Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-09-24

five years verifes this assertion. If we
could 60 into detail we could supply
enough facts to fill columns of this paper,
but must be content With citing few in
stances and facts. At the outset we as
sert that for the past twenty-five years
there was no more danger Of negro DOM
ination with the Republicans in control
than there has been with the Democrats
controlling. The white Republicans, w..o
have directed the affairs of the party,
would not have permitted it, and the in.
telligent negroes who voted with the party
would not have asked for or wanted such
a thing.
The whole treatment of the negro ques-
ton by the Virginia Democracy has been
insincere and misleading. They tried to
get and use the negro votes 10y persuasion.
But when they found that the great white
districts of the state were drifting into the
Republican party the cruel scheme was
devised for stealing the votes of the me-
groes aud soldifying the white vote against
the Republicans, by using the false cry
of threatened negro rule.
We recall the fact that in 1879 the Dem.
Ocratic leaders made a vigorous effort to
get the negro votes to assist in defeating
the readjuster movement. We now have
before us a cartoon which is forcible re.
minder of that eventful political struggle.
1t is picture of the "peerless" John w.
Daniel standing on a platform between
two negroes, grasping the hand of each
IF them with his hands. The scene
was at large negro, or mixed, meeting in
Lynchburg, which was being addressed by
Major Daniel, and Roane and Derrick, the
two negroes. A contemporary describing
the affair said
"During the meeting Daniel rose, in
vted Roane and Derrick to him, seized
each by the hand, and, with one on each
side of him, marched to the front of the
stage with that undulating grace peculiar
to him. There the three taking a most
dramatic pose, Daniel exclaimed: when
the best men of both races unite in behalf
of cause, it must prevail" The Demo
Gratis were then eager for negro votes, and
Major Daniel addressed negroes along
with negro speakers. A great many ne.
groes voted with the Democrats in that
election, but the Readjusters beat the
Funders and their Numidian cohorts. We
must not fail to remind our Democratic
friends that in that and subsequent cam.
paign they enlisted the services of
Fred Douglass to assist them in getting
the negro vvte. He addressed letter to
the negroes of Virginia, urging them to
vote with the Democrats, and that letter
was used by them all over the State, even
here in Southwest Virginia.
Then came the memorable campaign of
1881, when Major Daniel was the candi-
date of the Democratic party for Governor
The Democrats played double game in
that campaign. They again made frar-
tic effort to get negro votes for TIER cali
didates, but tried to win the support of
White voters by telling the deteslable false.
hood that the Readjusiers we're advocate
OF mixed schools and mixed marriages
In that campaign the writer of this article
bad public debates aiti Democratic speak.
ers, who had been 90 thoroughly infected
with the falsehood that they, with seeming
earnestness, repeated it AS 4 truth.
We have befole us circular sent out in
that campaign, addressed to colored men,
signed "Doniel, Barbour, Mckinney"
urging them not to support Cameron, Lew
is and Blair, the opposition candidates.
The results Of the elections III 1879 and
1881 were severe shocks to Democratic
hopes. Nearly all the white counties in
the State pronounced against the Democ-
racy by decisive majorities and they had
failed TO get enough negro votes in the
black counties to cary theiState. Desper-
ate partisans then introduced the dia.
Oo!ical political methods that have
.ince disgraced the State and made Demo.
cratic rule supreme. They began with the
Oanville massacre. That was followed by
he enactment of dishonest election laws.
lnder whose protecting wings all kinds of
rimes have been committed against suf.
Rage, from a pretended fear of negro su.
'remacy.
When the Democrats saw that the white
districts were surely drifting to the Repub-
lean party and that they would lose the 5
tate they began to sgitate the question of
making new Constitution. That Consti- {
ltion has been made, in way that was ;
legal and radical. Many of the men, y
ers of the convention say, as well as do .