Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-08-18
TAzEwELL, VA, August End, 1904
Mr.. Walter +. Addison,
Editor Roanoke Times,
WALTER Z. ADDISON,
Editor Roanoke Times

TAzEwELL, VA, August End, 1904
Mr.. Walter K. Addison,
Editor Roanoke Times,
Roanoke, Va.
Dear Sir-Your letter of the Goth ult.,
calling my attention to an editorial that
appeared in the columns Of the Tazewell
Republican of tile 2Slh ult., has been re-
ceived. | note what you have to say, II
must except to your words, vicious mis-
representations. | also note your re-
Quest that | shall disclaim these words,
"vlciouG Misrepresentation" in SC. far as
they affect you personally, and 10 the ex-
tent that they are connected with the edi-
torial policy Of the Roanoke Times, OF
which paper you inform me you are the
editor.
When | prepared the editorial which
appeared in the Tazewell Republican of
the 2Sth ult., bad no thought or inten-
ton of offering you personal insult. But
it was my purpose to make severe, and
what l believed 70 be just, criticism OF
the editorial policy of the Roanoke Times
as indicated by its editorials of the 3rd
and 18th of July, on which the criticism
was based.
Since received your letter / have again
carefully read the editorials in question;
and l found no reason for changing my
first impression as to their purport and
character. Nor does your letter contain
anything that can reasonably suggest
change of my views. In that letter you
do not deny that the purpose Of the edi-
torials was to inhame the white voters of
the Ninth District against Colonel Slemp
and the Republican party by injecting the
negro as an Issue in the politics of the dis
trict. Your failure to deny that such was
the purpose of the editorials must be con-
strued as an admission that the charge
made by the editorial il the TazeWell Re-
publican was true. If such was the mo-
tive was not the purpose vicious2 If the
motive was evil, could the means en-
ployed to carry it into effect be less so?
From my viewpoint it is a grave politi-
cal crime to continue to try to force the
race issue into the politics of Virginia, and
especially to force that issue into the great
white Ninth District. 1t is doubly crime
for the Virginia Democracy to make such
an endesvor following their unqualified
pledge that the negro should be dropped
from the politics and political discussion
of the State after the making OF new
constitution. That pledge was reinforced
by positive assurance, given after the
proclamation of the constitution, that the
negro as disturbing issue tDGs removed.
This assurance was offered in extenuation
of the Acknowledgement of 30 many thou
sands OF worthy white citizens, though
sacred pledge had been made that no
"honest white man" should be dlsfran'
chised. The editorials in the Roanoke
Times which we're the subject of the criti-
cisms complained of by you, confessedly,
were published for the purpose Of making
the negro an Issue in this district, and
thereby to prejudice the white voters
against the Republican party and candi-
dates. For these reasons l am constrain'
ed to decline to make any disclaimer of
the words "vicious Misrepresentation" so
far as they were applied to the editoriala
of the Roanoke Times heretofore referred
to. Very respectfully,
WIN. G. PENDLEToN,
Editor Tazewell Republican.