Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-08-30
Oh, THE HYPocRITEsI

The recent effort of the Ninth Dis
trict Democracy to play the role of
shocked virtue would be truly amusing
if it were not so palpably inconsistent
and seriously disgusting. 1t may pre-
tend to be Mortified over that Bristol
incident; but neither Republicans nor
honest Democrats will be deceived by
its air of shallow pretence. If what
the Democrats told about the conduct
of Colonel Slemp at the Bristol conven-
ton be true, his friends have cause to
complain and disapprove, but the Dem
ocrats have no reasonable right to criti-
else or condemn. When did the Democ-
racy of this State or of this Congress
ional district become so pure and so
careful of the moral qualities of its
candidates as to warrant it in showing
disgust for the sins of other men?
If we measure the moral disposition
of the Democrats of this district by
their past record, rather than by their
present professions, their pretended ex-
allied regard for personal and political
morality is quickly dissipated. For
they have deliberately and repeatedly
chosen as their leaders and candidates,
both in State and National elections,
men who were notorious debauchees
and hardened political corruptionists.
It is not necessary to particularize, as
Ill intelligent Democrats must know to
whom we refer. If they assume to be
ignorant, any Republican in the district
will be willing to give them specific in
formation. Democrats have been as
loud in their laudations and as earnest
in their support of debauchee candi-
dates as they have been in praising and
upholding the purest men of their par
ty. We have seen them, men of ultra
temperance sentiments and prominently
Identified with the anti-saloon move
ment, on election day urging Christian
men to vote for dissipated Democratic
candidates who were the known friends
of the open saloon. The moral convic-
lions of such men were not as strong as
their political prejudices- But this
deep stain is not the blacklist that is
found upon the moral escutcheon of the
Democracy of the State and district.
1t has been led and is now being direct
ed by an organization or machine that
is thoroughly corrupt and that has been
successful in almost destroying the
moral tone of the body polite.
Some of the most conspicuous figures
in the Bristol convention are among the
most notorious political corruptionists
of the State and district. Who was
more prominent or more highly honored
on that occasion than ]. Taylor Ely
son, State Chairman of the Democratic
party, and undisputed prince of ballot
box frauds and manipulation of election
returns? What was he there for, save to
instruct his political followers in the use
of wicked methods that were invented
in his training school of fraud, and, if
possible, to steep them further in politi-
cal crime? He has come to the district
before on similar missions and he has
always left the trail of fraud behind
him. This is the man whom the brave
and honorable Republican candidate for
Governor last year denounced upon the
hustings as malicious liar and one he
would not trust with his pocket book.
And equally as conspicuous in the Bris-
toll convention were the political trick
sters VINO originated the fraudulent de-
vices that were twice used to rob that
grand old man, General James A. Walk
err, of a seat in Congress to which he
was honestly elected by the people of
this district. There is not an intelligent
man in the district who does not know
that this is true.
The Democrats of the Ninth Con-
gressional District may try to conceal
taeir moral defornities by using robe
Of righteousness, but they will fail to
accomplish that end so long as they
under the banner of men whom
they know to be masters in the art of l.