Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-10-14
SHALL THE
PEOPLE RULE,
Oh The GANG?


Virginia is no longer a party OF the
people, but is a party OF the poll.
tieian and office holder. who run
the government. not for the benef;
o. the people. but for the benefit OF
themselves and their friends.
This is the first time in the his
<tory of the state that the people
have had an opportunity TO vote up
on the question OF a white mans
government. The Democratic party
has declared in favor of submitting
to vote of the people an amend
ment to our state constitution,
which will disfranchise the worth
less, vicious and criminal negro.
Many thousands OF these negroes.
having been DISTINGUISHED in other
states. have come to West Virginia
where they are the chief asset OF
the corrupt Republican politician
and "gangster."
That our policies will never be
clean so long as these worthless,
criminal negroes, the disfranchised
Y elements from other states, have the
right to vote in West. Virginia, is
too clear for argument.
That they control our elections
and elect our officials is a fact
which cannot successfully pc de-
IA MED. In the hands of the unscru-
pulous politicians. the worthless ne
[ groes have practically disfranchised
the white voter and tax payer of
this and adjoining counties. A
striking illustration of this may be
found in the recent Republican
county convention held In Bluefield
last spring, when honest men and
substantial citizens were given nc
show, and the "gangsters" with
negro allies had everything their
own way. If the negro can say
I who shall be the nominees of the
Republican party, regardless of the
AZ wishes and opposition OF the MAORI
n ~ of the white voters of their party.
and those nominees are elected, dc
not they owe their office to the
negro, and have not the white men
BEEN in effect, disfranchised?
y In West Virginia the Republican
party is absolutely controlled anI
Isl dominated by the politicians and Of
~ fee holders. which aggregation is
81 commonly known as the machine"
a or gang. This political ina.
chine is perhaps the most corrupt
in the United States today. IT
makes candidates, even for the high
office Of governor, regardless of the
n wishes and violent protests OF 3
great majority of the voters of the
party. IT also has the power 10
! take down it's machine made candi-
date for governor and substitute
another of the same kind. charac-
ter and brand in his place, in an
effort to deceive the people.
The negro voter is the life and
existence of this corrupt machine"
Without him the machine" could
never have been built up, and the
rights of the people violated and
trampled upon, and his elimination
from politics means the death of the
machine. The "gangsters" know
this and they are, therefore. send
ing out speakers through the state
to deceive the people into believ-
ing that the Democrats, If put in
power will disfranchise many OF
the white voters. This is absolutely
false. The Democratic party does
OF Sol H. e
any white man. Read the platform
and see for yourself. That an
amendment TO the constitution can
be so drawn as not to disfranchise
one white man in a thousand. and
at the same time eliminate the
worthless, vicious and criminal ne
gro, Is evidenced by the constitu-
tions Of many states. The effort
to show that many white people
have been disfranchised in the
southern states is an effort to de
ceive the people. and is absolutely
false. tt is true that some white
voters in states which require the
payment Of a poll tax a considera-
bic length of time prior to the cleo
ton, as a prerequisite to vote, Of
ten lose their votes by reason OF
the fact that they hal not paid
their poll tax. These men are not
disfranchised, and they can pay
their poll tax and vote at any cleo
ton, if they desire. It may be true
that in some Of the southern states
since the negro has been eliminated
from politics, not 50 many white
men vote as formerly. But this IS
true, not because the white people
are disfranchised, but because there
Is not the same urgent necessity for
them to vote since the cyiminal ne
gro has been eliminated. as there
was before, end they do not 20 to
the trouble often 20 20 to the polls
For instance. It is estimated tina.
from eight to ten thousand voters
are absent from every state at each
election When there is no danger
from gang" and negro" rule