Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-05-19
THURSDAY. MAY 10, 1904.
VERY MUCH DISTURBED.


turbed about the political situation in the
Ninth Congressional District. 1t is par
ticularly anxious about the moral tone Of
this district, and especially as to what the
Republicans have done in the way Of pay
ing their poll taxes so that they may be
qualified to vote at the Presidential cleo
ton next November 1t presumes to
make inquiry into the conduct OF the Re-
publicans without saying anything of what
the Democrats have done and have been
dong. And it makes strong inslnuations
that the Republicans have been violating
some provision of the immaculate (?) con-
stitution which was framed for the pur-
pose of DISTINGUISHING the poor white men
of the State by the use of poll tax quail
fcation.
Evidently, our Roanoke contemporary
is very much disappointed and disturbed
to find that this Democratic scheme to
defeat the Republicans in the Ninth Dis
trict by the poll tax prerequisite is likely
to fail. 1t hears from its correspondents
that the Republicans have paid their poll
taxes, and it assumes the privilege of in
curing into the matter Of where the Re
publicans got the money to make such
payments. Our contemporary very mod
estly says at may be that some of our
over-sensitive Republican friends will
answer that the matter is none of our
business" The Times is mistaken. No
Republican in the Ninth District will
make any such answer to our inquisiIive
contemporary. They all know too well
that it is the practice and the business of
the Democratic press to try to divert at
teptlon from the wicked acts aud laws of
the Virginia Democracy by coDjuring up
some charge of evil conduct on the part Of
the Republicans. 1t is the time-worn
Democratic ruse of "stop thief which
they have been using until it has become
stale. Of course it is certain that the
Democrats are playing an innocent, hon
est game in the payment of poll taxes In
the Ninth District, for the organization is
elill in the hands of the honest (?) men
who originated the "Scott County Ballot"
and made systematic effort to rob Col.
S!emp of the returns in 1902.
We don't know from where or whom
the money came to pay the poll taxes OF
the Republicans or the Democrats in the
Ninth District. The constitution says
that voters shall personally pay their poll
taxes, but it does not say how or where
they shall get the money to make such
payment. If they choose to borrow 1t
from a friend or friend chooses to give
the money to delinquent voter there is
no constitutional provision prohibiting
either. If a friend should go to the editor
of the Times and inform him that he
wanted to pay nis poll tax but did not
have the money to do it, would the editor
decline to loan or give him the money?
Aud if be gave it to him would there be
ANYTHING immoral or illegal in the act?
Our Roanoke contemporary is over
anxious about the the Ninth District. 1t
ought to turn it's Investigations in other
directions as well as this way, and it
would find things its own party friends
have been doing that ought to silence its
criticisms of what it "hears' the Republi-
cans of the Ninth District are doing. Re-
Gently there was a Democratic primary
held in Richmond and the columns of the
News Leader on the 9th of April had the
following;
/"The appearance yesterday of several
hundred tax receipts of voters who had
not registered was discussed by groups OF
men today, but when an effort was made
to get something for publication those in
possession of the information suddenly
became non-communicatlve.
THAT tax receipts were being issued by
a parkkeeper, city hall employe and an
employe of the water department in Clay
Ward Yesterday was known. The tax re-
ceipts we're all in proper shape and dated
prior to Dec. IA, but in whose possession
thew have been since that time is matter
of conjecture.
"The claim is made that eco of these
receipts were used yesterday, the voters
not having registered. By going to the
polls and producing the tax receipts the
voters could register and participate in the
primary. The question on all sides is, By
whom we're the taxes paid and why were
those using them not registered prior to
yesterday"
These are interesting matters for our
yirtuous Roanoke contemporary to inves'
tigate. Why waste Its time trying to find
out where the Republicans of the Ninth
Congressional District got the money to
pay their taxes? If the Democrats in
party primary, at the Capital City,"
right before the eyes of the State Chair
man of the Democratic party can do such !