Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-04-27
ELECTION CORRUPTION IN WISE.

on the people OF those counties that he
IS going to put stop to election frauds
within his jurisdiction. He is convinced
that many frauds were committed last
fall In the three counties mentioned. 1t
is not his purpose to investigate any
elections in the past, it is said, but he
proposes to summon a special grand
jury in each county after every election
until he has sifted the matter to the
bottom and sscertsined who is engaged
IN vote-buying and vote selling and 9th
er forms of election corruption. He
has also notified the treasurers of the
counties in which he holds court that he
Will hold them responsible for any ir-
reg lsrities in the payment of poll-tax-
es- He will not permit the payment of
poll-taxes in bulk, by any one person,
and II treasurer receives money from
any person in that way, he will be re-
CURED to investigate the matter and de-
termine whether or not the money was
paid by the persons against whom the
polls were assessed. He further states
that in order to facilitate the work of
carrying out his plan to discover and
punish election frauds, he will invoke
the new law in Virginia which exempts
from prosecution a witness who exposes
such frauds, whether the witness be a
buyer or q seller.
All of which is quite interesting, and
very encouraging to the friends of hon.
est elections. 1t is said that Judge
Skeen has reason to believe that not
less than eight hundred men in Wise
county alone sold their votes in the cleo
ton last fall. That would almost put
Wise county in a class with Adams
county, Ohio, and with your Uncle Joe
Csnnon's own county of Vermillion, in
Illinois But if there was wholesale
vote-selling and vote-buying in Wise
county, it is safe to say that the same
vicious practice was INDUCED in to q
greater or less extent in the other
twelve counties of the Ninth district
This Is condition which all men who do
not approve of corruption in elections
must deplore and desire to see ended as
quickly as possible.
Success, therefore, to Judge Skeen
and to all other judges in Southwest
Virginia who may move against this
dangerous evil. If they can find way
to prevent the debauchery of the cleo
torate, to purify the ballot and make
elections reasonably fair and honest. it
will be found that the Ninth district is
democratic.-Bristol Herald Courier.
Very good, but with two manifest
errors of assumption. First, that vote
buying is confined to the Ninth district.
when every reader of the Herald Couri-
er knows conditions are just as bad in
other sections of the State.
Second, that honest elections mean
that the Ninth district is Democratic.
This is a mere matter of opinion, and in
ours, an honest election means not only
the Ninth district but that all Virginia
will be Republican. But, this specula-
ton is entirely outside the main ques-
ton. Whether the Republicans or Dem
ocrats control the State or district is an
insignificant question to the one of
whether their election is free and fair
expression of the opinion of the people
for or against the principles for which
they stand.
That vote-buying is common is easily
demonstrated. Go to Richmond and
talk to any one posted in political af-
fairs, and hear how glibly they will rat
tie off that so-and-so contributed a
thousand, or-in one instance-ten
thousand dollars, last fall in the effort
(save the expression) to redeem the
Ninth" Or, you need not go SO far
from home. Drop into your village
barber shop around election time and
listen while to the political gossip, of
how much was paid a certain man. or
SAe@S 81 ohA-oO SOlO Oul 10 DOID SIDES
during the last election, or who it was
that bought the first vote in your city.
Common gossip. like the sale of hogs or
cattle; and this is, oh, the greatest
shame OF it all, that the public general
ly condones the offense and laugh at the
shame of their fellow citizens and thus,
in measure, share it.
The people are awakening, however,
and the time coming-and soon-when
the principle or party that depends for
its success on a venal electorate is
doomed to certain defeat. More power.
then, to Judge Skeen and his like. Hon.
est elections may be held in Virginia if
every judge and commonwealth attor-
ney in the State will only do their duty