Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-09-24
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER "a, 1908.
For House Of Delegates,
J. POWELL ROYAL,
OF TaZ0Well.
CONFESSIONS, DEFINITIONS AND
CONCLUSIONS.
OF TaZ0Yell.

CONCLUSIONS.
The Richmond News Leader seems to
be little irritated over several editorials
which have recently appeared in the
columns of the Republican" which were
exposures of the past and present
methods of the Virginia Democracy. Its
first irritation was occasloned by our con-
tention that the Democratic State organiza-
ton had been and was still a training
school for fraud, with ]. Taylor Ellys n as
its head master. Our contemporary
undertook to defend Mr.. Ellyson from the
severe charges We made against him and
the State organization. In that defense
the News Leader confessed that the things
We spoke of had been done, but asserted
that Mr.. Ellyson was no more guilty than
every other Democrat in Virginia; that he
had acted under the orders of his party
ard had faithfully represented its senti-
and executed its wishes.
The admissions ofthe News Leader were
so full, and involved so completely every
Democrat in the State, that we could not
fail TO take our contemporary at its word
and hold the entire Democratic party in
the State responsible for the crimes that
have disgrsced the Commonwealth and
placed an inefsceabe stain on the men
who have committed them. Here is
what the News Leader said:
eff there has been crookedness in our
elections he is no more guilty than every
other Democrat in Virginia, including the
most eminent clergymen and the purest
laymen. All of us are tsrred with the
same stick, if there is any tar"
We replied on the 10th inst, at some
length, to the defense of Mr.. Ellyson
made by our contemporary. This hat
provoked from it reply, in which we are
charged with using Every abusive Ian
guage, applied to the Democratic party in
Virginia" 1t says: The Republican de-
nounces the Virginia Democracy as an seq
gyegition of thieves and perurers." If
we have made any such accusations they
were based upon the statements Of the
News Leader. The tar with which every
Virginia Democrat is stuck was ballot box
stuAing, robbing voters in the booths,
padding registration lists, classifying re.
turns, etc. There is no reputable news
paper in Virginia that will now deny that
these things have been commonly done
10y Democratic elections officers during the
past twenty years. If we have defined
these crimes as perjury and theft, can We
be truly charged with Safeguarding the
men who did them? If a man makes
oath that be will do a certain thing and
violates that oath is he not a perjurer?
The Democratic registrars and judges took
an oath which bound them to do their
work lawfully and honestly. If they
violated the oath, what are they but per-
jurers? If they robbed men of their votes,
what were they but thieves? If these
crimes have been committed in Virginia |
at the suggestion of the State organiza-
ton, acting under the directions of the
party and approved by every man in the
party "including the most eminent
clergymen and The purest laymen," what
kind of aggregation will the News Leader
call the Virginia Democracy?
1t is not our accusing the Virginia
Democracy with certain kinds of fraud
upon suffrage that shocks the sensibilities
of our contemporary, but it is provoked by
the definitions we have given to the
crimes. Will it soften the thing any by
calling the offenses false swearing and vote
swiping? 1t is the character of the crime,
not the name nor the penalty, that fixes
and measures the disgrace. The poet has
said: "a rose by any other name would
smell as sweet" and vote-stealing by any
other name would sound as vile. The 1
News Leader says:
"The crimes the Republican charges l
against the Democratic party in Virginia {
we're no more criminal than is the blow ,
struck by a man defending bis own life
against murderer or his own property
against robber, or the death-desling
shot fired by soldier in defense of bis
country. Heaven knows our people would
have welcomed an opportunity to fight
out the question of supremacy with bull .
lets and blades rather than with false re-
turns and stuffed ballot boxes, but they !
had no choice in the matter and were =
to make their fight in the way =
orced on them by irresistible power"
This is a very pretty sentiment based :,
ipon the false assumption that Republican a
uccess in Virginia meant negro suprem. p
cy. The News Leader and the Norfolk
1irginisn- Pilot have both accused us of il
lodging discussion of the question of CT
legro supremacy. In this issue and on b