Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-09-10
|FHURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1908.
CONFESSION AND AVOIDANCE,

editorial from our esteemed contemporary
the Richmond News Leader. We trust
all our readers will give it careful peru.
sal. The article in question is headed
"Trying To Be Honest" and is criticism
J of ia recent editorial which appeared in
the Republican, in which We asserted
that the Democratic organization in Nir-
ginia was training school for fraud, and
that Mr.. J. Taylor ElIyson was and is its
head-master. The article of the News
Leader is what is termed in our courts
plea of confession and avoidance.
While admitting the guilt Of the Demo
cratic party and of Mr.. Ellyson as its
chairman, as charged in our indictment,
the News Leader seeks to avoid for him
any peculiar personal responsibility for
the crimes that have been committed by
the organization and elections officers,
with the plea that che is no more guilty
than every Democrat in Virginia, includ-
ing the most eminent clergymen and the
purest laymen." Our contemporary de-
clares, and we suppose advisedIy, "Chair'
man Ellyson acted with the full approval
of his party and virtually under its Or
ders."
How would such plea as this be re-
garded if made by the organizer and
leader of a gang of pirates or company Of
brig nds? The followers, who obeyed the
orders of their leaders when committing
brutal deeds, would be criminal but the
greater degree of moral responsibility
would rest upon the leaders
Mr.. Elyson may be DO more guilty than
his party, under whose orders he acted,
but we assert that he is more guilty than
the weakly corrupt registrars who tam.
pered with registration books and the
Judges of election, who stuffed ballot-boXes,
mi.m lrked ballots and falsiied returns,
either at his ins.igation or with his APP
provA. These men were guilty of the
double crime of perjury and theft The
party or the leader that either suggests
or approves Of such crimes as these is
more criminal than they. Our Richmond
contemporary SAYS;
chairman Ellyson was the chosen
pot al leader of tine party and faithfully
represented its Sentiments and executed
its wishes, X he has accepted and met
responsibilities which many men would
shirk, he deserves the thanks and good
will Of the party in the whole State"
From this We are justified in conclud-
ing tn the f,auls which have been per
p3ha.sd IN Virginia have been done in
&C I'd ,nce with the wishes of the Demo
cratic purity in this State or the men vino
form its policy. Our contemporary gives
us to understand that Mr.. Ellyson has
merely acted as & willing instrument in
exec Iting the responsible duties which
other men with less courage, and, perhaps,
moe conscience, would shirk.' This
ma &C cunt for the evident reluctance Of
the Virginia Democracy to give Mr..
Eyson the honor he has so long coveted
the Governorship. 1t is a well known
trait OF human nature for wicked men to |
dsspise those who act as their willing in
shumenls in ding wrong
The News Leader says:
1.-THE Tazewell Republican, when it
considers Tie facls canddly, 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"
Without hesitation we declare we are
not glad that perjury and political theft
have been so successfully practiced in Vir-
GINA; and we emphatlcally deny that
al H.. /
and dangers of a character that would
justify the practices which have defiled,
according to the admissions of the News
Leader, the entire Democratic party in
the State. We do not rejoice over the
triumph of false code of morality, even
if the Republican party is to be benefited
by the removal of the negro question
which our contemporary claims has been
so embarrassing to the party. Far be it
from us to welcome benefit that is pur-
chased at price so intense az the moral
degradation of our political adversaries-,
We would rather zee Virginia permanently
Democratic and all the time honest than
to see it permanently Republican and {
Temporarily dishonest. N
The News Leader insists that the Demo.
cratic party had a right to use any means
that might be necessary, because the mass
es believed that Republican supremacy
meant more or less of negro rule.
The men who created and fostered the !
idea of threatened negro supremacy never I
believed It themselves; and the reckless 1