Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-08

a reioinder from the Times. In that re-
ioinder the Times says:
"It is not necessary to say to those who
understand The Times that this paper
has no desire to become the organ OF any
political party. 1t has chosen Its own
course and that course is to be entirely In
dependent"
The Times then proceeds to show that
the Dispatch is no recognized organ OF the
Democratic party in Virginia, because
"the Dispatch and News are now OF the
same household" and both have COM
mitted a grievous sin against Virginia De-
mocracy by publish the letter of john s.
Wise.
So, by the showing Uf our Richmond
contemporaries, the Virginia Democracy
has no organ in the capital city. All these
papers claim to be Democratic, and they
constantly support theVirginia Democracy;
and, though at some points reluctant to
10 SO, they sustained the action Of the
Constitutional Convention in the neiarlors
work which evoked the severe letter from
Captain Wise.
We would like to know the, real reasons
that influence our Richmond contempor-
aries in declaring with such emphasis that
they will not consent to be regarded as
organs of the Democratic party. Are
they ashamed of the record Of the Nlr'
ginia Democracy? If SO, we do not blame
them. Or are they, as has been charged
by some of the rural Democratic news
papers, the mouthpieces of corporations,
and for that reason DESTROYS of keeping on
good terms with both political parties? II
the Times is trying TO play the latter role,
We fear 1t is not playing it very successful
~. 1t GAYS 1t is can Independent paper
aud in no sense a party Organ;" and until
short time ago Republicans and lnde'
pendents were disposed to treat it as such.
But in these latter days it has become SO
ultra in support of Virginia Democracy
that it has taken the place formerly occu'
pied by the Dispatch, and no longer en-
Joys the confidence of Republicans and
Independents. 1t is with deep regret we
have observed the change in The Times.
This ultraism of the Times has been
made more manifest by the way it has
acted in connection with the Wise letter
The Times says:
"But we must say in all candor that
our columns are not open to any one who,
like John S. Wise, would use the oppor-
tunity to malign and misrepresent the
people of Virginia by the art and ingenuity
of writer whose only inspiration is In
tense hatred Of bis own State and his own
people. Our esteemed contemporaries,
the Dispatch and News, are welcome 10
all such communications from Mr.. wise
and bis kind"
The ofense committed by Captain Wise
was scathing but fairly true criticism OF
the Constitutional Convention and OF hide
bound Virginia Bourbonism. What better
proof can be required to show that the
Times is losing its independent spirit and
rapidly drifting into the Bourbon ranks
thanls shown by Its disposition to treat the
criticism by Captain Wise as an assault
upon the integrity ofthe people OF Virginia
To our mind,this is rank Bourbonism-
the extreme opposite of the independent
SIN which the Times boasts of possessing
The vice of Virginia Democracy is that
t has brazenly assumed to be the people OF
and that vice was the controll-
ng power with the Democratic member
ship of the Constitutional Convention
We fear the Times has become infected
with the same assumption.
If the Times will take the trouble to in
yestigate it will find that the masses Of the
people do not hold the membership of the |
Convention IN high esteem, nor do they
nave such reverence for its work as to con- |
ider Captain Wise's bitter letter an as
ault upon the people of Virginia. Upon
he contrary many thousands of the best
men in the State hold the Convention in
contempt, and consider the Con-
titution, In many particulars, master
,iece of partisan vindictiveness. The
Zines itself must know that the Conven-
ion was a creature of fraud, because it
Ices know of the fraudulent methods that
-ere used to secure the calling of the Con-
ention. 1t must also know that the men
tho controlled the Convention devoted
heir time and talent to devising plan by
'hich Democracy could make its power
erpetual. The people know that by pro-
aiming the Constitution these men
roved themselves to be a band of per-
dious political tricksters, impudently
osing as statesmen and patriots.
Some of these men are now making
lore patent the insincerity which con-