Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-08
THURSDAY, JANUARY S, 1908.
BACK TRACKING.

recently interviewed at Norfolk, Va, anu
in that interview was asked what be
thought would be the result of the assault
John s. Wise is making on the suttage
clause of the Constitution. Mr. Goode
said lit will be futile; absolutely futile
That instrument was drawn with en- eye
single for justice to all and the upbuild-
ing Of the State"
The Hon. Mr.. Goode may possibly be
correct in .his.opinion that MIR. Wise may
fail to accomplish his desired end in his
attacks upon the suffrage clause; but his
declaration that the instrument was
drawn with an eye single for justice to
all, is bold denial of the intended pur-
pose of the suffrage clause of the Constitu'
ton. The very nature of the clause shows
that it was intended to work greatinjustice
to a large number of the citizens Of Viz
ginia, or its trainers were much more igno'
rant of its natural effects than the intense
egotism of the membership of that body
would justify one in concluding. In other
words, MIR. Goode and his co'revolutlon'
lists were densely ignorant in the science
of state.crah, or very inslncere, if Mr..
Goode now expresses their sentiments.
Any one who reads the suffrage clause
intelligently must know that it will ultl-
- matelv result in the Acknowledgement Of
more than one.half of the citizens of vot-
ing age in the State. We mean the white
citizens. What has not been and will not
be accomplished in that direction by the
registration boards will be successfully ef
'fected by the poll tax qualification for
voting which becomes operative in 1904
This poll tax qualification is a trap that
has been set to catch the poor white men,
and many thousands will lose their suffrage
by the vicious trick of the forty-seven
revoutionists who by proclamation made
it law in this Commonwealth. In the
face of this act, the declaration of MIR.
Goode that the instrument was drawn
with an eye single for justice to all" Ii
unwarranted and unworthy of belief.
Mr.. Goode in said interview stated;
"That much talked of suffrage clause was
drawn with hut one object in view-that
of purifying the ballot in Virginia without
discriminating against any race, class or
condition. \ The idea of disfran'
chising the negro was not out object"
IfMr. Goode is now stating a fact, the
men who fremed the suffrage clause and
who championed it in the Constitutional
Convention were the biggest set of liars
that ever gathered as a public body, and
the Democratic press in Virginia was
equally as untruthful. They all declared
with one voice that the sole object of the
understanding clause" was to be able to
dsfranchise the negro without disfranchis'
ing white men.
{ Mr.. Henry c. Stuart, of Russell county,
Was member Of the suffrage committee
of the Constitutional Convention, and
was the most earnest champion on that
committee of the understanding clause"
In the gubernatorial campaign of 1901,
while the convention was in session, Mr.
Stuart addressed circular to his constit-
uents. In speaking of the proposed suf'
rage law he said "The poorest and most
uneducated white man can and will vote
under the provisions of any of the bills
The clause known as the understanding
clause has been reported as the only con-
stitutional means yet discovered to include
the white man and exclude the undesira'
BILE negro. The Republican
leaders know only too well that we are
proposing to disfranchise no white men,
and that the blow will fall on the negro,
where it is aimed"
These sentiments, boldly uttered by
Mr.. Stuart, were held by all the leading |
spirits of the Convention and we're the
same as expressed on the stump by Major |
Anderson, the present Attorney General
of Virginia, then a member Of the Con-
yention, and also, we believe, member
of the suffrage committee. Mr.. Stuart's
declarations are contemporary construc'
ton of the suffrage law and are incOntro-
vertible, coming as they do frOm mem
Der of the suffrage committee. Mr..
Goodies assertions are 80 utterly at vari-
snce with those of Mr.. Stuart and with
those generally expressed in the Conven'
ti1u and by the Democratic press that
their sincerity must be doubted. While pre-
I ending to boot at the effort OF Captain
Wise 10 overthrow the suffrage clause of
the Constitution be lie evidently alarmed,
or he would not be making for publication
statements that have so little foundation
in fact. MIR. Goode made many state
ments, if we mistake not, while he was
preeidept of the Convention that will rise