Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-05-19
copy OF II


In AN editorial published in this paper
on the sixth of May, tttHtion was
called to the charges made BY the
Oulpeper Exponent Of corruption and
fraud, alleged TO have taken place
in the county of Louisa in t1t
congressional primary of last year
At the time of the publict ton Of
the edit )rial we felt certain that the
facts therein st d we're true, because
they wtrs gathered from the of1'
cial records OF the auditors Office 81
Richmond. We were net prepared,
however, for the confession which ha'
siuce come 10 the form of circular
published over the signature CT tae
treasurer of Louisa county, Mr.. 2. r.
May, and dated May 2, 1908. The
circulsr in question has been sert
throughout the district and cont iDs
among tther things the st tsmelt:
"Thers we're 81 names improperly on
the treasurer's list."
The entire vCts of Louisa, as cast,
was 903, and it now seems thst 10 pei
cent. of this vets was placed upon the
list in defiance of the law. The treat
nrer undertakes TO give a number Of
reasons as to how they Sere improperly
on the list, bot with these reasons we
have no concern. The fact is that they
were placed there over the cert ficat' OF
the treasurer, whose duty it was ID GER
tify that they were qualified vot'rs.
The treasurer also says In the same
circular thst he has collected money for
which he has net yet accounted ID the
St.to. To use his own language, be
says:
This sum l have mt paid irtN TIE
treasury and cannot DO so until these
persons sre assessed. | will see tltt
they are properly assessed il they have
not been since my lasts tsmert. and said
sum will be paid over to the state in my
next settlement with the auditr.
What would the people of the city Of
Alexandra think Of their treasurer were
he 10 publish over his own signature
such a confession2
The treasurer of Louisa county knew,
or should have known, his duties ard
II be did not known, he hsd the right to
call upon the Commonwealth's Attorney
of the county, who was Mr.. r. L. Cor
don, jr., to be informed as TO his duties.
Indeed, if he did not comply with tho
law, it was the duty of the Common
wealti's Attorney to see that he did COM
ply with same, especially as the treas
urer states 10 his circular that he has
been making out these improper lists
ever siuce the new law went into effect,
and all during this period of time Mr..
r. l.. Gordon, jr., was the Common
wealth's Attorney as we'll as the pollt-
ical leader of the county, and he was
not only familiar with the Law, as he
WAS q member OF the new constitutional
convention, but his activity in politics
would indicsts his familiarity with the
preparation of the list of qualified
voters. The treasurer of the county un-
dsrtakes TO excuse Mr. Gordon by
saying:
Mr.. Gordon, however, should not be
charged with my mi,t ikes. never con-
suited him, as 10 this matt 7, or gave
him any notice of it or opportunity to
advise with me abous II.
This effort t, relieve Mr.. G,rlon will
not be seriously taken by the law-sbid-
ing citizsns OF this ,tlte because 1t was
Mr.. GOrdon's plain duty, 10 our judy
ment, 10 have taken cognizsnce of these
matters, especially in an election where
he himself was the candidate for 30 high
an Office as that of representative In the
federal congress. Treasurer May, by
taking the responsibility upon himself,
undertakes to release the clerk of the
court and Candidate Gordon. We are
not undertaking to hold mp any indi-
vldusl to public censure, but when
man poses as an election reformer and
advertises himself as the apostle OF pure
elections, we think he owes it 20 the
people to at least explain this condition
of affairs which has existed in his coun-
ty, according to the treasurer, for so
many years. While we are not pre-
pared to take as an answer ID the charges
these excuses offered by the trsAsur,r of
Louisa, yet we might have been willing
to remain silent wtrs 1t not for the fact
that now comes the exposure by the Gull
pepper Exponent thst number OF the
names which we're placed upon the quail
lied list in May, 1907, we're returned by
the same treasurer nnon the delin,,uank Iist