Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-09-01
A DlsFRANcHIsEB HOST


10 the making of new Constitution the
Democratic party in Virginia has dealt In
a most pei fdious manner with the white
voters of the State. Mr.. Wysor, the
present candidate of the party in the
Ninth Congressional District, is upholding
and defending the perfdy of the Democ-
racy, and is insulting the honest but poor
white men who have been made the VIC
Tins of Democratic treachery. No party
has ever made a record more fisgraDtly
insincere than has the Virginia DeInoc-
racy in the past four years on the SUI
frsge question. 1t has erected for itself
and its leaders monument of shame that
will grow more conspicuous and shameful
as the fruits of its evil work ripen aud are
tasted.
The call for constitutional convention
and the demand for new suffrage law
were based upon positive assurance that
the white electorate Of the State was not
to be impaired or reduced. When Re
p1blicans undertook to warn the people,
by telling them that the whole scheme Of
making a new constitution was founded
upon desire to materially reduce the
white vote as well as to destroy the negro
vote. they were denounced as liars. Sub
seouent events have proven who were the
liars. and they were not tie Republicans.
In the Spring of 1900 the Democrats OF
vi pinia held State convention at Mort
folk. All ofits present leaders participated
in or endorsed the action of that conven-
tion. After adopting resolution which
approved and endorsed the call made by
the General Assembly for constitutional
convention, the State convention adopted
the fJllowing resolution:
RESOLVED, that it is the sense OF this
elnvention that in framing new constl'u-
ton 20 effort should be made to dislran'
chise any citizen of Virginia who had a
right 10 vote prior to 1861, nor the de-
scendant of any such person, and that
Awhel such constitution shall have been
framed, it shall be submitted to vote of
the people for ratification or rejection"
Two distinct, separate pledges were
made by the Virginia Democracy in The
above quoted resolution. Both pledges
have been violated with SO little compunc-
ton by those who gave them that we are
forced to believe that they were made
TO be broken.
Mr.. Wysor was member Of the Con-
stitution Convention and helped to make
the constitution that was proclaimed in
stead of being submitted to the people.
He helped to frame the suffrage law which
has robbed ten thousand white men in
the Ninth Congressional District OF the
right to vote. He now not only UNDER
takes to defend that iniquity, but sneers
at and scorns the humble though honest
citizens who have been victimized by
coDscienceIess political party of which ne
is the candidate. Not satisfied with rob-
bling them of the dearest right of Ameri-
can freemen, he now points the finger of
scorn at and tries to degrade them in the
ewes Of their more fortunate fellowmen.
He seems to take special pleasure in
mentioning seven brothers, the IONS OF
gallant but humble Confederate soldier, IN
Washington county, who have lost their
right TO vote ON account of failing to pay
their poll taxes. He speaks Of them as
tridiDg, worthless men; and is reported 10
have said in speech at Coeburn that the
Confederate soldier who begot seven such
worthless sons ought to have been killed
IN the var, or words to that effect.
There are ten thousand disfranchised
white men in the Ninth District whose
class or character Mr.. Wysor bas used the
seven brothers in Washington county to
illustrate. These ten thousand men have
been sneered at as citizens too worthless
or tnning to be allowed to vote. How
many of them would be called upon 10
take up arms if war should come, as their
fathers have done before, when Mr.. Wy
sor, perhaps, would remain at home and
have bis battles fought by this host of
tifling. worthless, DISTINGUISHED white
meng
Can il be possible that Of the $4,000
white men of voting age in the Ninth Dis
trict ten thousand are unworthy to exer-