Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-01-05
MEN 'HIG'Ifs J!
REAL CRIMINALS
(From the Bristol Herald. J

see from the press reports that
you are going after the vote traffic in
your district. hammer and tongs.
The reports insicate sthat the pre-
ponderance of the prosecution is di-
rected to the punishment of the seller
1t is sad commentary upon Ameri- 4
can jurisprudence that too often she
"heavy hand" of the law descends
upon the poor and lowly while the
economically powerful evade il. 1t is
fact of common Knowledge that
there is one law for the rich and an
other for the poor. OF course before
the law. as laid down on the statute
books. all stand equal. But the forces
Oh caste, custom and wealth are often
enabled to override the law and liber-
ate an individual whose social stand
ing and economic power enable him 10
invoke them. The poor man has no
money with which to employ high
saiaried lawyers and invoke technical
tiles in the effort to evade or thwart
the law. He is never a prominent
citizen and has no "social standing
to balance In the scale-pan against
justice. hence in the weigh he is gem
orally found wanting and has meted
out to him the full penalty prescribed
by the law. Now this is not right,
and l hope to see in the case in ques-
ton, the usual procedure reversed
and the scheming politician and prej-| .
ured election official get the heavy
hand. IA
These are, by far, The most culpable
ana dangerous. To the scheming and
trick politician, seeking some illegiti- :
mate and unfair advantage over his
rival, is to be attributed tho inatitu-
ion and development of the abomina-.
Bile traffic in votes in the county. 1t "a
demand that induces supply. To
further his own personal or party
ends the shyster politician has not
scrupled to poison the very fountnin-
head of our democratic institutions.
Government predicted upon per
verted and prostituted electorate car
not fail to he other than the domir1a-
ton of sapient clique or class. who
office, when so secured, AZ
n private or party asset to be used
Tor private or party aggrand isement.--s
The man who sells his vote ia
nc gentlemen is literally and truly
selling his birtnrght for mess ~
portage. And very dear pottaee IL Il.
once, to the gentleman OF the politi-
cal cult, is pcouniury asset. In
these degenerate days when marntnon
rules supreme, few men plant money
where it may not come up.
Then, upon the gamble Of being
elected, they must stake, hut when
successful in the play, tbore must DO
way provided for their being rsirn-
bursed. This is but foregoile con !.
clusion. The sordid politician Is NOS
buying glory-it is unthinkabie.
Therefore, someway aud somohow.
these people must and do loyy tribpta
upon the entire electorate, Including
those who sold ont to them4 Tkaj~
election expenses must be M 4,nns.
an Observation-Disclosures chst nl.an: the
wwtrs, To return after many days.r
In ancient Rome's eastern possossione
taXrco!icctors paid tho Roman state, 4 Z
stipend in return for the privilege 81 4
texng the people. Our sordid politic-
ians, who debnuch the alectorate. op.s 4
reatc upon the same principle. Their
undermine the only s ,se g
climate foundation OF government q
the unbiased expression Of maj1ssssss
will. They archie deadly enemies
of our democratic lnstltntipns, satd
upon them should descend the 9 fi6a8v =
hand o. the law
Taeir cupability Is graeter than thet
of the seller, whose weakness and
want has been taken advantage Of In
that they have, Usually, much greater
advantageshin education and cultpres
Society has done more FOR them, and
They'll turn owe more to society than
does the poor worker whose SssyerSis-
ment has robbed him of the opportu-
nifty and desire for culture. These
men are greater menace to : society
sthan are the needy victims of their
sapient mechanitions in that their ca
pacity for evil is greater. The danger
of criminal ignorance are vastly less
than those Of cultured rascality. The
star..chamber is greater menace
.thpn the mob.
There is an element of humor in
the situation. These self seeking gen
tlemen in their clnndestine efforts to
gain advantage over each other have
a - n IIIs -. &.