Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-08-31
UNFIT AND UNGlEAN.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch of the
2lst instant startled the public by plac-
ing at the head of its editorial columns
a brief editorial headed: Claude A.
Swanson" After relating the fact
that Mr.. Swanson, while a member of
the Ways and Means Committee of the
Fifty-sixth Congress, had gambled in
the stock of the American Tobacco
Company, the Times-Dispatch concludes
its editorial as follows:
He has betrayed a public trust.
He has destroyed his usefulness
as representative of the people.
He should not be elected"
This was followed on the 22nd instant
by another editorial of the Times-Dis-
patch, in which it said:
while member of the Ways
and Means Committee, the commit
tee whose principal duty is to frame
the tax laws of the United States.
and whose action vitality affects the
prices of stocks of corporations, he
was specializing in the stock of the
American Tobacco Company, which
conduct he now defends as perfectly
legitimate and proper.
1T is well remembered that dur
ing the passage of the Wilson-Gor-
man bill through the Senate, GER
tain Senators were suspected of
specializing in the stock of the
American Sugar Refining Company.
The moral sense of the entire peo-
pie and press of the country, regard
less of party, was so outraged that
an investigation was demanded and
held, and so far from boasting of it
as legitimate and proper thing for
Senators to do, the suspects hid
behind the skirts of a stock broker.
who, to save their names from a
just obloquy, was sent to Jail for re-
fusing to reveal them"
The honest public will heartily concur
In the position taken by the Times-Dis-
patch. 1t is unfortunate that our Rich
mond contemporary, and the other Dem
ocratic papers in Virginia that are op-
posing Mr.. Swanson, had not earlier dis
covered that he was a betrayer of pub
lie trust and unfit to occupy high official
position.
Not only is Mr.. Swanson now being
scored for his misconduct in gambling
in the stocks of the American Tobacco
Company and United States Steel Cor
poration while he held a position where
his vote could materially affect the
prices of these corporations, but he is
being assailed for gross incapacity and
misconduct in the exercise of his au-
thority as Governor of Virginia. Mr..
Glass is charging that Swanson was
recklessly extravaganza with the public
funds and bankrupted the State treas
1ry the last year of his administration.
Swanson's friends respond to this
charge by quoting a commentator of
his administration made by the Lynch
burg News after his speech at Surry
Courthouse in September, 1909.
We were surprised at the time this
speech was made to find the Lynchburo
News, the Times-Dispatch and all the
Democratic papers shouting their ap-
,roval and declaring it great speech.
On the 7th of October, 1909, the Taze-
veil Republican published an editorial
N this great speech" calling atten-
ion to the fact that it was tissue of
alsehoods so far as it dealt with the
management of the finances of the
tate. Mr. Swanson claimed in his
urry speech that the Democrats had
ettled the public debt and saved the
tate from Reputation. He also as
srted that the Readjusters had bank
1pted the State treasury. No holder
of facts were ever made