Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-11-02

he said:
"The State Constitution should be 80
framed that the crimes of bribery, false
registration, or false counting, or other
corrupt practices in connection with
elections, shall be made infamous, and
their commission so dangerous that even
daring criminals and wrong-doers will
be deferred from committing them.
The new Constitution has been so
framed that all of these crimes are
about as easy of accomplishment as
they were before-the registration Of
voters and all the election machinery
being placed in the hands of ultra-parti-
san Democrats. In most instances the
men who have been selected as regis
trars and members of electoral boards
were connected with the organization
when it was encouraging the commits
sion of the grave crimes the new Con-
stitution was claimed should prevent in
the future. Verify, fraud was the
weapon by which the Virginia Democ-
racy held supremacy for twenty years,
and it has made new. election laws
which will enable its use in the future
when it may become necessary to retain
supremacy. isl.
Whitewashing has been another means
employed by the Democrats, to keep.
control of the State. They knew that
there were many thousands of good men
who had been voting with the Democracy
and who would quit it if they could only
realize the extent of corruption that ex-
listed within the party. So whitewash-
ing became the rule when any charges
were made that demanded an investiga-
ton of any department of the State
government. This was done when it
was charged that Senator Martins
friends had 'debauched the Legislature
that first elected him to the United
States Senate. The whitewashing pro-
cess was also employed to cover up the
scandals at the Deaf, Dumb and Blind
Institute and at more than one Of the
insane asylums. 1t was also used IN
connection with the thefts committed
in the Auditors Office, and recently IN
the scandals in the Educational Depart
ment and the Corporation Commission.
Are not these statements true, Mr..
Honest Democrat? They are made on
the testimony of intelligent, fearless,
men of your own party.
Falsehood has been another popular
and useful weapon for the Virginia
Democracy. The party has employedit
Tinjevery platform it has made since 1880.
Many important and sacred pledges have
been made the people and few, if any,
have been kept. When told of their de-
ceit and perfdy the Democrats either
make some shallow excuse or laugh at,
those who appear to think that platform
and other sacred pledges made by a
party ought to be kept. Then, the Vir-
ginia Democracy has practiced- a more
glazing falsehood by claiming that it
settled the public debt of. the State,
though it fought to the last against the
enactment of the Riddleberger bill, and
only accepted that bill as final settle
ment of the State debt in the platform
at Lynchburg in 1888. Any honest.
Democrat, who wants to know the
truth, can see how his party leaders are
new falsifying when they claim for the
Democratic party the credit of settling
the debt, if he will consult the platform
of 1888 and the Acts of the General AS
sembIy of 1SSS-S4.
Another false claim, and as glazing
faIsehood as was ever used, is that made
by ClaudefA. Swanson and other Demo-
cratic leaders that their party managers
inaugurated the free school system in
Virginia: Nosuch claim was made by;
the Democrats until after 1881. In the,
platform adopted that year, on which
John w. Daniel was run for Governor,
the Democrats state positively that the
public free school system was inaugu-
rated in Virginia by the Constitution.
There was then no Constitution, except
the much denounced Underwood Consti-
sutton, which was made by Repubi-
cans. The Democrats also falsely
claim to have accomplished for the pub.
lie schools and charitable institutions all
the good things that were done for
-these-by the Republicans and Readjus-
tergsat the session of ls81-s2of the Cen
eral Assembly. They are also perpetu-
ating afalsehood in charging that the
Readjusters and Republicans had done
great injury to the State while they
were in control for the brief period of
two-year
Another, and perhaps the most dis