Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-06-08
THURSDAY. JUNE 8. 1911.
"MHY The SEGREGY2n

Uhi INK OCunC1ig
In the latter part of last month the
Electoral Board Of Norfolk county held
meeting for the purpose of selecting
the officials to conduct the election in
that county next November. 1t seems
that the Electoral Board of Norfolk
county is composed of machine Demo
Gratis. The anti-machine Democrats de-
manded that the meeting of the Board
be open to the public, and that the anti
machine men be allowed a voice in the
selection Of the election officials, but
this demand was refused, and the meet
ing was secret. Thereupon the Norfolk
Virginian-Pilot under the head: "Why
The Secrecy" made a very caustic
comment on the proceedings, SAYING in
part:
The action of the Electoral
Board of Norfolk county in disre-
garding the reasonable request of q
number of citizens that it hold its
meetings open to the public was, we
are ashamed to say, not new in this
county, and in no way surprising.
Probably the Electoral Board
was within the strict letter of the
law In taking the stand it did; but
that has no bearing upon the ethics
of the situation. Certain it is that
no law interdicts an open meeting.
Fair play, highmindedness and de-
cency would seem to call for the
open door and, within the law or
not, the star chamber method of
procedure naturally and usually
creates suspicion that there is some
thing to conceal"
And the Lynchburg News comment
ing on the meeting said:
The methods just employed by
the Norfolk county electoral board
In naming election officials were of
such a nature as to shock the good
conscience of the entire State. The
persistence with which the machine
majority of the board in the face
Of vigorous protest proceeded to do
Its work secretly-its insolent re-
fusal to disclose even the source
from which came the typewriter
list of election officials that was
found to be in possession of the ma
jority; and other circumstances in
connection with the meeting are
sufficient to raise the gravest sus-
picion of contemplated, craftily
planned political felony
We are glad to see that the Viginian-
Pilot and Lynchburg News are begin
ming to realize the enormity of the cleo
ton and registration laws that the Vir.
GINA Democracy fastened upon the
people of the State. And in this unhoIy
work the editor of the Virginian-P Pilot
and the owner of the Lynchburg News
played an important hand.
The initial iniquity was the refusal of
the members of the constitutional con-
vention to take an oath to make their
work conform to law and precedent;
and the eliminating vice was the re-
fusal to submit the new constitution to
the people for ratification or rejection.
The whole scheme by which the reg
istration and election laws were con-
structed evidences that there would be
and secrecy in the inter
probation and execution of those laws;
and that they suggested and contem-
plated "craftily planned political fell
ony."
The Virginian-P Pilot declares that such
meetings and proceedings are I'VE are
ashamed to say not new in this coun-
~" Our Norfolk contemporary should
nave said that they were not new in
any county or city in the State. They
iave been universal under the new con-
and since Democratic Elec-
oral Boards were first introduced in
he State. But the ''craftily planned
,olitical felony" was heretofore direct
d entirely against the Republicans, and
i'd not shock the good conscience" of
be Virginian-Pilot, he Lynchburg
Jews or any noticeable portion of the
tate Democracy. Republicans have
cen denied the privilege of attending
MEETINGS of electoral boards, have been
sftsed permission to suggest the men
no should act as Republican election
iicers, and in most instances not per-
itsed to know who the officers were
atiI few days before an election.
The constitution and laws have been