Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-04-25


speaking for their county man and can
dldate for Congress, why didn't they
declare for repeal of the unfair cleo
ton laws their candidate helped to place
in the constitution? And why didn't
they declare for an administration of
these laws as impartially and fairly as
the constitution admits? To prove their
sincerity, they ought to have requested
their fellow citizen, Judge Skeen, who
participated in the mass-meeting that
sent delegates to the convention which
nominated General Ayers, to grant the
republicans Of Wise and the other coun-
ties of his judicial circuit the law-grant-
ed right OF having republican member
of each electoral board in his circuit.
They ought also to have declared in
favor of the republicans having one of
the clerks of election at each precinct in
the district--a privilege which is not
I denied by the constitution. The Hon.
Henry c. Stuart on the floor of the late
constitutional convention asserted that,
to remove all possibilities of fraud on
the ballot and to absolutely insure fair
elections, it was essential that one of
the clerks of election should be a repub-
lican. That was one time Mr.. Stuart
was right.
The Wise county democrats ought also
to have declared in favor of allowing
the republicans to exercise their unde-
niable right to select their own judges
of election. Then, they might have de-
clared against the partisan acts of DEM
ocratic registrars, who are clothed with
such arbitrary and dangerous powers
that even the Roanoke Times has re-
VOTED against the registration laws,
and demanded their reform.
The most astounding features of the
Wise resolutions are those that condemn
the practices of parties or candidates
or their friends from soliciting or con-
trIbuting funds to pay poll taxes, :" and
condemning bribery in elections. If
this is not another instance of "Satan
rebuking sin" none will ever occur
again.
The gentleman who placed the name
OF General Ayers for nomination before
the convention at Bristol was Mr.. R.
Tate Irvine. About two years ago this
same Mr.. Irvine, as chairman of a |
SPECIAL committee, q few days after
Mr.. Stuart was nominated for Congress-.
addressed letter to the leading demo-
Gratis of the district, requesting them to
meet him and his committee at Bristol.
We have one of those letters in our DOS
session. 1t shows that the chief object
of the meeting was to look after the
poll taxes of delinQuents, and the men
to whom the letter was addressed were
requested to come to the meeting fully
prepared to show just how much money
would be required to pay the poll taxes
of delinquents in their respective coun-
ties. 1t is well understood that an enor-
nous fund was raised at and subsequent
to this meeting, and that the democrats
paid the poll taxes of about eight thous-
end delinquents.
So, the Wise county democrats have
condemned the practices OF their own
party leaders. Were they sincere in
this condemnation? If 80, why did they I
by a subsequent resolution so warmly
commend Mr.. Irvine, claiming that he
has rendered as much disinterested
SERVICE FOR THE PARTY in the last
twenty years as any many in Virginia." .
and urging that he be made delegate
to the national democratic convention? 6
And the democrats of Wise knowing {
y condemned their own party when
they condemned bribery in elections.
They know that the democrats 6rst in
it in the Ninth district, and {
lave continued to practice it until it !
the most enormous proportions a