Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-09-08
BOTH ARE UNwIsE.

There appears to be disposition among
the Democratic newspapers of the State
to differ as to the issue that ought to be
made most pfomins0t In this Congress
iOnal District. The Roanoke Times and
most of the local Democratic papers have
insisted that the race issue shall be the
chief one, and Mr. Wysor, the candidate
of his party for Congress, is making his
fight upon the negro question. The Rich
mond News Leader is now the most
widely circulated and one Of the ablest
Democratic papers in the State. 1t thinks
it very unwise for its party to use the
racial issue in the Ninth District We
publish IN another column an editorial
from that paper which expresses lis views
in very decided tone. Our Richmond
contemporary treats the matter only from
standpoint of party policy, and says
nothing about the immortality feature OF
the question. SO far as it goes, however,
it has spoken well, and demonstrated the
folly of the Democrats in making the
negro prominent issue in this district
The News Leader expresses its comdem-
nation of the use of one very foolish issue
in the district, and then suggests the en-
eloyment of another that is equally as alb
surd and uuwise. 1t advises thai the
fight be made against Colonel Slemp upon
the idea that he has "utterly failed to
represent Virgiuians as it is instinct ia all
true Virginians, irrespective of party af1lla-
tion." This charge is made against Colonel
Semp upon the assumption that he has
stood by President Roosevelt in what the
News Leader is pleased to term "defiance
ofihe constitution and the unsurpation OF
the prerogatives of Congress"
Fortunately all Virginians do not agree
With our Richmond contemporary and the
Virginia Democracy in their narrow, par
tisan views as to what is true Virginianism
and who are true Virginians. Neither do
they accept as true the claim of the News
Leader that the Virginia Democracy is the
only party or people who shave raised a
voice for the vindication of Virginia's his
toric part in laying the foundations of our
institutions" The Republicans of the
Ninth District are ''good and true and hon.
est men," not only in their way ofthinking
but in their way of acting To man they
endorse the record of Colonel Slemp as
their representative in Congress and also
the general policy of the Administration.
They are too intelligent to be misled by the
charge that the President has violated the
Constitution and trampled upon the funda-
mental doctrines Of our Institutions. This
is especially 80 when they know that the
charges are made by a political organiza-
ton in Virg MIA that has SO recently out
ragged the most sacred fundamental doc
trlnes Of our republican government, and
Destroyed the personal and political rights
of 30 many of our citizens.
We are surprised-to find the News
Leader raising these issues after it has 80
earnestly endorsed Grover Cleveland and
acoulesced in the revolutionary conduct
ofths Virginia Democracy in the making
of q new Constitution. Does it not strike
our Richmond contemporary that 1t is
gladngly inconsistent in condemning
what it assumes to have discovered as a
fault in the record Of President Roosevelt,
when it has declared SO frequently its
ardent desire to see Mr.. Cleveland again
made President? Our contemporary
ought 10 remember thathe not only endeav-
ored run rough-shod over the Congress in
1884, but he expressed his profound
contempt for the Democratic Members
and Senators because they did not yield
Is bis views on the tariff question-even
charging then, publicly with gross party
perifidy.
Then, our contemporary is equally
vulnerable to the charge Of inconsistency
in making the complaint it does against
Mr.. Roosevelt after upholding the recent
conduct ofthe Democratic party in Viz
v.nia. Ii the making Of a new Constitu-
ton It was guilty Of bid faith and the
most violent usurpation Of the rights Of
noople. The News Leader has 90 declared,
and Governor Montague asserted that the
very course his party pursued was De- !