Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-08-03

OcT4JS, SOfuS VI CLCLl pIOllliiiChI III ShC
party. We sincerely regret that one of
the first most prominent victims is
Alfred Williams, the brilliant editor of
the Richmond News Leader. Remem-
bering his frequent pledges, given us,
to battle for honest elections and to as
sist in the prosecution of all men who
cheated Republicans either in the regis
tration room or polling booths, we can
only wonder that his zeal for friend
was so intense as to cause him to vio-
late the law he had been ably uphold
ing.
1t is true that Mr. Williams has pub
lshed an editorial card, bold and bril-
liant, setting forth all the facts connect
ed with the transaction for which he
has been indicted, and claiming that he
has not violated the election law. But
the provisions of that law are so plain
it is astonishing that he can so construe
it. His intentions, no doubt, were sin
cere, but his judgment is seriously at
fault. The Richmond Journal says:
eve fear, and greatly regret, that
this indiscretion will for some time
hamper and embarrass both Mr.. Will
liams and the News Leader in their cru
SADIE for reform and purity in politics.
Had this indiscretion occurred in a
contest with our old enemies, the Re-
publicans, it would have been unfortu-
nate; but to have it occur in our own
family-in our primary for whose i'm
maculate purity Mr.. Williams has work
ed and prayed and fought so long, that
is the most distressing part of it. How
can the ungodly forbear to scott? How
can the faithful forgive ?"
These conclusions of the Journal are
entirely rational, but not more true
than the cause assigned for the offend
ing of Mr.. Williams. The Journal says:
Unfortunately, the use of money to
influence elections has been so preva-
lent South since reconstruction that it
has long been looked upon as merely
venial SIM" The Journal might have
added that for more than twenty years
the Virginia Democracy have been
taught to believe that all manner of
elections crimes as practiced against
Republicans were merely venial sins.
And the Democratic press has so long
cSndoned, compounded and defended the
fraudulent practices of its party that
| its judgment has become warped if its
conscience has not been perverted.
This has been the rock upon which Mr.
Williams earnest efforts for pure cleo
tons have been wrecked, and we greatly
fear this rock will be covered with
many other similar wrecks before hon.
est elections are attained in Virginia.
Judging from the editorials of the
News Leader and Journal, published in
another column, the Richmond primary
must have reeked with fraud. The
grand jury has already made five in
dictments, four for misdemeanor and
one for felony, and the jury has been
called together again to investigate
every precinct in the city. There will
be a harvest of fraud exposed if the
grand jury is able to do its work thor
oughly.
What effect will these disclosures
have upon the sham fight the Demo-
Gratis have been making for honest cleo
tons? Already the Democratic press is
beginning to speak of the pure election
law as an absurd and impractical stat
ute. Mr.. Williams has declared edito-
rally that the law should not be rigidly
enforced. The Roanoke Times says:
'The most effective means of demon
the unwisdom of the Banks
dale bill or of any of its provisions is by
it's rigid enforcement. In that way,
the public is furnished with truer con-
ception of the real nature of the meas
ure than can be afforded otherwise. If
as result of such enforcement, certain
of its provisions be found of undply or
drastic nature, the legis-
lature can modify them and should do
So"
We have no doubt but that the Banks
dale bill will be repealed by the next
General Assembly, if the Democrats
control that body. Too many Demo
Gratis are being caught in the meshes Of
the net that was specially woven and
spread to catch Republicans. When
they made the law they thought they
had written plainly between the lines:
'To be applied to and enforced only
against Republicans. p"
Finding that they are being caught in
their trap, the Democrats will smash
it the first chance they get.