Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-06-01
A WONDERFUL REFORMATION.


amiliar antagonist" recently wrote a
communication to that paper suggesting
! plan for the making of honest cleo
ion laws in Virginia. This communica-
ion from Mr.. McGsvock was occasioned
BY the much Wanted declarations of
Judges H. A. W. Skeen and Martin
Williams in favor of the suppression of
bribery in elections in this State.
Mr.. McGavock closes his letter by
saying:
Mr.. Editor it has given me
great pleasure to stand along with
you in commencing Judge Williams
and urging him to use his best eff
forts to accomplish a great and
needed reform"
Commenting on the McGavock com.
munication, the Times says:
'Our familiar antagonist Mr.. ].
w. McGavock, Republican county
chairman of Wythe, gives US the
Republican view of the changes in
the election laws needed to secure
fair and clean elections. Aside
from the matter of bribery, cleo
tons in Virginia have been fair and
clean since the adoption of the new
constitution. We think the Demo-
Gratis have taken pride in having
them so. Probably there never has
been in Virginia more bitterly and
hotly contested battles than those
in the Ninth and Fifth Districts last
November. Yet all the suggestions
of fraud or intimidation we heard
were against the Republicans. The
frauds complained of or reported
under the new constitution have
been in Democratic primaries and
by Democrats against Democrats,
not by Democrats against Republi-
cans.
Since the negro vote was re-
moved from our politics the Demo-
Gratis of Virginia have shown every
purpose to deal justly and kindly
with their white fellow citizens of
the minority. If they can be in
duced to be as fair and straight
with each other as they have been
with their opponents they will be in
better position than they are"
We would like for our Roanoke con
temporary to explain how it is possibl
for us to have fair, clean and homes
elections under election laws that ar
unfair, unclean and dishonest? If tn
Democrats contemplated taking pride i
having elections fair and clean unde
the new constitution, why did they il
the making of the constitution fran
such partisan and unfair laws? VIII,
did they refuse to give the minorit
representation on electoral boards
Why did they and have they denied tn
right to Republicans to select thei
judges of election and give authority t
three partisan Democrats to do this il
each county and city? Why did the,
refuse to give the Republicans one o
the clerks of election, thus making bal
lot box stufing easy when desired
Why did they delegate such unlinite,
and outrageous powers to registrars
except for the purpose of having tn,
registrations fraudulently conducted
Why have they persisted in having tn,
official ballots printed in secret, in I
form that is uninteligible to the vote
of ordinary intelligence, and let thes,
ballots remain in the hands of partisan
Democrats until they are given tn,
voter at the voting booth?
The Times very artfully tries to con
ceal the Democratic sins of omission
and commission by saying that: "Asid,
from the matter of bribery, elections il
Virginia have been fair and clean since
the adoption of the new constitution. >
And the Times further declares: -'Sincs
the negro vote was removed from oul
politics the Democrats of Virginia have
shown every purpose to deal justly ant
kindly with their white fellow citizen,
of the minority"
The first above quoted assertion o.
the Times is qualified by the admission
of bribery in elections in Virginia. Oul
contemporary was too shrewc
to deny the existence of this offensive
in our elections. The Doodle
campaign conducted by the Democrats
m the Ninth District last year was toe
recent and glaring to permit the Times
making denial of that election crime.
the failure Of the Democrats to
win, through the qualification and pur-
.hs.a of the venal vote, has been the