Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-10-20
ONE PARAMOUNT QUESTION.

There is but one great, paramount ques-
ton that should engage the attention of the
voters of the Ninth District until that
question is decided at the polls on the Sth
of Noyember-that is the right to vote.
The tariff and financial questions are i'm
portant, because they affect the material
interests of the people, but the suffrage is
cue is one which affects higher interest
the rights Of citizenship. That great char
ter'of liberty prepared and written by the
fathers, the Bill of Rights, was adopted
into the new Constitution of Virginia. One
of it's most important declarations is as
follows:
''That all elections ought to be free; and
that all men, having sufficient evidence of
permanent common interest With, and at
tscbmant to, the community, haze The right
of suffrage, and cannot be taxed, or de-
prived of, or damaged in, their property
for public uses without their own consent,
or that of their representatives duly elect
ed, or bound by any law to which they
have not, in like manner, assented to the
public ,od."
After putting this noble declaration of
the fathers in the new Constitution, the
late Constitutional Convention made a
suffrage law which violates every prInci-
pie it enuucates. Elections are not free,
and thousands of honest, useful citizens,
who haye sufficient evidence of permanent
common interest with, and attachment to,
the community, have been deliberately,
intentionally and wantonly deprived of
their right of suffrage. That it was done
from vicious, partisan purpose cannot be
denied, as the men who did it and defend
the act do not deny that the Virginia De-
morracy has violated its positive pledges
made to the people.
Not only are elections no longer free in
Virginia. but every possible obstacle that
could be placed between the humble citi-
zen AID the ballot box has been called
into use. First came the understanding
clause which was terrible instrument ia
the hands of unsworn partisan registration
boards. Thousands of white men were
refuse registration under Its provisions
and many more thousands we're too much
frightened to make application for regis
tralion.
Then came the poll tax qualification
with all its attendant complications. For
the first time its deadly work has been
done 10 this campaign. 1t is estimated
that ten thousand white men in this dis
trict have lost their right to vote at the
coming election by failure to pay their
poll tax in time, or by failure of county
treasurerS to certify them on the paid list
after they had made proper payment.
There never was suffrage law enacted
with so many complications and obstruc-
tons and go well designed to insnsre the
voter. 1t has accomplished the
work its Democratic designers intended it
to do. Nearly ons-haf the white voters
in Virginia have already been made its
victims, and the future will swell the
number. N
The suffrage question is the great one
with our people. Shall honest men, good
and useful citizens, be taxed and made to
contribute to the revenues Of the State,
and yet be robbed of their suffrage by a
trick2 Shall they be made answerable to
Avs that may deprive them Of their prop
rrty and liberty without their consent
having been obtained to such laws? The
Bill of Rights says they shall not. The
suffrage law Gays they shall, and the suf-
rage law has done the work. !.
Ia