Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-09-22
A SERIOUS RlUkpER.

"NmOOS bIUbhLH,
The Democrats of the Ninth district
were first Inundated by their candidate
for Congress when that ridiculous Gus
toms house incident occurred. Some
were heard to remark that they thought
Stuart was too smart to be caught in such
a trap, prepared by himself. 1t would
seem that Mr.. Stuart would have profit
ed by that unfortunate experience and
not have made any more plumbers of a
serious character; but in his opening
speech he committed a greater folly
when he announced his position on the
tariff, After vigorously assailing the
Republican party for its method of ap
plying its protective tariff policy, he
boldly tried to appropriate the protec-
tive tariff plank of the last national
platform of the Republicans and claim
it for his own.
Mr.. Stuart in his speech at Gate City
announced himself a protectionist and
turned his back upon the tariff policy of
the Democratic party-that policy which
the Hon. Carter Glass declared in his
speech at Marion had existed as Demo-
cratic doctrine ever since the formation
OF the party. He also declared that if
ne was elected to Congress he would
bolt his party and associate himself
with Republicans and men of any and
all political creeds to carry into effect
the already existing and operating poll
cy of the Republican party for the crea-
ton and use of Tariff Commission.
In one single paragraph of his speech
at Gate City, Mr.. Stuart deserted the
long established policy of the Demo-
cratic party on the tariff and became q
protectionist, by announcing for his tar
III creed precisely the same principles
that we're written in the tariff plank of
the Republicans in 1908. Thus Mr.. Stu
art has written himself as ''deserter"
and future 'bolter" of his party and It's
creed. The Roanoke Times, chief
spokesman for Mr.. Stuart. has asserted
that he Is standing on the same tariff
platform with Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Roose-
welt. Well might the Lynchburg News
express its horror and ploclaim that the
Roanoke Times Seems to be Importing
Henry c. Stuart by CHASING him with
Taft and Roosevelt on the tariff cues
ton" Well may the News further re-
mark:
THE News may not have much sense.
as The Times graciously suggests; but
1t thinks it has sense enough to know
that Democratic campaigners in the
Ninth Congressional district will not
relish having thrust in their faces edito-
rial declarations from the Roanoke
Times to the effect that Mr.. Stuart, the
Democratic candidate, stands on the
same tariff platform word for word
with the Republican signer and defend
er of the Payne-Aldrich act"
MIR. Stuart has given his approval to
the editorial declarations from the
Roanoke Times" and in each speech
delivered since the one made at Gate
City has stood by his tariff views as an
nounced in that speech.
1t is difficult to understand why and
for what reason Mr.. Stuart has desert
ed his party and aligned himself with
fhe protectionists. If he imaoines it
will get him Republican votes he will be
mistaken. Will it not lose him Demo-
cratic votes? Senator Thomas says.
I'm view Of the fact that Democracy
has no exponent, it would seem that the
Democrats of the Ninth district would
find election day an suspicious time to
take day off and go fishing"
Suppose Mr.. Slemp, the Republican
candidate, should now, two months aft
er his nomination, declare that he was
in favor Of free trade or tariff for reve-
nue. only, and that he would bolt his
party associates and unite with the
Democrats to defeat the Tariff Com
mission movement, would it not repeI
thousands Of the Republicans who are
now his enthusiastic supporters, and
would it not impress honest Democrats
with the belief that his motive was in
sincere and that he was a mere time
serving, self-seeking politician?