Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-14
CIV. POPULAR EDUCATION.

ny dllidIlCc Will Vic PAL ~ VI piOS COS
in the nation can Virginia have her
share in the national advance.
CIV. POPULAR EDUCATION.
"The Republican party in 1863 found
ed free schools in the state of Virginia
and pledged to their support a portion
of the state revenue. The Democratic
party, during all its years of state con-
troll, has held such support down to the
minimum absolutely required by the
constitution passed, and has never
availed itself of the opportunity under
that constitution to increase the state
support of the schools. In its boosted
constitution of 1902 no increased sup
port has been given to the schools.
"Unfriendly Democratic legislation
had starved the schools and destroyed
their efficiency, when the Readjuster
party in 1882 came to their rescue and
by wise legislation restored their utility
and value. The Democratic party
twenty years ago first promised free
school books. It's redemption Of that
promise has been the establishment of
multiple school book list, which has
placed an outrageous burden
upon the people of the state
who have children to bring up,
and has offered to local officials temp
tation to corruption not always resisted.
Graft has been exposed in the de-
partment of education, which itself has
been made a part of the Democratic
political machine.
1.-THE states surplus funds have not
been held sacred to the schools, but
have been devoted to unwise, inequit-
able and excessive appropriations.
"All these things have kept the chill
dren from enjoying the full measure of
education which is their right.
"Denouncing such corruption, waste
of the public money, and burdens upon
the people, the Republican party
pledges itself to carry out the Republi-
can policy of education and to make the
system of free schools in the state the
first object of it's regard, to the end
that all children of school age be given
longer school term and the best prac-
ticable schools.
1--WE pledge ourselves, if placed in
power, to free the schools from parti-
san control, to increase their efficiency
by liberal appropriations, to furnish
free books that every child in this COM
monwealth may have common school
education, and to administer the schools
honestly and solely with regard to their
efficiency.
''v. THE CONSTITUTION OF 1902.
eve denounce the Democratic party
for the manner in which the new consti-
tuition was forced upon the people of
Virginia by proclamation, after the
pledge that the same should be submit
ted to the people for ratification or re-
lection.
"vI. THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
eve favor the traditional Republican
doctrine of leaving to the people of
each community to decide whether in
toxicating liquors shall be sold among
them, and the condition of such sale,
if allowed, trusting to their sound judg-
ment to determine this great question
in each locality.
''vII. HONEST ELECTIONS.
''By a series of partisan election
laws the Democracy so corrupted the
body polite in Virginia that for period
of twenty years honest elections were
unknown in a large part of the state.
A new constitution was made with the
avowed purpose of restoring honest
elections. But recent events, notably
the Democratic primary at Richmond,
have proved that pure elections cannot
be secured by Democratic legisla-
ton or Democratic effort. The Re-
publican party in Virginia, firmly be-
iieving that the purity of the ballot is
the safety of the state, pledges itself,
if placed in power, to an honest count
of the ballots, unfalsified returns, and
wholesome, non-partisan election laws
that will protect voters of every politi-
cal creed from the outrages of dishon-
est election officers.
'vII NoN-PARTIsAN JUDICIARY.
"We favor non-partisan judiciary,
and pledge the Republican party, if it
shall have control of the legislature, to
elect two of the five members of the
supreme court of appeals from the OPP
position party, and to enact such leg
islation as may be necessary to con-
tinue this system in force.
TX THE OYSTER BEDs.
eve proclaim that it is our duty to
keep sacred from invasion the natural
oyster rack of Virginia and to prevent
with strenuous efforts the encrOach- |
ments now going on upon them. To
this end we denounce the efforts to vio- |
late the Baylor survey, and pledge our
selves to resist legislation to lease the
natural rock as defined by said survey,
tx. PUBLIC CORRUPTION.
Exposed and confessed corruption
and graft in some branches Of the state |
make it certain that the
same conditions exist in other branches,
not yet found out by the public. The
best interests of the state demanded
change in party control in the state
Offices. so that the books may be opened,
dishonesty exposed and all grafters
turned out.
XXI. THE WELFARE OF THE STATE.
1.-THE discredit brought upon the
state administration by the Democratic
party and the impotence shown by it in
national affairs make it the duty of the
voters of the state to shake off their
allegiance to such a party and to vote
Independently with sole regard to the
welfare Of the state.
xxi. APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC
ROADS.
eve favor appropriations by the gen.
eral government to aid in building roads
IN this State.
XIII. CONVICT LABOR.
eve are opposed to the employment
If convict labor in competition with
honest toll. )" |