Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-01-25
SATURDAY, JANUARY %, 1908.
JUDGE RHEA AND THE COR
PORATION COMMISSION.

Partisan feeling always runs high
in the Ninth Congressional district
of Virginia. and it Is believed that
this feeling precipitated the accu-
sations which have been made by
Senator Noel against Judge Rhea.
The charges preferred by the Repub-
llcan Senator from Lee are most
sweeping and the general assembly
acted wisely in deciding to investi-
gate them before confirming Judge
Rhea's appointment as a member OF
the state corporation commission,
and we have no doubt that Judge
Rhea himself will welcome the full
est Investigation, for he could i'll af-
ford to accept the high office to
which he has just been appointed by
the governor of Virginia before re-
futing the charges asserted against
him.
Judge Rhea has met these charges
in his campaigns heretofore on the
stump and before Republican
house of representatives and refuted
them. His election to congress was
contested each time and Judge Rhea
was given his seat by biased Re
publican congress in the face of the
bitterest and most sweeping charges
If Senator Noels charges were
true the bar association of Bristol
at which Judge Rhea has practiced
for the past twenty years, would not
have endorsed him. Judge Rhea is
best known by those who have prac-
ticed before his court or with him at
the bar, and they have a hearty en-
dorsement.
But hear Senator Noel. He de-
clares there has not been a political
crime committed in the Ninth dis
trict for the past fifteen years with
which Judge Rhea has not been
connected. A rather queer state
ment. 1t must mean that the Judge
is a sort OF an omnipresent political
criminal. He is accused Of every
thing AS the Lynchburg News says
Surely the gall of hatred for the
Democratic party has made this Lee
county statesman mad Does he
really expect sensible, fair-minded
people who know anything of Ninth
district politics, to regard his full
limitations on this point as worthy o.
a man who seeks to rise equal 10
solemn and important occasion? And
yet, we can offer an excuse for Sen
ator Noel, what might be termed the
"a Ninth district Republican habit
the habit to shout Democratic
fraud and inquiry from every hust-
ings; TO rely upon it as the best
available campaign ammunition.
while posing the Republican party
as pure, unsullied thing. immacu-
late in its sweet-scented purity and
hating nothing so much as question
able political methods Oh. this
holy set-this crowd that has con
trolled the political situation in the
Ninth for several years past-how
pleasing 10 u.s. even if a trife monot-
onous, 20 hear them say I'm effect
That of everything that's been no
litically wrong out in our section
nothing can be laid at our door. We
are the duly chosen among the po-
litical righteous anointed with the
oil Of political probuy-the truly
and exclusively san0ifed In the
temple Of politics"
Senator EoeI says, 81 the newspa-
pers report him correctly. that .H
SIS charged Judge Rhea did so and
CO. He is doubtless aware that there
are only few oTenses in the category
OF political wrongs with which re-
publican campaign MANAGEMENT fr
The ninth has not been CHARGED "
Doubtless too bis memory frs suff-
GENTLY strong TO recall that fl was
charged" and practically proven
that hundreds OF voters in bis owr
enatorial district in the county rt
Scott were qualified for suffrage 5y
checks made out and signed by one OF
metropolitan party managers In that
county TIE knows 10 is charged fHa.
as q Republican district The Nfrfr
Us practically p purchased dfstr.r.
today and has been for years tra
price Of So being hundreds. ~ og-
thousands OF dollars extended ty
Republican managers a. each con
rresslonai election comes around fro