Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-04-25
POLITICAL METHODS
IN VIRGINIA REBUKED
Honorable George N. Wise Vigorously AssaiIs
The Democratic Party IN the Old Common
wealth and Asks What They Are Do
ing to Provide for Honest Elections


My Dear Sir:-I read, with great in
terest, in your paper the letter of Hon.
c. b. Slemp to you of April 13. 1912,
and your editorial on the same. Twas
startled by this statement in your edi-
torial:
The democrats of the district
and of all Virginia are in earnest in
trying to secure honest elections, in
removing from Virginia the disgrace
and degradation of bribing which
have dragged her old and honored
name to the filthy abasement of
Adams county, Ohio
And the further statement that it was
the rule of the dominant political party
to select the judges and clerks of cleo
tion. should like to know on what ev-
idence you base these two statements.
Where in Virginia are the democrats
IN EARNEST in trying to secure honest
elections; and what have they done that
would tend to secure honest elections?
DO you refer to Norfolk? Do you refer
to Lynchburg, where, l am advised,
every registrar, or every one save one,
testified that he paid no attention to the
law in registering voters and permitted
them to register upon typewriter ap-
plications? Or do you refer to the First
district of Virginia, with which am
more familiar?
do not believe that overstate the
question when l say, that wherever it
is presumed to be necessary or desir-
able, so far as l know, outside of nv
own city, in my humble Judgment, the
elections are as corrupt and as far from
expressing the will of the voters now as
they were prior to the new constitution
am proud to say that in this city the
people accepted the constitution as do
ing away with all necessity of fraud in
elections and permitted the republicans
to select judge and clerk of their own
choice and have continued this policy
with the result that it is believed, l am
sure, that the vote in the city of New
port News is counted as cast But out
side of the city of Newport News.-in
county after county we are never given
clerk, but one man to watch four
You know, or slight investigation would
inform you, that white republican or
ganizations recommend good men for
judges of election, that negroes are ap-
pointed in preference to these white
men; that in many cases they are not
even good representatives of their own
race, and sometimes not even qualified
voters, and that after they are appoint
ed it sometimes happens that the re-
publican party does not receive in the
count even the vote of their own cleo
tIon judge; that sometime these men
have been discharged from the federal
service for falsifying accounts,-and
that this is done not to secure fair and
honest elections in Virginia, but for the
sole purpose of making the republican
party as Objectionable as possible.
In the last election for governor, in
vestigation will show that many ballots
were stamped with the name of Colonel
James as candidate for secretary of the
commonwealth before they were ever
handed to the voters. And it is a sim
gular fact that more people apparently
were returned as voting against Mr..
Locke, the republican candidate for Sec
retary of the commonwealth, and for q
dead man, in Newport News where he
lived and was best known than in the
rest Of the state combined. This is
hardly an accident. In the election OF
treasurers to succeed themselves, in
some instances the republican judge
was some negro whose position was de-
pendent upon the county democratic ma.
chine as school teacher, or otherwise,
and the judge of election, with mark
ed ticket, stood in the booth and not
only prevented a secret ballot and in
formed the voters how others were vot-
ing and gave assistance to the voters
who wished to vote with him, which wai
contrary to law, but refused to give in
formation to those who wished to vot,
against him.
No man, l believe, with any real
knowledge of the facts could say that
the legislature of Virginia, controlled
ganizations in the counties, as rule dc
anything to show that they are in earn
est in trying to secure. honest elections
You compare the bribery condition witt
Adams county, Ohio, but so far as re
call there was not an intimation in an,
paper even IN that BRIBE GIVING ant
BRIBE TAKING community, that the vote
were not counted as cast. l believ,
you will agree with me that nothing 81
tends to promote bribery as full know
ledge of the people that there is no hon
esty in their government officials. AnC
it must be apparent to you that witt
the secrecy permitted in the registra
tion of voters with secret ballot
counted only by men chosen by the dem
ocratic party and without a vigorou
protest by the people and men like your
self who stand for decency and honest-