Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-06-29
WHO ARE The GRnnKS2

In our issue OF the 22nd instant we
had something to say about the charge
that certain Republican leaders in Rus
sell county had ''disfranchised between
SIX or eight hundred Democratic vot-
ers' in that county. 1t seems that the
views we expressed then have been
supported by what has been since said
by the Democratic press.
We mentioned in our article of the
End that up to the time of its writing
the Roanoke Times had said nothing
about the matter, which silence led us
to conclude that the treasurer of Rus
sell county had left the so-called dis
franchised voters off the voting list for
sound cause But the Roanoke Times
broke silence on the 10th instant under
the head, Crooked Election Work " If
makes another unworthy and untruth-
ful assault upon Republican methods in
the Ninth District, declaring that the
Republicans out here ARE committing
political suicide and driving from their
party the respectable and law abiding
people, who really have given that
party all the strength and force it had -
The Times precedes this ridiculous as
sertlon with a quoted paragraph from
the Honaker Herald. That paragraph
is as follows:
"In paying the poll-taxes, about
800 citizens, who could not make it
convenient to pay in person, gave
various parties the money and an
order for their poll-tax, fully salts
ned that they were complying with
the law and they were, but the Re-
publican ring at Lebanon, composed
OF John Hurt, Jas. Henritze and
George Gilmer, took the law and
Constitution in their own hands and
decided that these 500 citizens
should not exercise the right of an
American citizen"
The Times approves and accepts this
statement of facts made by the Hona-
ker Herald. Upon its face the state
ment shows that if any crooked election
work has been done in Russell the
guilty parties are not the Republican
treasurer and Republican candidates.
but the Democratic workers and mana
gers of that county. We remember
how the Roanoke Times last year. be-
fore and after the election, boastinelv
referred to the fighting Democrats
of the Ninth District and of Russell
county. Were these eight hundred
'disfranchised Democrats" embraced
in your army of fighters? If SO, what
has become of their fighting proclivi-
ties?Why couldn't they make it conven-
lent to pay their poll-taxes in person?
Why did they wait for the Democratic
workers to send fellows around to get
orders from them for the payment of
their poll-taxes?
We notice in the Lynchburg News of
the 18th inst, in a special communion
ton from Richmond, that it is said:
There is much trouble ahead in
the county of Russell, where it ia
alleged that some eight hundred
Democrats have been deprived of
their votes by the action of the Re-
publican treasurer of that county.
1t is understood that the Democrats
selected man, or several men, to
travel the county, collect the poll j
taxes of the voters and to nav
them, and have the men qualified to
vote at the election this fall. The
taxes are understood to have been
rendered, but the Republican coun- c
ty treasurer, declaring that he be- !
lieved that the taxes were being I
paid in bulk, declined to receive the
money unless it was rendered by
the taxpayers in person. ?
The county is a Republican strong t
hold and with the Democrats shut Z
out from voting they will have a :.
chance to elect all their officers and
to run things as to them may seem
fit. That there will be some trouble u
there is no question, for it is de- Il
clared here that the men up that r.
way are saying that if they are not
allowed to vote in the coming cleo
ton that no vote shall be cast by
the Republicans" a,
Here is an admission that the Demo- h,
rats of Russell county are using the p'
anne methods this year for the pay al
sent Of poll-taxes as we're used by the th