Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-08-20
Mr.. Royall's Position.

Editor of The Times-Dispatch:
SRI am so frequently asked how
shall vote in the presidential election
that 1 ask space enough in your columns
to state my position and my reasons for
1t. L think man may split with his
party upon questions of principle, but l
dc not think he has the right to do it
upon the question of a man only. You
seek to get your man nominated; I seek
to get mine. If 1 succeed, YOU are in
morals bound to support my candidate
and If you succeed, l am in morals bound
TO support yours. am a Democrat
lntus ct in cute. never voted a Re-
publican ticket in my life, and if Ire
tam my senses l never will. But did
not vote for Mr.. Bryan in 1896 and 1900
because l could not support the plat
form l should have voted for him this
time If the platform had been what it
should be, but will never give nv in.
dorsement to the platforms plank on
lnJunctions. That plank means this.
II there is strike at the Tredegar
Works and the strikers are about to tear
Gown the company's shops and Judge
Waddlll enjoins them from doing so and
they violate his injunction and tear
down the shops, the Democratic plat
form says he shall not punish the strik-
ers, unless jury says he may. This is
TO turn society over to the mob. 1t con-
stltutes the dividing line between order
and anarchy, and whenever that issue Is
raised l shall be found on the side of
order. will not vote for Mr.. BRYAN
because it would be to give my indorse-
ment to that proposition, and would
as soon think of taking poison as of vot-
ing for it. But 1 shall not vote for Mr..
Taft.
when vice prevails and impious men
bear sway,
Inc post OF honor is private station. A"
shall not vote at all.
This plank in the Democratic plat
form strikes at the foundations of So
clety. 1t is vain to have laws if YOU
nave no agency for enforcing them and
compelling obedience to them: and a
court without power to COMPEL obedi-
ence to its orders is no court at all. II
IS nothing but an amiable Cancellation
agency.
Let me illustrate: Thousands of Rich
mond's citizens recollect a labor associ-
alton boycotting the Baughman Broth
ers in 1887. In the legal procedure
that grew out of that boycott. Mr..
Charles V. Meredith represented the
ooycotters and l represented the Baugb-
mans. l got the grand jury to indict
one Crump, who was one of the boycott
committee. At the trial Mr.. Meredith
agreed with me that if would accept a
nominal fine he would consent to it for
the purpose of making a test case to 90
TO the Court of Appeals. I agreed to it.
and both of US asked the jury to find the
accused guilty and fine him IS. Now.
though the prisoner sat there and he
and his counsel asked the iury to con-
wet, one juror obstinately refused to
convict, and it was only with the great
est difficulty the verdict was got filming
the accused SIS, so as to make the test
case. What happened then? The case
went to the Court of Appeals and my
side won. 1t is Crump VS. the Common
wealth, "a Va. Rep, p. 927. What hap
pened then would always happen. The
accused would always have sympathiz-
ers on the jury who would refuse to
convict, and the court would be stricken
down and paralyzed. If that plank in |
the Democratic platform was made the
law OF the land we should at once COM
mence retrograding to barbarism.
WIN. L. RoYALL.
August 10, 1908.