Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-10-30
A REPUBLICAN TRICK.


Elections bring to the surface new
and sometimes remarkable produc-
tions. One of these is circnlar issued
by the Republican County Committee
and freely spread abroad ON or last
county court day. This circular I'M
dertakes to set forth that Churchmap
and Walker, the Democratic nominees
for the Legislature, would vote to dis
franchise poor white men" and that
Clark and Dunlap, the Republican
nominees, would not. We do not
know just when the Republican party
in this State and this county became
the friend of ''pOor white men," They
have always been the avoWed friend OF
the negro, aud have always sought to
elevate him over wkite people Of all
conditions, but just when that party
ceased its efforts TO disfranchise white
people and enfranchise negroes we do
not know, but we do know that that
pal ty ha. DISTINGUISHED white men in
this State and placed even negro con-
vicis above them as to the right of suff-
rage. Are they better now than in days
gone by9
We do know that Mr. Roosevelt the
head of that party in the Nation has
sat at table with negroes, and appoint
ed negroes to office, and We cannot but
believe that lesser lights, such rs Clarke
and Dunlap would follow in his Illus
trious footsteps, not so much because
they want TO, but because they have
TO. If the National Republican party
cares nothing for white men but cares
peculiarly for negroes, why does the
party in Augusta county drop the me-
gro and take up the ''poor white man"2
We can but conclude thai 1t is d ruse
to get back into power, go that they
may carry into effect the negro policy
of President Roosevelt and the Nation
al Republican party from whom they
take their orders, and whose dictates
they are bound to obey.
The cunning device of this circular,
we believe, did not emanate here In
Augusta, but was Matched in Wash
ingtOn in National Republican head
quarters, where most of the campaign
trlckery is Matched, and where negroes
are as thick as fieas on the back Of q
NANCY dog.
Messrs. Churchman and Walker are
natives OF Augusta county, they have
been tried as public officers. and their
loyalty to white men. whether rich or
poor, is no experiment. Their &C tions
in the Legislature will not be directed
from Washington, from headquarters
where white man is by no means as
good as negro, but by the people of
Augusta, where one white man enjoys
every privilege enjoyed by other white
men, and will continue to enjoy it as
long as the Democratic party is in
power. When the Republicans get
power-well we know what they did
when they had it before, and we know
what their lord and master Roosevelt
is doing, SO we make no promises for
such conditions, they are too awful to
contemp plate. But to assure the poor
white men," as the Republican circu,
lar calls them, and all citizens of this
county that the charge against Church
man and Walker is baseless and untrue,
we publish below what those gentle
men say on this subject. that the pub
lie as we'll as those who have so sud-
denly dropped the negro. and begun
SOLDERING over the ''poor white man"
may read for themselves
To the voters Of Augusta county and
the city of StauntOn.
We shall not allow the Republican
committee to surmise and speculate as
TO what our position will be if we are
elected members of the House OF Del.
egates, as they undertake to do in their
circular addressed ITO the voters of
Augusta county," which was circulat-
ed on the streets of Staunton on cOun-
ty court day. We have never favored,
nor will We ever favor, any measure
which will take from any white man
his right to vote in any election.
Respectfully,
j. w. CHURCHMAN.
s. HI. WALKER.