Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-22
SIXTH DISTRICT IGNORED.

wrong, inspired by no higher aim than
that of delving in "peanut" politics, the
planning and scheming for the perpetual
ton in office at home of the political
henchmen who we're instrumental in send.
ing them there, and making the most OF
the Job gulible constituency has given
them, what else could be expected? What
care they for the fact that one half of the
Sixth Congressional District is represented
in Congress by representative who is as
ignorant of the wants and requirements OF
the people of the other end as one from
Honolulu? What care they for the fact
that it is impossible for representative
from the city of Lynchburg to serve
Roanoke without first doing violence to
his conscience which naturally inclines
him to his own city, first, last and all the
time? What cares that body for anything
that is not impregnated with the dirt OF
low politics?
There is not member of the Virginia
legislature who does not know that the
geographical situation of the Sixth Con-
gressional District is iDimical in hundred
ways to the progress of the district; that
the people of the Eastern part are as
different in every respect from the people
of the Western as the inhabitants of Maine
are from the inhabitants of Georgia. They
know that the commercial interests Of the
city of Lynchburg and of the city OF
Roanoke can never by any possible means
be commercially reconciled that their in
terests must on every occasion clash,
which makes congressional representation
the rankest farce; but because it might
politically (?) endanger the future pros
poets Of some member of the clan whose
political bee has already taken buzz, we
are permitted to commercially suffer, to
90 without representation in Congress and
to exist in a state inimicial to every idea
of progress. They know too that there is
no homogeneity whatever between the
several counties composing the district.
We are not prepared to state as certainty,
but would be willing to risk anything in
reason upon this, that the changes in the
districts named have at the bottom OF
them some little yenal, rotten and corrupt
political game that is so small that no one
ether than a member Of the legislature
would be capable of detecting it with the
naked eye. If the new constitution is not
more than offset by the workings Of that
body before the session is over-if it ever
comes to an end-then we will be indeed
surprised beyond measure.-Roanoke
Times.
We feel deep sympathy for our wall
Ing, outraged Roanoke contemporary in its
bold condemnation of the "peanut" poll
tics of the Virginia Legislature, which de-
scribes as nothing short of a political
aggregation with a mutual agreement in
tense to stand together, right or wrong
for the purpose of perpetuating their
power and that of their henchmen at
home.
But our sympathy would be much
deeper and our respect more earnest for
our esteemed contemporary, if it would
have the courage to assail the ''peanut"
politics that dominated the late con
stitutional convention more completely
than it does the Legislature. We take it
that the Times" intends to express its
sincere confidence in the work of the con-
stitutional convention when it says:" If
the new constitution is not more than |
offset by the workings of that body 1.-THE
legislature before the session is over-if
ever it comes to an end-then we will be
indeed surprised beyond measure" If
the Legislature is playing 'llttle Venal,
rotten and corrupt political game" it is
doing it at the suggestion of the men who
played the same, but more intense, game
in the constitutional convention. They be.
longed to "the clan whose political bee
had already taken buzz" Why, the
dominant spirit Of that convention was the
man who now represents the Roanoke
District in Congress, and whom the Times
says" is as ignorant of the wants and re-
qulrements of the people at the other end
as one from Honolulu"
Tie fact of the business is, that the con
vention and constitution were called into
existence by the "peanut" politics that
the Roanoke Times so heartily decries;
and the Congressman to whom it takes
such exception was the slick politician
whose profound craftsmanship (?) swsyed
the peanut" politicians ofthe convention.
They met to fix things for themselves and
for their henchmen in perpetuity; and it
is about time the Times and others who
despise corrupt politics should recognize
this fact.