Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-10-22
Then and Now.

W IeH MI. Mig OIOChclt Mdo dppOlhlCN
sheriff of Tuzewell county this paper ex-
pressed its surprise and disapproval OF
the appointment because it WAS not in
accordance with the sentiment of a ma
jority Of the voters of TazeSel county.
The Cnch Valley News then, and now, the
champion of Mf. King Crockett objected
to our statement that he had been re
pudiated by a large majority Of the peo.
pe of tie county at the last election for
county officers. The news in It's article
defending the appointment Of Mr.. Gro k
, cit said:
1T is true that Mr.. Bandy's majority
was about 800. But let US look further.
| Is 1t not fact that the illiterale cOlored
vote cast at that election WAS about 900?
| And 1t is further fact that there were
several hundred vena floating votes cast
at that election and we ali know that
practically the Whole of the colOred vote
and big portion of the said floating vote
was secured for the Republican ticket
1t is obvious, therefore, if we eliminate the
iiterate colored vote and the yenal float
ing vote, which have been eliminated for
| the most part under the new constitution,
that +. King Crockett himself received ?
large majority Of the voters Ofthe property
owners and tax payers Of the county, vino
to-day constitute the electorate OF the
county"
The Clinch Valley News was sDeaklnt
for Mr.. Crockett, and he has never dis
claimed his responsibility for The abo' G
charge that Mr.. Bandy WAS elected by the
iiterate colored vote and the vena white
vote of the county. This was a seriJns
charge to make, unsupported a. it wac 10y
facts. An analysis of the vote cast in ;he
election proves that the charge is utterly
false. There have never been 1000 negro
votes cast in 1azewell county, and at tie
election in question not more than half Of
that number of negroes voted. At three
of the precincts where there we've the 'ar.
gest number of negroes registered the re-
suits were such as to prove that the negro
vote did not 90 solidly for Bandy. These
precincts were Graham, Tiptop and North
Tazewell. They had always been strong
Republican precincts. At Graham Mr,
Crockett got IA majority; at North Ta2e'
well he got 80 majority and at Tptop ne
reduced the usual Republican majority OF
nearly 100 to IT, We would like to know
what means Mr.. Crockett and his friends
used to bring about such peculiar results
at these strong Republican precincts. Did
they get the negro vote and what they
call the veual white vote? If go, how did
they get them?
The News says that the illterate co|o''d
vote and the venal floating vote had been
eliminated under the new constitution
There is no doubt about the negro vote
being eliminated, but Mr.. Crockett anJ
bis friends do not think that the yena
vote has been removed or disfranclhse.l T.
The Democratic county committee at II.
meeting on September 22nd, 1903, de
clared MIR. Crockett the Democratic can
didate for sheriff of Tazewell county. a
that same meeting the committee passt'
resolutions to prevent the unlawful au1
corrupt use of money and other things fl
the purpose of influencing votes in eiec
tions in Tazeweil county. The resolutions
authorized G. w. Doak, the county chair
man, to appoint committee Of three fol
each precinct in the county to see tha
there is no corrupt use Of money for in
fuencing the venal vote. Now, Mr.
Crockett and tie committee which made
him the Democratic candidates for sheri
declare by these resolutions that there /;
dangerous venal floating vote in th'
county which they fear will be corrupted
by the Republican candidate. Thus ha'
Mr.. Crockett twice given an insult to The
voters of Tazewell county, First by char
ging that James Bandy was elected by
the venal Aaoting vote. Second, by init
mating tLat the present electorate of Taze
we'll county contains dangerous element
that can be corrupted by money and othel