Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-02-01
CONGRESSIONAL REDISIRIGIIHG.

vi BlhAo AuCo congressional
districts. Our reason for silence has
been fear that any opposition on our
part to an unfair redistricting bill might
give partisan politicians a pretext for
making the apportionment more unfair
than is now contemplated. What we
shall now say is not with desire to in
huence or direct the members of the
Legislature, but for the purpose of ex-
pressing the hope ttat they will be
guided by spirit of fairness and re-
spect for the organic law of the State.
We would not say anything even on
these lines; but from the fact that the
Roanoke Times and other Democratic
newspapers and leaders are brazenly
trying to deceive the people and striving
TO persuade the General Assembly to do
violence to the Constitution of the
State. In its issue of the 9th ult., the
Roanoke Times had an editorial headed:
"Redistricting," which we publish in
another column, and which we request
shall be read as an exhibit filed with
this (our) article.
The Times declares that at is entire
ly proper that the Democratic govern.
ment and legislature of the State shall
use any lawful and proper means" to
make sure of securing q solid Demo
cratic Congressional delegation from
Virginia. 1t then proceeds to misstate
the law with a bOldness that is amazing.
when one remembers that the Times
constantly asserts supreme confidence
IN its unlimited knowledge of the laws
and political affairs of the State. and Is
ever declaring the rectitude of It's in
tentions. Here is a part Of what the
Times says in support of its unhoIy DUR
pose to distigure and deform the Ninth
district, and advance the interests of
certain aspiring politicians at the sacri-
nee Of honor and integrity, honesty and
fair dealing and in defiance of the fun
damental law of the State:
THE law requires that the terri
tory constituting a congress district
shall adjoin. That is all Il does req1,ire.
The spirit of it is that districts shall
De equal in population as nearly as
possible.
I'VE have not seen any valid OBJ
lection to the arrangement original
Iy proposed by the Roanoke Times
to add Halifax to the Fifth district
and to extend the Sixth district
westward to include Tazeweu.
Nothing in the law or good sense
suggests that congress districts be
made In square blocks"
Is this glaring misstatement of the
law due to the ignorance of the Times
or is it malignant attempt to impose
upon the credulity and ignorance of its
readers? No matter which, the Times
Is clearly unfit to instruct the people as
to the law in the case or teach them
political morality. Clearly the Times
has become perverted both as to intelIi-
gent knowledge of the law and political
morality. This is evidenced by a con-
fession of the Times that it is the oriei-
nator Of the partisan scheme by which
Tazewell, Bland and Giles counties
would be torn from the Ninth and at
taehed to the Sixth district. Here is
the law, and it is fundamental, which
should control in the apportionment of
the State into congress districts. Sec
ton So of the State Constitution saws;
'"The General Assembly shall bv
law apportion the State into dis
tricts, corresponding with the num-
Der of representatives to which IL
may be entitled in the House of
Representatives of the Congress of
the United States; which districts
shall be composed Of CONTIGUOUS
and COMPACT territory containing.
as nearly as practicable, an equal
number Of inhabitants"
This is the law which the Roanoke
Times declares means nothing more
han that the territory of congress dis
riots shall adjoin, and that solidity or
Of territory is not required.
ar. Times, do you make this statement
gnorantly or deceitfully?
We notice that all the Democratic
'ewspapers Except the Lynchburg