Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-07-27
AN ALL SUFFICIENT ANSWER.

NlSO1ONo mummy
Our Bristol contemporary further OBJ
serves that ut was to make a strong
and decent minority party that the
Democrats forced negro disfranchise-
ment upon the Republicans. Whether
that was the intention or not, such
promises to be the effect, and in bring
ing about that consummation the Dem
ocrats, in eliminating the negro from
the political equation, conferred the
greatest possible benefit upon the State.
While we should regret exceedingly
to see Virginia go Republican and con-
slider such possibility very remote, we
cannot but recognize and rejoice in the
fact, that restriction Of negro suffrage
opened the way for the upbuilding of
reputable, aggressive minority, the
logical influence of which must be to
raise political discussion to the old edu-
cational plane, inspire the best men to
stand for Office and conduce to honest
political methods.
AS we have always contended in
meeting such captious criticism as that
INDUCED in by our friend the Republi-
can, the new constitution is a new char
ter of liberty for the white people of
Virginia. 1t emancipates the white Re-
publicans from the odium of enforced
political association with the negro and
places the Democrats to whom the ma
chine methods which had obtained were
utterly obnoxious in a position to apply
the lash of honesty and independence to
those who had held them under the
whip of bossism, and drive the peanut
politicians, ward heelers, demagogues
and grafters out of the political tenn
pie. Richmond News-Leader.
Perhaps it is fortunate that our Dem
ocratic contemporaries can satisfy their
political consciences with so light an an
swer to so serious a charge against
their party. The constitutional con-
vention was not held and the new con-
stitution was not made to make the Re-
publican party in Virginia either
reputable minority or majority; but the
new suffrage laws were framed with
the distinct purpose, if possible, of per-
petuating the power of the Democracy
in the State. This was why the most
of the time and work of the convention
were devoted to arranging the suffrage
laws.
That it was the intention of the Vir-
GINA Democracy to put the Republicans
in hopeless minority is disclosed by
everything that was said and done prior
to and since the making of the consti-
tuition The very language of our
Richmond and Bristol contemporaries
prove this to be true. The News
Leader has frequently expressed its
pleasure at the prospect of seeing the
Republican party in the State become
what our contemporaries are pleased to
call a decent or reputable minority
party. The wish for reputable Re-
publican party is always coupled with
the desire that it shall only be minor
ity. The question of intention is shown
by the always qualifying word "minor-
ity." We greatly fear that if our con-
temporaries were apprehensive that the
Republicans might become "reput-
able" majority party, they would not
be so anxious to make Republicanism
in Virginia, from their viewpoint, rep
utable and decent. 1t is absurd for any
one who is capable of thinking to claim
that it was the intention Of the Demo
cratic party to make strong Repubh-
can party in the State by forcing dis
franchisement of the negro. If that
was the honest intention of the De-
mocracy, why did they enlarge upon
their scheme for negro disfranchise-
ment by inserting in the constitution
the poll tax qualification for voting?
That clause in the constitution has re-
duced the white electorate by nearly
one-half, and if it is continued in force
it will ultimately leave only small mi
nority of the white men Of the State
authorized to vote.
The fact is, the Virginia Democracy
had become so disreputable that it was
forced to take some steps to regain
position of responsibility in the politi-
cal world. 1t had commenced its down.
ward course by stealing negro votes,
but it continued to so progress in the
art of vote swiping as to reach the
point where white votes were stolen
with as little shock to conscience as
was those of the negroes. If the new
constitution is new charter of liberty
for the white people of Virginia it is
chiefly so for the white Democracy, be-
cause it has relieved them from the ne
cessity of vote stealing.
Is it more odious to belong to party
Where negroes honestly cast their
votes for the principles of that party,
or more odious to belong to party that
stole negro votes and would still steal
them If it was necessary?