Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-10-20
REPUBLICAN TICKET
Election Tuesday, November Sth, 1910.
For COngreSs-kinth Congressional District
9. 8. SLEMP
OF WISE COUNTY.
THAT MASS MEETING,

ntN00 llUOr
When public man, q candidate for
Office, is charged with wropgdoing and
denies the charge, he ought to produce
clear and satisfactory proof to sustain
his denial. And when he undertakes to
prove that his accuser he's not told the
truth his proof of the counter charge
should be even more complete.
Mr.. Stuart in public speeches declared
that the Hon. Bruce johnson had utter
ed fslsehood when he stated that only
seven persons voted upon the resolution
offered in the Lebanon mass meeting
''req''e'ting'' Mr.. Stuart to vote for proc
lamation of the new constitution, and
that Of this number four voted for and
three against the resolution. Mr.. Stu
art further declared that the meeting
wac very large one and that the vote
for the resolution was unanimous. both
Democrats and Republicans voting for
It. Re said ne would be able to prove
these fscts by 4 number of men who
participated in the meeting and voted
for the resolution. The proof he has
offered consists of an offidsvit published
IN another column in this issue, and
which he read in his speeches at sever
a places before it appeared in the pub
lie prints. 1t was only published after
a demand had been made that the names
attached thereto might be known. A
careful reading of this affidavit weak
ems rather than strengthens Mr.. Stu
arts Gaze. 1t is signed by twelve Dem
ocrats who are partisan followers of
Ar. Stuart, and on its very face the af-
tidavit is evasive and discriminating.
The siGners of this affidavit state
that, I'VE were present in the mass
mestisg of the citizens Of said county
held in the courthouse at Lebanon. Va.
in which Hon. H. C. Stuart was
directed and instructed by a vote of said
meeting to proclaim the constitution. 3"
This cannot be true, for no such reso-
Luton was passed in any mass meeting
at Lebanon. The account Of the mass
meeting published IN the Lebanon News
Of the 10th of May, 1902, was offered in
evidence by Mr.. Stuart in bis speech at
Wise on the 10th instant. Here il the
account supplied by Mr.. Stuart:
''For proclamation AT meeting Of
the citizens Of Russell county, at the
courthouse. on the 9th day Of May, 1902.
the meeting was called to order by hon.
VIM E. Burns, who nominated Capt. J.
Z. Gent for chairman, which nomina-
ton was seconded, and thereupon Cap
tain Gent was unanimously elected
chairman OF the meeting, and on taking
the chair stated the object Of the meet
ing. Captain 81. H. Dickinson nopoi- .
mated G. B. johnson for secretary who ,
was elected. B. T. Wilson offered a
resolution endorsing the course of Hon.
Henry c. Stuart in the constitutional {
convention, and requesting him to cast I
his vote for the proclamation of the ,
constitution, when framed by the con-
vention, which resolution was upani-
mously passed by the meeting. Hon.
VIM. E. Burns made a motion that the I
proceedings of the meeting be published :
in the Lebanon News, Richmond Times 9
and Lynchburg News, which {
was adopted and thereupon the meeting Q
was adjourned by the chairman :
The words INSTRUCTED and Gin
occur three times, in three Q
separate places, ia the said affidavit.
which shows that the persons who sign =
d the affidavit were very willing or o
cry careless witnesses; that their Ii
memories were at fault or that they C
'ers misstating an important occur =
nee. \
Another weak feature of this afida- Il