Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-04-21
KNOW THYSELF!
succession,

der the head Browning On Party Cor
ruption." The editorial was based upon
the caustc criticism which Col. j. S.
Browning made against the State Republl'
can organization at the Bristol convention.
Our contemporary praises Colonel Brown
ing for his manly denunciaton of what he
believed to be corrupt leadership, but
very adroitly tries to use it to the injury
of the Republican party in Virginia and in
the interest of the VIGOROUSLY corrupt
State Democratic organization. The
Times says:
eff there's one thing thoroughly repre-
hensible in politics, it is the servile dispo-
sition so often evinced by partisanS to
religiously abstain from publicly criticisng
the mistakes of their party or the faults
and follies of their leaders. The bold out
spoken manly nature, however-the ma
ture true to itself and true to public inter-
ests, will not be fettered by such petty
considerations, but when it sees its party
pursuing way of error or OF shame, will
courageously come out in the open and
say go. Evidently of such stuff Col. James
Browning is made, and it is to his high
credit that this can be said"
These sentiments are very commendable,
but would mean much more if they were
applied to the Democratic organization
and leaders in Virginia instead of using
them only to the disadvantage of the Re-
publican party, as our Roanoke contem-
porary has done.
The chief complaint against the Repub'
lican organization in Virginia is that it
has not used the proper effort to built up
the party in the State. Its policy of cow
ardly inactivity in all contests except Pres
idential elections has created the belief
among the masses that the Agnew'Allen
combination does not desire to have vic
torious party in their State. 1t is the
selfish or cowardly surrender to the Demo
cratic machine that has provoked hostility
to the organization and caused such severe
criticism from Colonel Browning and other
Republicans whose chief desire is to see
the party triumphant in the State. After
the reorganization Republicans have as
serted that the party organization is not
what it should be, our Roanoke contem.
porary declares that it is unreasonable to
ask independent Democrats to unite with
US in an honest effort to make clean poll
tics in Virginia. This position of our con-
temporary is not consistent with the para
graph above quoted from its columns, I'M
less it can assert and prove that the reor-
ganization movement of the Republicans
is insincere and unclean, and unless it can
also assert and prove that the Demo.
cratic organization is honest and clean.
The sincerity of the reorganization plan
has been established by the work that has
already been done; and the high character
Of its leadership no one will dispute. But
how about the honesty and cleanliness OF
the Democratic organization? Its record
for the past twenty years is invoked to an
,wer the question. There has never been
any political organization more shameless
y corrupt than that of the Virginia
Democracy. Why haven't the Democratic
newspapers and leaders shown their cour.
age and righteousness by assailing the cor.
ruption of their own organization and
Some of them have disclosed
4 halfspirited disposition to condemn and
ieplore the disgraceful conditions, but
hey continue to uphold and follow the
interruptions men who have produced
these conditions.
The same Democratic machine now con-
rolls in Virginia that has been supreme for
many years. 1t may have inharmonious
md pretended honest parts when operat-
ng at elections in which only Democratic
are contending. But when it
las to operate against Republicans this
machine is faithful to its unbroken record
# fraud and corruption.
If there are any independent Democrats
n Virginia what has made them indepen.
lent? They must have been made such by g
be uncertain and unwise policies of the :
National Democracy, or by the disgraceful /
nethods that have so long been practiced i
y the State Democratic organization. If d
ither of these things has made them In i
ependents, common sense and common t
onesty should compel them to abandon I
be unclean and insane Democratic house, e
nd to unite with the honest Republicans n
no are fighting for clean politics in the
tate and for what the independents be- "
eve to be safe and sane national policy. ii