Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-07-18
A PURE ELECTORaTE(2

The most urgent necessity announced
by the Virginia Democracy for making
a new constitution was to revitalize and
purify the electorate of the State. That.
possibly, may have been the honest de-
sire of those who proclaimed such pur-
pose, but the intention was not honest
ly and effectively carried out. Instead
of having a live, active and patriotic
electorate, as promised under the new
suffrage laws, Virginia has one that is
dead and inactive, especially in those
sections of the State where the Demo-
cratic party has no appreciate opposi-
ton This is evidenced by the constant
appeals made in the Democratic papers
to citizens, urging them to qualify them
selves for voting and to vote at the pri-
maries and general elections.
A recent census was made of the pop-
ulation of the city of Richmond. and it
Is announced that the census showed a
population of more than one hundred
and eleven thousand. The Democrats
OF that city have also just had primary
election to nominate candidates for the
House of Delegates, State Senate and
some of the city officers. There were
numerous candidates, who for weeks
canvassed the city and appealed to the
voters to vote at the primary. The ap-
peals of the candidates were reinforced
by the most urgent calls from the citv
press, urging the citizens to turn out
and perform an important civic duty.
The result. however, of these appeals
was that less than four thousand of the
voters of Richmond responded. Not one
IN four of the white men of the CAPITOL
City voted.
There was a Democratic primary held
recently in the Eighth Congressional
District to nominate a candidate for
Congress. There were four of the most
popular Democratic leaders of the dis
trict candidates at the primary. A pro-
tracted and stirring canvass was made
by these candidates, yet, only about one
half the voters came out to vote. This
was not the only unfavorable incident or
feature of the Democratic primary in the
Eighth District. A Democratic paper
at Culpeper, Va, in a severe article.
published Immediately after the pri
mary, charged that the friends of the
successful candidate, Mr.. Carlin, of
Alexandria, had greatly corrupted the
voters. This paper asserted that money!
and whiskey had been largely used to
influence the voters, and that one hun
dred, at least, had been bought in
one district in Culpeper county. This
charge has induced one of the defeated
Judge NicoI, to demand an
Investigation. That investigation has
been ordered by the district committee.
but the usual withdrawing process will
be used to conceal the corruption. There
were also such evidences of looseness.
# not crookedness, in the late primary
at Richmond that one of the defeated
called for a recount of the
votes, and his request was granted.
Ample evidence has been furnished to
'how that the proclaimed purposes of
irving the State live and pure elector-
tie by the making of new constitution
AVE totally failed. We see in Virginia
he most inert electorate ever known in
he history of the Commonwealth, and
ne that is honeycombed with corrup-
ion.
1t is very easy to determine what
auses have produced these disgraceful
onditions in Virginia. The electorate
as been degraded through partisan
and legislative enact
tents, made for the purpose of re-
-ricting suffrage to the advantage of !
he Democratic party. Suffrage has !
cen made commodity, and is supplied /
the great bulk of voters at a given G
rice per head, and furnished to linn r
ed number by partial enabling acts. q
Every man who votes in V;ro;n;a Io~~ Z