unlocked during the entire day;
and that when the Republican judge of
election was in the booth marking ballots
the Democratic judges were busy "elimi.
mating tickets cast by the voters, and sup
plying them with an equal number filed
out by partisans," by themselves.
Again, when the commissioners met at
Lebanon to canvass the returns of the
Congressional election last Fall there were
conspicuous indications that conspiracy
had been formed to tamper with the re-
turns. The board was constituted of four
Democratic judges of election and one Re-
publican. The Republican had been left
uniformed Of bis appointment, and,
therefore, was not present at the meeting
There wa9 another person present, how
ever, and he the only person except the
Democratic commissioners. He was an
emissary sent out from Bristol by w. F..
Rhea. The five persons locked themselves
in the clerks Office and when Mr.. R.
Walter Dickinson, as the representative
Of Col. S'emp, asked 10 be admitted no
attention was paid TO bis request. Then
what appeared to be very evident effort
to mislead Mr.. DickeIson about finding
the key 10 the room was made by promi-
nent county official and another man who
is now a prominent candidate before the
people OF Russell. Mr.. Dickinson was
compelled TO break into the room by force.
This transaction ought to have been in
vestigated. Why was it not done?