Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-09-10
TRYING TO BE HONEST.
Richmond News Leader.


Democratic party vigorously because Of
frauds of which it says the Democrats
have been the guilty benefciaries in elec-
tons in this State. A special share Of the
Republicans attention is given to Captain
j. Taylor Elyson, chairman of the Dem
oCratic State committee.
1t is unfair to select Chairman Ellyson
as a special target If there has been
crookedness in our elections he is no more
guilty than every other Democrat in Vir-
ginia, including the most eminent clergy
men and the purest laymen. All Of us
are tarred with the same stick, if there Is
any tar. Chairman Ellyson acted with
the full approval of his party and virtually
under It's orders The immediate fruits of
of victory were gathered by others, includ-
ing some most ligh.minded and distin
guished citizens, aud the general and in
direct fruits of stability and honesty In our
government we're enjoyed by the people
of the whole State.
The Tazewell Republican, when it con-
siders the facts candidly, must be glad that
the Democratic party has been guilty of
successful fraud heretofore and must ac-
knowledge, to its own conscience at least,
that whatever was done to defeat the Re-
publican party in Virginia was justified by
the conditions and the dangers. The Re.
publicans always evade frank discussions
Of the position of the negro in their party
here and of what would be done for and
with him in case Of Republican success.
Nine.tenths of the respectable men of that
party understood that the question was a
grave one. They were accustomed to put
it away from their thoughts in the heat
of campaigns and to shut their eyes to the
embarrassment with which they would
have been confronted if they had carried
the State But the facts were here. The
Republicans could not win without the
help of the solid negro vote. They would
have been forced to recognize and reward
that vote. The only WY by which they
could have recognized it woul have been
by giving offices to negroes. That would
have made trouble inevitably. We do
not think the Tazewell Republican would
care to consider or even to discuss frankly
the possibilities of negroes in important
Offices in Virginia.
rhe truth, as we see it, was that the
white people-or the great mass Of them
constituting the Democratic party in Nir.
ginia-believed as firmly as people can be-
l.eve anything that Republican supremacy
meant more or less of negro rule, or GER
tain contact between the two races too
intimate to be good for either, involving
the ruin of both. Therefore, they were
right to use any means that might be nee
essary to prevent Republican supremacy.
Chairman EllysOn was the chosen politi
cal leader of the party and faithfully rep
resented its sentiments and executed its
wishes. There is no sense or justice in
trying to make him the chief offender or
arch conspirator. On the other hand be-
cause his position brings on him this I'M
warranted censure and forces him to be
kind of scapegoat for the whole party and
because he has accepted and met respon-
siblites which many men would shirk, he
deserves the thanks and good will of the
party in the whole State.
Having removed the danger Of negro
rule, the Democrats of the State, through
their leaders and newspapers Representa-
tives, urge rigid obedience to the law and
strict honesty and fair play. That is an
admirable position. OF course, as Re
publican newspaper, the Tazewell Repub-
lican is not expected to have faith in Dem
ccratic promises or even in. The purity of
Democratic purposes. lis expressions Of
doubt and Its bitter taunts may be useful
in helping to pu: the rank and file of the
party on its mettle to vindicate its charac-
ter and prove that it will be honest as it
can be so safely. Every Democratic news
paper and every representative Of the par
tv and leader among tie people should
keep in mind constantly the vital import
ance Of making our elections clean and
keeping them so-the general as well as
The primary elections. The more the Re-
publican newspapers stir the subject and |
the moi bitterly they taunt the Democrats
with inability or indisposition to be hon ST
and straight, the more the Democrats will |
be inclined to beliethese predictions and to
vndicate themselves. But We should not
allow the weight Of the things done in the
past to be shifted from the backs of all of
us, where it belongs, upon the shoulders Of
any one man.