Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-12-10
A VERY BAD RECORD.


Journal are aroused as to the future of
the Virginia Democracy. The Journal
Is afraid that unless the Democrats
undo something of the evil things they
have been doing the Republicans will,
before a great while, win the State.
Our Richmond contemporary is particu-
larly exercised over the poll tax qualif-
cation for voting, and is clamoring for
the repeal of that iniquity as speedily
as possible. The Journal is being sup
ported in this movement by other lead
ing Democratic newspapers, and it is
amusing to see the arguments now Of
fered against the poll tax qualification
by Democratic newspapers. When
such arguments were used by the Taze-
well Republican, even from the time
the poll tax prerequisite was written in
the Constitution, we were laughed at
by some and decried by others. We
We're told both by the Democratic Jour
nails and orators that no man who was
worthy to vote would permit himself to
be disfranchised by failing or refusing
to pay the pitiful sum of one dollar and
a half for the privilege. Our Demo-
cratic contemporaries are now singing
quite a different song; and they are
eager to crowd the Republicans off a
platform that favors the repeal of the
poll tax qualification for voting.
But the Virginia Democrats have
other bad record features that will have
to be accounted for in future elections.
The manner of making the new consti-
tuition was Disgrace and an outrage
upon The rights of the people. 1t was
procured through fraud and falsehood,
and those who made it, as we'll as their
party, will at no distant day receive con-
dernnation from honest, intelligent Vir-
GINA citizens. The Petersburg Index
Appeal says that the present poll tax
qualification for voting ''is a disgrace
to a great law making body like the
late Constitutional Convention, and can
not be wiped out too SOON" Our con-
temporary will some day realize that
the methods pursued in securing that
convention and the making of the Con-
stitution is greater disgrace than the
poll tax clause. The foulest deception
was practiced toward the people, be-
ginning with the action of the State
Democratic Convention at Norfolk when
positive pledge was made that if a
new Constitution was made that it
should be submitted to the people for
ratification or rejection. This was sup
plemented by positive averments that
the chief purpose of making a new
Constitution was to reduce what was
termed the unnecessarily large army of
otticeholders provided for in the then
existing Constitution and a great re-
duction in the expenses of State and
county governments. Then, the matter
OF calling a convention was not honestly
carried. The white counties and dis
tricts voted against calling a conven-
ton and the ballots and returns were
juggled in the negro counties and dis
tricts so as to overcome the majorities
given in the white districts against
holding convention. These are crimes
for which the Democratic party in Vir-
GINA will be called to account, and the
honest Democratic newspapers will be
as reluctant to defend them as they are
now reluctant to approve the poll tax
qualification for voting.
And some day the Virginia Democ-
racy will be called upon to answer for
the scandals that have been discovered
and whitewashed in various State De-
partments in recent years, in the Cor
poration Commission, the Department
of Education, the Fish Commission and.
perhaps, others. Then, the high crimes
and misdemeanors Of the last Demo-
cratic Legislature will stand forth as a
very black page in the record of the
Virginia Democracy. That Legislature
was plant tool in the hands of Claude
A. Swanson and the Democratic ma
chine 1t committed two of the great
est crimes ever inflicted upon any peo-
PIE, the placing of VIM F. Rhea on the
State Corporation Commission and the i
Acknowledgement of the Fifth Congress- 4