The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-21
run rAnsoNs CONTEST.


stxty-first Congress from the Fifth
Virginia District, and that Edward w,
saunders has no right to the seat he
lnow occupies. The majority report,
IEiving the seat to Parsons, declares
that the General Assembly had no
right to change the lines of the Fifth
District after that district had been
arranged in 1900 the minority report,
iupholding MIR Saunders's claim to his
seat declares the Assembly had
right to redistrict the counties now in
Ioluded in the Fifth District and was
within its rights when IL took Floyd
County from the Sixth District and
added it to the Fifth.
1t is not expected that the reports
lof the COMMITTEES will he acted on be-
fore adjournment, but while the peo-
OF the contest. Democrats in these
parts will want to know why the COM
,mittee waited until the last week of
The session before making its report.
THE contest was argued in March, and
the disputed ballots We're counted al |
most two months ago Had the COM
1nittee wanted to make a report, it
!could easily have done so in April.
THEREBY settling the question and re-
f1ieving the minds of the contestants.
No Solomon is needed TO explain the
reason for this delay: the cunning Re
.publicans of the committee, who did
not particularly need Mr.. Parsons in
Congress at this time want to assure
him a place in the next Congress as
left Judge Saunders in the seat he
honestly won, let him draw his pay
and participate in the debates. and
then, when the election is at hand. an
nounce TO the country that Mr.. Saun-
ders has no right to his place 1t
will make fine campaign material
Every Republican stump speaker in
the Fifth District will talk about the
political chtcanery" that robbed our
distinguished fellow citizen of his seat
and allowed a man to hold the place
who had no right to it," The Inter
rihed and Unwashed Republicans of
the Fifth District will be urged to
wipe out this insult and to give John
Parsons such a vote that he cannot be
cheated out of his seat, even by a
Democratic Canvassing Board"
This is doubtless what the commit
tee had in mind when it brought in its
delayed report yesterday but the sub
terfuge is so manifest and the trickery
SO OBVIOUS that no voter in the Fifth
District viii be deceived for moment.
If Judge Saunders had not been hon
estly elected. as he most assuredlv
was he would at least have as much
right to the seat as a man who was
given the place, not because he was
especially wanted in Congress- but be-
cause the Republican leaders thought
they might need him n.St year.
Besides, the logic on which the ma
1ority report is based is so weak that
it is yindication of Judge Saunders
Unable, after months of voting. to
change the results of the election, and
1oiled in an attempt TO dispute the
honesty of the vote, the committee
was forced TO allege that Saunders
had no right TO the seat because the.
district lines had been changed after
they had been drawn in accordance
with the census. 1t is hard to con-
ceiYe OF poorer excuse for seating
Mr.. Parsons. Districts have been
changed since the beginning of the
Government and district lines have bee,
redrawn whenever the party control.
ling the state Legislature though
II advisable, The Republicans hav
made such changes times withou
number, years without counting, an,
have never raised the question, bu
when a Democratic State changes tn
lines, the Republicans at once dis
cover that the whole thing is Illegal
Judge saunderss friends in tn
Fifth District and Democrats all owe
the state need not be uneasy Sue
an absurd report as that submitted b
the majority viii never be approve
and such preposterous claims as thos
advanced by MIR. Parsons will neve
get hearing When the coming cleo
ton in the Fifth District shows Nj!
Saunders reelected, despite Republi
can aid from Washington, the comlni,
tees report win be forgotten an
Judge Saunders viii hold the place Il
won, and won as honestly al eve
election was won.
=-=--=.:--=--S=--.sz
HIS WORKS LIVE AFTER HIM.