Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-10-18
MOVEMENT FOR
PURE ELECTIONS
Wise County Starts The Ball
to Rolling-Meet In Bristol
On 2lst of October.

Norton, Va, Oct. 15.-During
the speaking on yesterday, Mr.. j. f.
Bullitt, of Big Stone Gap, announced
that he had plan to present for the
purpose of securing fair elections in
| the Ninth district, and requested all.
regardless of their politics. to remain
after the speaking. When the speak
ing closed, Judge H. A. w. Skeen
was elected chairman of the meeting
and Judge G. w. Kilgore was elected
Secretary.
Thereupon Mr.. Bullitt presented
to the meeting his plan, which was
in substance as follows:
That a meeting should be called in
Bristol at an early date of all citizens
interested in fair elections regardless
of their party affiliations; that
permanent organization should be
formed with President for the whole
district, and vics-president in each
county, and perhaps an executive
committee in each county, and that
all at the meeting who favored the
movement should by asked to sign
pledge in substance as follows below,
and and that the executive officers of
the Association should also send this
pledge broadcast throughout the dis
trict, and endeavor to get as many
signatures thereto in every voting
precinct as possible. The pledge pro-
posed is as follows:
"We, the undersigned. by signing
this paper, hereby become members
of the Fair Elections Society of the
Ninth Congressional district of Vir-
ginia, and as such we mutually pledge
ourselves as follows:
I've will not subscribe or give
any money or other thing of value to
any campaign fund in any election
whatever, except for legitimate and
lawful campaign expenses.
2-We will not ourselves knowing
ly violate any election law of the
United States or the State of Vir-
ginia, and we will whenever practi
cable attend the polls at every elect
ion and do what we reasonably can
to have the same conducted in accord
ance with law, and to discover any
violations of law which any one may
be guilty of, and that we will report
all such violations of law to the pro-
per heads of this society; and there
after. in case of prosecution of such
offense, to do all that we properly
can in aid thereof.
3-We hereby subscribe the
amounts set opposite our names re-
spectively to defray the expenses of
said Society, the same to be payable
at once to the treasurer of the So
ciety."
MIR. Bullitt further explained that
of course, this plan and pledge was
only tentative, and offered merely as
as suggestions. and that the meeting
in Bristol, after hearing discussion,
would doubtless make changes both
in the plan and in the pledge. The
question was fully debated, number
of Democrats and Republicans a nd
Progressives taking part therein. and
finally upon the vote being put the
following resolution was unanimous
ly adopted, and was afterwards sign
ed by practically everybody present,
Democrats, Republicans and Progress
ivess:
Resolved that we. the undersgn
ed, herbey request and urge all citi-
zens of the Ninth Congressional dis
triict of Virginia, regardless of their
policies, who are interested in fair
elections, and especially in prevent
ing the purchase and sale of votes, to
meet at Bristol on the 21st day of
October, 1912, at two clock. pm.
for the purpose of perfecting a per-
manent organization to be known as
the "Fair Election Society of the
Ninth Congressional District of Vir-
ginia," and for discussing the best
methods of securing fair elections in
the coming and all future elections,
and of adopting practicable plans to
carry out these ends;
Resolved, further, that the chair
man appoint committee of three to
be known as the executive committee
of this movement, to hold office until
the meeting at Bristol is organinzed,
and whose duty 1T shall be to fully
advertise the meeting hereby called,
, and to make all arrangements there
for.
Resloyed further that said execut-
i've committee secure the signatures
hereto of all persons present, who
favor this movement"
Judge Skeen thereupon appointed
j. F. Bullitt, Democrat; Howard G..
Miller, Democrat and editor of the