Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-08-09

blighting the virtue and degrading the
morals of every rank of society. There
was no escape from it. 1t polluted the
very atmosphere. The church, the
schoolhouse and the court room suffered
from its debasing influence. The order
to the convention was to stop, dam up,
blot out the very head springs of this
terrible stream. Go to the fountain
heads.
The white people unanimously agreed
that the fountain head of this stream
was corruption in elections.
Again, a greater part of the whites
said that the only way to stop corrup-
ton in elections was to disfranchise the
negroes and to preserve the ballots in
the hands of all the whites, and then to
make provisions for free and fair cleo
tions. Let the chips fall where they
will! Hew to the linel.
This august body of imbecility and
cowardice met, and for one year busted
themselves with the solution of every
problem, but the one they were elected
to solve. 1t is true that at times they
would betake themselves to this prob
lem, but imbecility and cowardice would
HE them away from this most import
ant problem to spend days and days upon
comparatively insignificant matters.
There was but one other matter than
that of the suffrage which engaged their
attention, that was of any vital import
ance, namely, the Corporation Commits
sion. Now, some of the brightest law
yers in the State contend that the Cor
poration Commission Article is in con-
travention of the Constitution Of the
United States. Certain it is that we
have been living in these States for
over one hundred years and have had
only three coordinate and Independent
branches of the government. We now
have four in Virginia. Surely such a
radical departure from the Republican
form of government will have to bear
the burden of proof.
But this convention of Us and C's
having constructed Constitution which
regulated every other subject under the
sun, with much trepidation approached
the suffrage question. Now, most Of
these gentlemen had either by conven-
ton, or friend, or self, with oath or af-
frmation, with hands uplifted, with
solemn Observation-Disclosures
roof-of-my-mouth, promised the peo-
pie that practically not white man in
our broad Commonwealth should be dis
franchised, deprived of the badge of a
freeman, the heritage handed down to
each of us by our forefathers.
Mind you, in the very earliest days of
the convention they refused to take an
oath of any kind. "Why it may inter
fere with our solemn pledge to not dis
franchise single white man. >"
Well, finally with much backing and
filing, with much turning and twisting,
with much casuistry and crying, actually
weeping great drops of blood, in spirit
of harmony, and only for the good of
the Commonwealth, they enacted the no
torious suffrage clauses which disfran-
chised 1873, 600 white men and lis, 900
negroes.
According to the census returns Of
1900, there are in Virginia 28O, 900
white men of voting age. There were
qualified to vote in Virginia in 1904 not
more than LAT, 900 whites. Of this num-
Der about 125, 900 whites actually voted.
Now, in the name of Theodore Roose-
welt, President of these United States,
in the names of the Hon. Ben Tillman,
of South Carolina, of the Hon. Joe
Bailey, of Texas, and ex-senator Chan
dler, of New Hampshire, how is that for
lying? 1t seems to me that these hon
orable gentlemen in high life might stop
their wrangling with each other about
which is the most accomplished in the
art of missing the truth, and go humbly
and sit at the feet of the Democratic
members of the Virginia Constitutional
Convention, and learn how to make
nothing equal 1873, 900. After they have
learned that they will not be so foolish
as to call each other liars on account of
unconsidered and hasty words, forgotten
as soon as uttered.
All of the Baron Munchausens of an
Gent and modern times take off their
hats, in envious admiration, to the Dem
ocratic members of the Constitutional
Convention. And would you believe it,
friend Pendleton, the imbeciles of that
convention, to this day insist that they
did not lie. And therein lies the beauty
of their art. Poor old Baron Munchau-
sen, go hide yourself, your name is
mud.
Dear Republican, l am sorry l have
dwelt so long upon the shortcomings of
the convention. l have already taken
up too much of your space and am
afraid your readers are impatient. Very
shortly, with your permission, l will
discuss fully the poll-tax question.
Give my kindest regards to all the
good Republicans of Tazewell, and hur-
rah for Slemp and the Republican
party.
Raenactf,1llv vour friond