Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-11-10
GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

~ so AASSeiAS Va Ntc NS
OF Virginia municipalities at Caar lofts
vile during the first week in October.
The Republican refrained from publish
ing it during the campaign-not but
that 1t was good argument for all
honest Democrats to unite with the Re
publicans to Redeem VirgInia"-but
for fear that during the heat and pas
sion engendered during the campaign
the article would not be read nor con.
sidered with the care to which it is en-
titled.
Remember, this was not political
address nor delivered for political effect
but a calm, deliberate statement of the
deplorable condition of affairs as they
exist today in Virginia. The subject of
Mr.. Myers address was The Funds-
mental Requisite-An Honest Ballot, &"
and he spoke in part as follows:
The mother of States and presidents
is not taking the position in national
councils 10 which her brilliant past en-
titles her, said Mr.. Myers. Govern
ment In State, cities and counties is ex
pensive, insufficient and not abreast
that of the most progressive States.
With honorable exceptions, mediocritv
charscterizes her representatives in
Congress, in Legislature, and in execu-
tive offices, while commercial and in
dustrial corporations have attracted her
ADLER men. We find apathy amongst
voters; large numbers not qualified to
vote; corruption in elections: domino
ton of political bosses; indifference to
economic questions; official inefficiencv
and expensive administration.
The people of Virginia are generally
honest, but their voice is throttled and
they are in large measure disfranchised
through the operation of imperfect laws
and uniegalized primaries administered
by minions of a Democratic machine.
which, like an octopus, has extended its
tentacles into the remotest corners of
the Commonwealth and dictates State
and municipal legislation. Party organ
-lzation is essential, the more thorough
1t is the more efficient; but the machine
Is faction within the party, a faction
embracing ofice-holders, the liquor in
terests and certain others, sometimes
seeking immunity for violation of law.
tnese make common causes and, through
lack of executive committees, appoint
judges of primaries and so manipulate
them for personal ends, and not for pub
TIC welfare, as to cause widespread dis
trust The people are burdened with
fees for service imperfectly rendered;
laws are generally poorly administered.
and apathy prevades the electorate.
Referring to fraudulent elections. Mr..
Myers said: 1t is vain to contend that
elections are honest in many sections of
the State; the whole State is involved
Frauds perpetrated in one congressional
district in State election may decide
the election and 10 effect disfranchise a
majority of the voters of the entire
State; aye, more, theft in one precinct
may nullify the vote of the majority in
the State. The State press has roundly
denounced the shocking conditions dis
closed in the Second district primary.
but 1t seems probable that the Second
district is no worse than some others
where guilt has not been exposed only
because there has been no investiga-
ton. To the credit of the Second dis
trict be it said that it is the first to
have demanded a "house cleaning. {"
The responsibility rests on the entire
State for its failure to require legisla-
tive enactment of an adequate primary
election law and for the existing condi-
tons in relation thereto.
1t is evident that there should be an
education of the people, through the
press of the State and by all other pos
sible means; enactment of an ADEQUATE
primary law; publication of lists of
these who vote; mandatory purging of
registration books at regular intervals;
abolition of poll tax as a prerequisite to
voting: abolition of the payment of fees
to officers in the largest cities and coun-
ties, which could be designated as of
the first clcss, and covered by a general
law.
1t is of vital interest to the entire
State to enact such a primary election
law as will inspire confidence and will
bring out and properly deliver the vote.
Judges and clerks in primaries should
be selected not by an executive com.
mittee which represents faction, but.
by an electoral board named bv the
The time to inaugurate
effort for primary law is now and not
after the Legislature is elected. Al
of business men and law
yers should now be formed to draft a
law and such constitutional and
statutory amendments in relation to
payment of poll taxes, registration and
elections as are necessary to harmonic
and make effective the remedies we