Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-10-24
Mr.. WERTH'S PLATFORM.

We have read with pleasure and
amusement Mr.. Werth's platform, laid
down in his announcement for the State
Senate. 1t is an open confession of
the moral delinquencies of his party,
the Virginia Democracy. We suppose
Mr. Werth is running as Democrat,
as he was invited to run by Democratic
leaders and they are backing him. His
platform, however, looks like he is try
ing to catch Republican voters. Mr..
Werth says:
81 am opposed to any law, or provis-
ion, which is enacted for the pupose, or
which may be used for the purpose, of
giving any political party a partisan ad-
vantage over another"
If this be true, why does Mr.. Werth
continue to act with the Democratic
party in Virginia, and to support its
candidates? Every election law that
has been enacted in Virginia during the
past twenty-five years has been made
by a Democratic Legislature. They
have been made not only to give the
Democratic party partisan advantage
over the Republican party, but have
been used most effectively to accom-
plish that end. Has not Mr.. Werth
continued to support the candidates of
the party, and in many instances the
very men who have framed these parti-
san laws and who have been their chief
beneficiaries? And will he not continue
to support the Democratic candidates,
who stand for partisan legislation, as
against Republican candidates, who are
for the repeal of all partisan laws? Mr..
Werth says further:
Every such law should be drafted
with the sole view of making all cleo
lions as absolutely fair as laws, exc
cuted through human agency, can make
them"
The Virginia Democracy, Mr.. Werth's
party, has done the very opposite of
this We will call his attention to the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS election law and
the Walton election law. These were
the most unfair, partisan election laws
that have ever been written in any
statute book. When they had thor
oughly debaucbed the body polite and
it was found necessary to make new
election laws to escape the contempt of
all honest men, it was determined by
the Virginia Democracy to mend its
hold through and by the making of
new constitution. We all remember
how that constitution was made. If
Mr.. Werth can find anywhere in a writ
ten constitution, or in any statute book,
suffrage or election laws which were
more certainly intended ''for the pur-
pose of giving political party par
tisan advantage over another" than
those found in the new constitution of
Virginia we would like him to point
them out. Has not Mr.. Werth sup
ported the men who made these in
iquitous provisions and will he not con-
tinue to support them as against Re-
publicans?
Mr.. Werth very shyly speaks of the
poll tax qualification for voting, urging
as one of the objections to it that it
was never submitted to or passed upon
by the people. He says: 81 believe
the qualified voters, under the laws
now in force, should have the right to
say whether this provision shall continue
to be part Of the organic law of the
State" Mr.. Werth would not permit
the hundred thousand white men who
have been disfranchised, and are not
qualified voters, a voice in the repeal of |
the vicious law which has robbed them
IF the right to vote.
Mr.. werthfurther says: 81 also favor
he election Of members of the State
Commission and Commits
toner's of the Revenue by the people. /"
Did Mr.. Werth raise his voice against