The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-31
ORGANIZE To BREAK UP
VOTE BUYING In NINTH

BRISTOL, VA. Special.-That there
are ten thousand floaters in the Ninth
Congressional District, who regularly
sell their votes in every election is the
estimate of Hon. 2. ]. Davenport.
clerk of the court of Washington coun-
ty, and for six years chairman of the
Republican organization of the Ninth
Congressional District, who was in
Bristol Monday and attended the mass
convention that organized the Fair
Elections Society of the Ninth District.
Mr.. Davenport, who gave up the lead
ership of the Republican party in
September at the convention which
renominated Slemp, says that the pres
ent plan is a movement in the right
direction, but that the circuit judges
Of the district can do more in five
minutes than ii can accomplish in ten
years.
IF the circuit judges of this dis
trict would appoint to the electoral
boards men who will select only hon
est judges of election in the various
voting precincts of the county, the
problem will be largely solved" said
Mr.. Davenport when political
workers spend money at the polls to
buy votes it is almost absolutely es-
sential that they get a sign from one
of the judges that the 'hoater has
voted right. Delivering the goods is
absolutely necessary in boodling, and
if we fix it so that the workers can
not know how the floaters vote, we
Will do much toward stopping the
practice of vote buying. The man who
Will sell his vote to one side will sell
TO both sides and then vote as he
pleases. Politicians won't pay out
their money for votes long unless they
| have some way of knowing how the
'hoater' votes, and if we have honest
election officers at every voting pre-
cinct, this will be impossible The
courts can do the work by appoint
ing non-partisan boards that will. in
turn appoint only honest election
judges at the voting precincts"
Mr.. Davenport is no new convert
TO the cause of pure elections but il
has been one of his hobbies for sew
eral years. he says. He produced a
number of circular letters he had
sent out, urging that no money be
spent illegally and condemning the
man who Will buy vote as no better
than the man who will sell, ana both
/ as political crooks.
Effect of Movement.
1t is believed that the movement
Will have a wholesome effect in the
| Ninth District, in connection with the
work done by Judge II. A. w. Skeen.
one of the organizers of the society,
whose disclosures of vote-buying in
| Lee county have attracted national
attention. Judge Skeen made a Wig
| orous talk In accepting the chairman
snip or the mass meeting, in which
| he said that the movement and the
| large delegation present was a pro-
test against the shocking conditions
| that existed in the district He said
that the purpose of the society should
be to make honesty, intelligence and
! capabiiity as prerequisites for office
| instead of the ability to collect and
disburse Doodle fund for the de-
structlon of the manhood of the
| Ninth District.
Republicans and Democrats alike
are taking an active part in the or
| ganization and will cooperate in
| hunting out and prosecuting any vio-
lations of the election laws. 1t is
| expected TO secure several thousand
members. There are no initiation fees
| or dues, the members being required
only TO sign a pledge not to give any
money for other than legitimate cam
! palgn expenses, not to use any money
| illegally or countenance such use of
money.
a resolution was adopted which
| asked the cooperation of the circuit
! judges of the district, especially in
the instruction of the grand juries as
| to the election laws
1t is believed that the work of the
| organization, in addition to Judge
| Skeen's efforts, augmented by the
| agreements made in Bristol Monday by
| representatives. of Congressman SlemI
| and General r. a Ayers, Republican,
| and Democratic candidates for Con
| gress, respectively, that the election OF
| November 5th Will be less free from
the effects Of Doodle. in the form OF
| liquor and money, than any election
! that has been held in the district in the
| past fifteen years.
! Among the prominent men of the
| Ninth district representing the Demo
| Gratis, Republicans and Progressives
! who are taking an active hand in the
organization, are: Judge A. A. Phlegar
| Judge $. G. Graham. Judge r. c.
Brown, Judge ]. /. Kelly, Judge II. a
w. Skeen, Captain ]. f. Bullitt, James
! A. Stone, r. A. Anderson, Z. ]. Daven-
port G. s. Pendleton, d. +. Bailey
| Senators a. It. Lincoln. Henry Kane
| Walter Dickinson and John G. Noel
Dave Blair. George PrIdmore. r. It
| Irvine, J. ID. Buchanan, J. B. Hoge
| Mayo Cabell, John w. Chalkley w. V
| others.