Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1908-02-14
SHOULD RHEA RESIGN?
Editorial.


his commission TO the Governor, and
not accept the appointment, and this
he should do for the sake of the
party, etc.
Not without due reflection we give
it as our deliberate convic-
tion that under the conditions and
considerations above given, he should
do no such thing, and we can see no
justice whatever i'm expecting him or
saking him TO do so. If Judge Rhea
is vindicated by the committee,
which is composed Of the best men
i'm the state, and endorsed by them,
and endorsed by Governor Swanson,
the leading citizen of Virginia, as
worthy TO hold the position, why
should he be sacrificed, by yielding
to the clamor and howl raised by
a few whipper-snapper politicians
and fire eating Republican enemies,
and step down and out from an
honorable and important appoint
ment? There is no sense in il. If the
committee should bring in an adverse
|
the appointment nevertheless, or if
there was any positive evidence that
he is guilty of any of the charges
preferred againts him, then there
would be some reason and sense in
asking him To resign. In fact, under
this condition his resignation should
be demanded, but TO insist upon his
resignation after full NTndication
would be an implication too far
reaching and pandering to the clamor
lof political enemies not TO be even
thought offor moment.
| Suppose every Office holder in this
lcOuntry should resign or be asked 10
resign, against whom there has been
charges preferred? Were. not serious
lcharges made againts Bacsom Slemp
and his father before him? Was il
not publicly charged, with consider
able proof 10 back il, that the Re-
publican chairman, and afterwards
candidate for Conrgess, both as chair
man and candidate, bought votes
wholesale in the Ninth district. ?
And whether true or false there are
men, not few, who firmly believe
today, that these charges were true?
Higher still-has il not peen charg-
ed and PROVEN, TOO, that an
enormous corruption fund purchased
Mr.. Roosevelt's seat in the White
House? There are hundreds of in
stances in which charges and counter
charges have been made againts
Others than Judge Rhea, and nothing
said about designations. It's the
easiest thing in the world to get up
charges. They can be boosted by al
most any one, against even the best
of men, and should be given their
proper weight and no more. Judge
Rhea has now answered every
charge ever brought against him
from the time he entered public life
as mere boy up To this present
month of February, 1908, and has
been tried and Investigated twice on
these charges by the highest courts
in his own and in the Republican
marty, and now, if vindicated again
as before, 10 ask him To resign be-
cause he has been thus charged, tried
and vindicated sounds to this weak
scribe as, to say the least, strange
proposition. Perhaps he ought to re-
sign-is not the man for the place,
but certainly he should not resign
because partizan, Republican enemies
have IN ade charges against him
which fell TO the ground under strict
investigation, and TO ask or expect
him TO do so is virtually to demand
of him, at least a tacit acknow ledge
ment or admission that he is guilty
, of the charges and To convict himself
before the people. A great many
strange propositions get through the
papers, but this seems to take the
cake, and top the climax.
What good would Judge Rhea'
resignation do the party in the
Ninth district? Would ii soften oil
lessen Republican hatred or opposi
; tion?Would it place political moral
: ity upon higher plane? How Judg,
: Rhea's voluntary retirement afte
clear vindication can help the party
out here is question. Instead Of
helping it would hinder. 1t would
make the Republican leaders VIII,
{ have fought Judge Rhea all the
u time more blatant and conceited thar
ever, and be held as confirmation o
}, all the charges they ever mad
u against, not only Judge Rhea, bu
y every other prominent Democrat il
u the state, for this investigation ha
II been aimed, not at Judge Rhea per
u sona'ly, or chiefly, but against tn
IL Democrats of the state generally, an,
p of the Ninth district particularly
ll InSfaad Of I.aIf