Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-05-18
BUYIE6 OF VOTES.

III my power 70 procure the enactment
Of law effectively preventing the buy
ing OF votes ip Virginia
This significant utterance came this
morning from Judge Martin Williams.
brother of Attorney General Williams
and the Democratic nominee for the
House from the counties Of Giles and
Bland.
That, above everything else, shall
be my aim in the House." continued
Judge Williams, though l don't object
to your saying that shall also endeavor
to bring about the re-enactment of the
old Wharton law, which aims to pre-
vent the Southeastern Tariff As,ocia-
ton from combining to fix rates on fire
insurance. And l also told my people
IN advance that l intended voting for
the referendum act touching Statewide
prohibition.
In two public speeches." added
Judge Williams, 81 informed nv con-
stituents that should do my utmost to
prevent the buying Of votes in this
State. AS yet haven't mapped out
the Dill shall introduce, but am now
seeking information on the subject. In
the absence of anything better, 1 shall
offer measure modelled after the Ohio
law. In that State, you know, there
have recently been some startling dis
closures, and in one county a Judge has
disfrsnchised LOO voters for five wears.
The Virgins law, as it stands TODAY.
is of no avail. 1 have never heard of
anyone being convicted Of vote buying.
The trouble seems to lie in the fact that
both parties-the purchaser and the
purchased-are ameDable to prosecu-
tion- AS consequence of this neither
can be made to testify. Both claim the
benefit of the statute which excuses q
witness from telling about things that
might incriminate himself.
The offense here is graded as mis-
demeanor. In Ohio the punitive DOW
ers are vested in the judge and he has
resorted to the penalty of disfranchise-
ment
This thing of vote buying" said
Judge Williams with obvious feeling.
has grown to be blight on the coun
try. 1t is damper on the aspirations
and inspirations of the young. The
time has come to call a halt on it. I
shall certainly do all in my power to
correct the evil"
Asked if he had Ninth District condi-
tons in his mind when he talked of vote
buying, Judge Williams emphaticallv
disclaimed such thought. mo. in
deed, said he, 81 refer to conditions
all over the State. The practice noto-
rlously prevails in other districts be-
sides the Ninth-certainly when it is
thought necessary. The people in nv
legislative district heartily endorse nv
plan and they are fully aware of nv
purpose"
Judge Williams forestalled any inter-
rogatories from the Anti-Saloon people
OF his section by announcing in advance
his purpose to favor a measure allowing
the people to say whether or not there
snail be an election on Statewide prohi-
oiuon. When attending the last ses-
sion OF the House he voted against the
referendum bill then introduced as he
did not like some of its provisions and
as he considered that both the Demo-
cratic party and the League then were
pledged to local option.
Judge Williams already has served
three terms in the House and is a prom
lnent figure in legislative circles. The
last time he ran the Republicans put I'D
no candidate against him. He does not
know what they will do this summer
(From an interview in the Richmond
Journal.)
Fast experience makes US chary of
any election law emenating from Demo-
cratic sources. They never have en-
acted an election law that was not
manifestly partisan and unfair. Thew
Will not even enact a direct primary
law that will prevent stealing of votes
among themselves. We are afraid to
believe anything good can come of a
promise made by a member of that
party.
1t is likely that Judge Williams, liv-
ing in the Republican Ninth, has caught
the spirit of Republicanism and is sim
cere in his efforts. But what can he
do within the ranks of Virginia Domoc-
racy? Let him follow his convictions
to the ultimate end and join with the
Republicans to Redeem Virginia"
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