Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-10-12
DEFIANT FACTS.

1t is astonishing to witness the edify-
ing sense of political virtue with which
the Roanoke Times continually clothes
itself. Our Roanoke contemporary is
specially manifesting this sense in con-
nection with the mental and moral tone
of the Ninth district electorate. The
Times processes to feel both sorrow and
horror because of the supposed I'M
worthiness of certain Republican candi-
dates in some of the counties of this
district; and speaks of two of these can
didates as 1.-TWO Defiances.''
The first of the 1.-TWO Defiances' is
the Republican candidate for treasurer
of Smyth county, of whom the Times
thus speaks:
He was removed from Office aft
er fair trial before jury composed,
we believe, largely of Republicans,
for misconduct in office. There is
no use attempting to argue that his
removal was a case of political per-
secution. The evidence was clear
and he had every opportunity for
Defense
The Times either remembers or tries
to remember the facts in this case to
suit itself, for the facts are not as it
states them. AS we have before said.
the trial of Treasurer Anderson was be-
gun as political prosecution and de-
veloped into a partisan prosecution.
We have been told that Mr.. Frank Wv
sor, treasurer of Pulaski county, secre-
tary of the Democratic committee for
this district, and the man who hunted
up, recruited and sent to the polls the
large array of ''floaters" that gave Mr..
Stuart the large increase in the Demo-
cratic vote last year, was the primary
cause of the prosecution of Treasurer
Anderson. He went to Richmond.
checked up the reports from Smyth
county on the poll taxes and gave the
information that brought on the prose-
cution. And the claim that Treasurer
Anderson had improperly placed hun
dreds of Republican voters on the voting
list was not sustained at the trial, but
when sifted down there were about fifty
names found improperly placed thereon
more than half of whom were Demo-
Gratis. And when Mr.. Anderson offered
to prove lack of motive by showing
that he had incorrectly placed more
Democrats on the list than he had Re-
publicans, the counsel for the prosecu-
ton objected, and the court refused to
let him make the proof. Was this a
fair trial, or was Anderson given every
opportunity for defense?
The jury that sat in the trial sent
memorial to the judge, asking that Mr..
Anderson be not removed, and stated
that in the finding of their verdict they
intended only to say that he had COM
mitted ''unintentional errors" The
Times says:
His nomination by the Republi-
cans is challenge to the law.
In these circumstances, his re-elec-
ton would be a reproach upon the
county and her people,"
This is pretty cheeky in the Roanoke
Times, in view of its recent champion
ship of venal, corrupt machine politics
in Virginia. The Times and majority
of its party stood for and supported for
the highest official positions men whom
the most reputable part of the Demo
cratic press and thirty thousand Demo
cratic voters declared were unworthy
and unfit to represent Virginia in the
councils of the Nation.
The second of the Times 1.-TWO Def
arces" is John Catron, whom the Re-
publicans of Scott, Lee and Wise coun-