Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-11-26
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 2s. 1908.
LAUGHS AT PARSONS STORY. "


The Richmond Evening Journal of
the 18th instant, says that former
State Senator Rorer A. James, editor
and owner Of the Danville Register.
who is in the city today on private bust
ness, laughs at the suggestion that SEN
ator Parsons, defeated candidate for
Congress in the Fifth District. has any
grievance whatsoever as the result of
the manner in which the recent election
was conducted in that district"
The Journal also says: He says
that the tale of a weird and unintelI-
gible ballot in Henry county is all popo-
cock, and that the widest imagination
would not be justified in comparing this
ballot with that from Scott county.
which figured so conspicuously in the
Rhea case"
So, Mr.. Rorer James laughs at Repub-
lican complaints of the unlawful and
mysterious ballots that were used in
Henry and Patrick counties. 1t has not
been great while since ne laughed at
both Republican and Democratic com
plsints against the infamous Scott
County Ballot" which he termed a
technical advantage" taken by the
followers of Rhea.
When the Rhea in estigation was 60
ing on at Richmond last Winter, and
some of the Democratic papers were
condemning the frauds and methods
that Rhea's managers had employed in
the Ninth, the Danville Register not
only championed the cause of Rhea,
but defended the crimes for which Rhea
was being tried. Some of the editorial
remarks of the Register are as follows:
"Oh, but they will tell US: we were
facing an emergency then; we were
struggling for Anglo-Saxon rule We
were facing conditions analogous to
those which confront the Ninth district
today, which confronted it when VIII
lam F. Rhea was Democracy's candi-
date for congress in 1898, in 1900 and
1902. 1t is vain to say that we only re-
tarded negroes in voting, for with every
negro vote thrown out we cancelled a
white Republican ballot in Floyd, in
Grayson, in Patrick, in Henry and in
Pittsylvania. We were fighting Re-
publicans. There was never any danger
of negro control of congress or of the
State legislature, even though negro
representatives might have been elected
here. We did these things to elect our
party's candidate. And they did the
same and worse in self-righteous Rich
mOnd and in honest, humane Henrico-
to elect Democratic candidates over
white Republican candidates. 1t is use
less to squirm and to twist and 10 evade
the issue. Let US face it squarely. That
is what we did"
In another article on the same sub
ject the Register said:
"Why was the Walton ballot devised
and adopted? To secure Democratic
control, not alone in the black belt but
all over the State. Yet now the bene-
fciaries of all these articles and tricks
in the past are denouncing the means of
their salvation from Republican misrule
in local affairs. They burn their bridges
behind them after they have safely
crossed. We must realize the condi-
lions in the Ninth district and ask our
selves whether we would do the very
same thing they are accused of doing,
if necessary to insure Democratic rule.
Truly, it makes all the difference
whose OK is gored. Our pure and lofty
Democracy is afflicted with loss of mem
DRY, or possesses the fortunate art of
forgetting when it suits its purpose to
do So
And few days later the Register
again said:
How long has it been-to bring the
matter home-since reputable Demo
Gratis of DanvilIe who condemn Mr..
Rhea-laughed and boosted over the
articles and dishonesty resorted to by
them or their associates with their
knowledge and consent to carry Stokes
land precinct? Oh, but they will tell
was question Of white domi-
nation. But this is not the fact. The
result in the Fifth District was not de-
pendent upon Stokesland, and every
negro vote stolen there was equivalent
30 white vote in Floyd or Grayson. 1t
was the determination to elect Demo-
ratio representative in Congress, just
rs was the case in the Ninth District
when some Of Mr. Rhea's followers
ought to take technical advantage of
very opportunity. How long has it
cen since white Democrats stole the