Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-05-06
AfAILURE


of nothing, the Republican cam
paign for Congress in the Ninth dis
trict has frazzled out as the Republi-
can State campaign frazzled out last
year. The State campaign was based
on Democratic extravaganza and cor
rurlion in the State government.
When the Republicans were called
on and deiled to give instance and
evidence they failed miserably. They
squirmesd and lodged and limited
and suggested, but they could make
good nowhere. So ii Is now. They
startsd the congressional campaign
with an attack on Stuart because he
voted for the new franchise require
ments in the constitution. Those re-
quirements were intended, as every
body knows to disfranchise the ne
groes and secure white mems rule in
the State The natural conclusion
from the Republican attack on
Stuart because he voted TO disfran-
chise the negro was that they re-
scented the Acknowledgement of the
negro and would restore To him the
vote If they had the power.
They saw the trap into which they
had put themselves and have been
trying desperately to escape from it.
Now they say they blame Stuart
because he did not refuse To vote for
any law TO disfranchiSe the negro
which possibly could disfrauchise a
white man. They contend he should
have Insisted on law which would
make Ii impossible for any negro TO
vote and impossible for any white
man to lose bis vote. They say NIL
the negroes and no white men
should have been disfranchised re-
versing the former policy OF their
party, which was to disfranchise all
the white men and no negroes.
Republicans were in the constitu-
tional convention. Did they take
that position then? Did Mr. Slemp
or any of his party associates de-
mand that all the negroes and none
of the white men of the State be dis
francnhised? Did they undertake To
pledge their support TO the new con-
Stitution if il was submitted to the
people? They did nothing OF the
kind. They fouhgt then against the
Acknowledgement oil the negro, oppos-
ed and hindered il by every means
in their power. When at the begin
ing of this campaign they attacked
Stuart for DISTINGUISHING the negro
their position was entirely consistent
with what il was seven years ago
when they attacked Stuart and the
others who were trying TO undo the
old work OF the Republican party
and make the State white mans
State They fought in the conven-
ton against having the negro's vote
taken from him. They fought against
ii after the convention. John s Wise,
Repu blican, was brought here from
New York and he carried the new
Virginia constitution 10 the Su-
preme Court OF the United States in
an attempt 10 keep the negro vote
saddled on this state. Yet now they
say they wanted and yet want the
negro vote kept out.
They have come to the point
where they say their quarrel with
Stuart is that he did not insist on a
measure which would have made it
impossible for any white man TO be
disfranchissd. He did vote for a
measure which made II necessary for
any white man TO be DISTINGUISHED,
left it to each white man TO decide
for himself whether he should be a
voter or not. Every white man in
the State not criminal or lunatlc
could have made himself a voter I'M
der the first registration after the
new constitution. The door was left
wide open for them.
Stuart and the other Democrats
could not make a law To make 1t
easy for all white men and impossi-
BILE for any negro 20 vote. They
could not do it because they were
forbidden by amendments to the
Constitution of these United States,
devised and added bJ Republican,
for the very purpose of giving the
negro social and political equality
with the white man. They were for
hidden by those Republican amend
ments to establish white power.
They were forced to make law,
which, on the face of them at least
were equal :or both races. Now TIL,
Republican leaders whose party fast
ened those amendments OH us assum,
that the people are too ignorant t
know these things or have forgotten
them. They call on Republicans t
vote against Stuart because he wa,
forced to obey Republican mad
laws; because he knew that the Re
publicans would force him to com
ply with laws made by their part,
for the ay0Vped apd oman nurnoss ~