Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-28
SWANSON, THE ROmANCER.

Claude A. Swanson, the Democratic
candidate for Governor, has heretofore
won much notoriety in the game OF po-
litical thimbleriggery; but he is now des-
tined to become much more notorious as
a perverter of political facts. His
opening speech in the campaign was
made at Hanover Courthouse on the
18th inst, and more fragrant perver-
sion of the truth in connection with the
politics of Virginia for the past two
decades wouN be impossible of concep-
ton by the most fanciful mind. We
are at loss to say which is the most
astonishing, the monumental impertl-
nence of the man who makes such
statements or the stupid credulity Of
those who believe them.
1t will require too much time and
space to respond to the extended list Of
perversions of Mr.. Swanson; and we
shall be forced to content ourselves
with showing from the record and his
tory, that which should be well known to
every honest, intelligent man in Vir-
ginia, two or three of the most impor-
tant perversions of facts made by Mr..
Swanson.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Swanson asserted that the Re-
publican party had not founded the free
school system of Virginia, but that it
had been "inaugurated by the Demo-
cratic party in Virginia years before it
was imperative to do so under the I'm
derwood Constitution. - Replying to
this assertion we will quote from the
Democratic platform of 1881, the plat
form on which John W. Daniel was
nominated and made the race for Gov
ernor, in which campaign the public
schools figured as conspicuously as they
are now doing. That platform declared
as follows:
"That we will uphold in its full con-
stitutional integrity and efficiency our
public school system for the education OF
both white and colored children; a sys-
tenn inaugurated by the constitution OF
the State and established by the action
of the conservative party years before
it was required by the constitution. "
1t will be observed that the Demo
cratic party was afraid to then claim
that it had inaugurated the free schoo
system or to even claim that it had es'
tablished the system years before il
was required by the constitution-giv-
ing the credit of the latter to the Con
servative party, which was known al
the time as the True Republican
party"
In 1883 the Virginia Democracy be-
came holder and more untruthful. Ii
its platform adopted at the State con
vention held at Lynchburg it said:
1.-THE Democratic party of Virginia
having founded and organized the pub
lie school system and originated every
act of the Legislature which secures it,
efficiency, pledges itself to its continued
support until every child of the Com
monwealth, of whatever color, may Sc
cure the benefits of free education.
Having started out on the line o.
falsehood by claiming to be the founder
of the public school system, the Vir
ginia Democracy repeated the untrutf
in almost verbatim language in it
platforms of 1885, 1889, 1893 and 1897
Everybody knows that the Democrat
in their platform of 1881 told the truth
about who were the founders of thu
public schools and that their statement
in that platform that they had estab
Hshed the schools years previous to the