Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-10-13

IN various forms, flows all the ,,rc.p.r
ity that tho country enjoys. Laho
produces capital; capital caGnot KS
except as the fruit Of lsbor. IL Ia
Dor, therefore, that lies at the base OF
our national prosperity.
Ia a community of wage Gamers
money circulates freely, to the advan-
tsSe Of all classes. On good payroll.
towns and cities are built; the merchant
hnGs there customers for his goods; the
farmer tirds customers FOR his surplus
farm products, and the professional men
OF all Aiads find openings for advance
ment."
From the reading of these lines one
would suppose that Mr.. Stuart has be-
come philanthropist as we'll as a pro-
tectionlst, and has completely changed
his views as political economist.
We are glad TO have him admit that
from honest labor all the prosperity of
our country flows, and that capital is
nothing more thEn the accumulated
profits of iabor. We are also glad to
nave him admit that the Industrial poll
cy which creates good psyrons brings
the best business conditions to all class
es and callngs in the communities where
such payrolls are made and found.
We wish we could say that Mr.. Stu
arts professed anxiety for the welfare
OF the workingmen is es substantial and
sincere IS his reasoning for tbs protec-
ton of American labor is sound and log
ical
1t may be very well to safeguard the
material or sensual interests of the "a
Der OF the country, and earnestlyAn-
qulre of the workingman: what Shall
ye eat, what shall we drink and where
withal shall We be clothed?" But the
solcitude Of the political philanthropist
should not stop there. He should be
most anxious to preserve for the labor
ing man the vital force of his citizen
ship and encourage him to tho diligent
exercise of his rights and duties as q
citizen.
Has Mr.. Stuart been the solicitous
friend of the poor workingman on these
higher lines? No! He has put them in
class to themselves, and has discrimi-
mated against them to the advantage Of
other privileged classes by helping to
shape our suffrage laws so as to DEPRIVE
thousands Of the honest laboring men
OF the Ninth district of the right to
vote. Mr.. Joseph Z. wysor in his NIL
nority suffrage report tells us what Mr.
Stuart did for the industrial class Of
Virginia:
''The industrial class is not onlv re-
CURED to pay the poll tax, but is sub
Jected to drastic understanding clause.
They must stand critical examinations
before boards of commissioners. and ne
able to give reasonable explanation Of
the general nature of the duties of the
various officers for whom they NAV at
any time be entitled to vote. 1t
is evident that this understanding clause
II honestly administered, will not only
disfranchise thousands of negroes. but
also thousands Of white men. l cannot
give my assent to a provision which will
dlsfranchise so many of my fellow citi-
zeus."
Mr.. Stuart declares that all the aecu-
INFLATED wealth Of the country is the
creation or accumulated profits of labor
If this be true, and it is true, labor paws
all the taxes and furnishes all the means
for the support of the government.
Why, then, does Mr.. Stuart denv to the
labor of the country the benefit that it
should receive from its equitable inter
est in the accumulated profits of laborr
Why should he exact from labor a bur-
densome and mischievous tribute. a
head tax, as prerequisite to the exer.
else of suffrage, and make forfeit
ure of citizenship the penalty for fail
ure to pay this unjust tax?
The suffrage laws written in the new
constitution were so framed as to keep
the industrial class away from the bal
ot box. Mr.. Stuart helped to make
hese laws, and proudly declares that he
would vote again for all the obnoxious |
clauses in the constitution. Verify, Mr..
'tuart's love for labor is of the kind
hat kills.