Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-07-15

! the House and Senate"
~ had charge Of Jtdge Mo,,a's right. and
l am sure he made 10 promise of any
kind in order to secure his reelection;
IN fact, none was required of him. His
nomination and election were first
favored but afterwards opposed by Cen
eral Malone"
Mr.. Smith, perhaps, may be trying to
write history correctly, but does he?
The regular Democrats in Virginia
then recognized no such thing as ERE
adjuster Democrat. 3" The great Read
juster convention had been held in Mo
zart Hall at Richmond, and General Ma
hone had been made chairman and lead
er of the Readjuster party, a distinct
political organization in Virginia. The
regular State Democratic Committee
had expelled the Readjuster members
from that committee, thereby showing
that no recognition would be given to a
so-called Readjuster Democrat, and only
those who acknowledged the authority
of the 'Rump Committee of Thirteen"
composed of the thirteen men who had
expelled the Resdjusters, were recog-
nized as Democrats.
At the 1s79-SO session of the Virginia
Legislature there were two separate and
distinct political caucus organizations.
one known as the Readjuster caucus
and the other as the Democratic caucus.
The feeling between these two caucuses
was sharp and bitter. Mr.. Smith.
Judge Mann's champion and manager.
admits that he was an active member
of the Readjuster caucus. The Read
Juster caucus nominated officers for
both the House and Senate. some of the
nominees being negroes, notably door
keepers. The Democratic caucus also
nominated candidates for the officers
Tor both houses, among them being Ar
thur Sullivan, the one-legged Confeder-
ate soldier of Montgomery county. who
was pltted against the negro nominated
by the Readjusters in the House of Del
egates. We wonder if Mr.. Smith. who
claims that he is and always was a
Democrat, voted for that negro over
the one-legged Confederate soldier? If
ne did, what did Judge Mann then
think of Mr.. Smiths Democracy? The
regular Democrats in Virginia would
not then have acknowledged Mr.. Smith
as Democrat, and the very fact of
Judge Mann selecting Mr.. Smith for
his manager in the fight for the Judge
ship must have made Mann's Democra-
cy questionable. Mr.. Smith says: 81
mad charge Judge Mann's fight. and
Judge Mann's present manager. Colonel
james Mann, acknowledges the truth of
TINS statement by giving it to the public
as fact.
II MIR. Smith was a Democrat then.
and Judge Mann was seeking the nomi-
nation from the Readjuster caucus only
as Democrat, why did Mr.. Smith re-
quest negro Republican and a white
Republican to put Judge Mann in nomi-
nation In their respective houses, and
then nominate him himself only after
the negro had refused? This act
coupled with. Mr.. Smiths statement
that, Il conferred with the Funder
Democrats of both the Senate and
House before Judge Mann was nomi-
mated by the caucus, ct Get. - shows
that he is now misstating the facts or
that he and Judge Mann were playing a
disgraceful game of duplicity.
Judge Mann has recently declared
that he did not seek the nomination
from the Readjusters. This statement
Is dlsproved by the letter of Mr.. Smith.
who says: II had charge of Judge
Mann's fight" Do men fight for an
Office without seeking it? Do they seek
and accept the support of a political Or
ganization without offering anything in
the way of political compensation for
such support?
Mr.. Smiths statement: Ibis nomi-
nation and election were first favored
but afterwards opposed by General Ma
hone" answers itself. General Ma
hone would not have favored Mann's
nomination without some assurances
from him of future cooperation and
support. And everybody who knows
anything about the political situation at