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


They mention only the Federal Consti-
tuition and statutes and the State stat
utes for appOrtioning the districts as re-
Qaiced by the Federal laws. They all
seem to agree that the mode or manner
of apportioning such districts is left to
the states, the equalization of popula-
ton by Federal law being merely direc-
tory.
The mode or manner of making the
spportionments being left to the states,
Virginia has determined how she will
exercise this delegated authority; and
she has written her mode or manner of
apportioning her congress districts into
Section SO of her Constitution. This
the Roanoke Times has falsely inter
preted as meaning "that the territory
constituting a congress district shall
adjoin- That is all it does require
Surely the profound thinker, brilliant
writer and aggressive political moralist
who wrote this in the columns of the
Roanoke Times has never carefully read
Section So of the State Constitution. or
he would not have made such an eyre
grious misstatement of it's meaning.
That Section 55 of our State Constitu-
ton has become and is the controlling
power as to the method or manner of
apportioning our congress districts can
not be successfully disputed. 1t cannot
be denied that this section of the con-
stltution makes it mandatory upon the
General Assembly to make the appor-
tionment so that the districts shall be
composed Of contiguous and compact territory.
What does the word contiguous mean
and why was it written into the constitu-
ton? The very first definition Webster
gives the word is: ITO touch on all
sides, and the last definition is. "ad-
joining"
That the meaning of the word con
tiguous' should be clear, the trainers of
the constitution followed it with the
words land compact" Thus it was
written into the Constitution of Vir-
ginia that the congress districts of the
State when apportioned should be COM
posed of adjoining counties and be
possible. Webster defines the word
compact to mean: Closely or firmly
united or packed as the particles of
a solid body; firm; solid" ct Get.
The verbose photographer of the Roa-
noke Times has interpreted the words
contiguous and compact" to mean
that the territory constituting a con-
gress district shall adjoin. That is ali
it does require
Not satisfied with this false interpre-
tation of the law, the Times goes much
further, and tries to impose upon its
credulous readers by giving fanciful
definition to the word "adjoin." This
word, "adjOin," is, to some extent. a
synonym of contiguous" But the
Roanoke Times cunningly tries to mini
mize the force and meaning of the word
contiguous" by interpreting it to mean
connect. That is, that the law is fully
complied with when the counties of q
congress district are connected, as is a
chain composed of links, or a shoe-strinp
composed of threads. The motive of
the Times is disclosed by its persistent
effort to create, for unfair partisan
ends, shoe-string district which will
reach from the east line of Russell
county to the west end of Lunenbure
county. This pet district of the Times.
If created, will be composed of the
counties of Tazewell, Bland, Giles, |
Montgomery, Roanoke, Bedford, Camp |
bell and Charlotte and the cities of
Roanoke and Lynchburg. 1t would be
eight counties long and one county
wide, and about two hundred and fifty
miles long. Near the middle of this
chain or shoe-string, where the counties
Of Roanoke and Bedford join, the dis
trict will be only about six miles wide.
Would district so composed, be made
n accordance with the requirement of
he mandates of Section 55 of the State
In March, 1908, when the editor of
he Roanoke Times was editor of the
Richmond News-Leader, and when he
vas inspired by a patriotic desire to I