Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-10-05
CHANGING IT'S TUNE.


Immediately following and for sever
al weeks after Judge Lewis was nomi-
mated as the Republican candidate for
Governor the Richmond Times-Dispatch
said nice things about him. 1t contin-
ued to follow this course until the Rich
mond Journal, an ultra Democratic
newspaper, rebuked the Times-Dis-
patch by declaring that it was booming
the candidacy of Judge Lewis and say
ing nothing favorable about Mr.. Swan
son. This must have frightened the
Times-Dispatch, for it Immediately
changed it's tune, and has now become
the most extremely hostile paper in Vir-
gInia to Judge Lewis. 1t has been
hunting like ferret for something to
publish that will work to the injury of
the Republican candidate, and has gone
so far as to say that the people of Vir-
ginia so hate the Republican party that
they cannot and will not support Judge
Lewis. 1t has also descended to the
gross level heretofore held by the DEM
ocratic leaders and press by appealing
to the prejudices and passions of the
people rather than to their their intel
ligence and moral sense.
The most recent assault upon Judge
Lewis by the Times-D Dispatch is through
an editorial Judge Lewis Calls for
Federal Troops" The very heading
of this article is misleading and untrue.
1t would lead one to believe at glance
that Judge Lewis, while a judge, had
called for Federal troops. Not only
this but the general character of the
article is misleading. Judge Lewis
never in his capacity as judge or any
other capacity made call for Federal
troops to be sent to Virginia. The call
was made by the U. S. Marshal of the
Eastern District of Virginia;and in res
ponse to an inquiry from General Grant
L. L. Lewis, the District Attorney, ad-
vised that he believed that troops would
be necessary to preserve order In the
City of Petersburg at the Presidential
election in 1876. In an affidavit made
at the time Mr.. L. L. Lewis said that
he believed there was a necessity for
the presence of troops to prevent blood
shed and secure a fair election in Pc
tersburg. He was speaking as sworn
officer of the United States, and the
Times Dispatch will not presume to say
that L. L. Lewis was not then stating
what he honestly believed to be true.
Nor will the Times-Dispatch be able to
prove, except by assertion, that there
would not have been disorder if the
troops had not been present.
But grant that L. L. Lewis did make
a mistake in reporting to General Grant
that troops were necessary at Peters
burg, his purpose was good one-to
prevent bloodshed and a fraudulent
election.
How about the frequent use of troops
in Virginia by Democratic Governors to
prevent riots and disorders, and not
ably such employment of troops during
the late strike Of the street car men in
Governor Montague exceed
ed his Constitutional authority by calling
out troops then to protect the property
of corporation, and while performing
that duty citizens were shot down by
the troops, and the commander of the
troops conspired withssa hired spy to en-
tice ignorant workingmen into the COM
mission of felony. If we remember
Alright the Times-Dispatch upheld Gov
ernor Montague in exceeding his Con-
stitutional authority, did not censure
the military commander for being ac-
to felony, and approved of the
shooting down of private citizens to
protect corporate property. In the es-
,eem of the Times-Dispatch these
.hings were no crimes. The Staunton
Spectator, a Democratic newspaper,
lot long ago charged that the Rich
nond newspapers were owned and their
opinions formed by soulless corpora
ions. Perhaps this is why our Rich
nond contemporary thinks it such an