Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-10-24
THURSDAY. OCTOBER "a, 1912.
"GlEAhSlM6 The NlhIH."

about cleansing the Ninth" 1t strives
to make its circumscribed world believe
tIiat this mountain district is in the
grasp If a vensl electorate; and that
political vice has no abiding place in
other districts or other sections of the
State. The Times further strives to
place the chief responsibility for it's ex-
agerated estimate of corruption in the
Ninth upon Mr.. Slemp and the republi-
can party.
Each and all of these are nothing
more than brazen assumptions of the
Times-originated and proclaimed for
the purpose of concealing its bitter dis J..
appointment because Of the inability of
its party two years ago to sufficiently
venalize the district to elect Mr.. Stuart
to Congress.
The people out here have a very dis
tinct recollection Of how the Times con-
stsntly urged that every democratic
dollar that could be raised in Virginia
should be sent to the Ninth district to
help Mr.. Stuart-the millionaire candi-
date for Congress-who was abundantly
able to furnish all the money that could
possibly-be needed for legitimate cam
psign purposes. This could only mean
that Mr. Stuart's legitimate fund was
to be enormously supplemented with an
illegitimste or corruption fund. The
fund was raised and sent here from ev-
cry county, city, town and hamlet in
the State; and it is even now admitted
thst Judge Skees,. whom the Times pa
rsdes as the apostle Of pure elections in
the Ninth, was a heavy contributor to
the corruption fund.
Our people also remember that an
enormous poll tax fund was raised by
the democrats and used 10 pay the poll
taxes of eight thousand delinquent vo-
tiers, who were expected to vote for
''their man" Stuart.
The people also recall the fact that
an army of six thousand floaters was
organized by car.c;E democratic lead
-~>eEs. -tisar this army was drilled and kept
under strict surveillance and discipline
until election day; and then marched to
the polls, with democratic dollars jing-
ling in their pockets, TO vote for Stuart.
We also remember that in Judge
Skeen's first published proclamation of
his purpose to put an end to vote buy
ing, he admitted that vote buying had
prevailed in the counties of his judicial
circuit for more than quarter Of a CEN
fury, and for years before the republi-
can party had become q factor in the
politics of the Ninth district. Is it not
strange that no effort had been made
in the years gone by, either by courts
or reform leaders, to change condition
that even judge had ample knowledge
Oft Is it not strange that the first
movement to get rid of vote buying was
inaugurated just after the failure of the
democrats to win the district through
the expenditure of e vast corruption
fund!~
With abundant knowledge of these
facts before it, the Roanoke Times, in
an editorial headed, 'Mr. Slemp and
Bribery" published the 18th instant,
says:
''It has become notorious that
the bribery and buying of votes in
the Ninth district was shamefulIy
general and open. Men Of both
parties had engaged in it brazsnly.
Practically there was no conceal
msnt. The crime was becoming
more frequent st every election.
There was danger that the dishon-
est, bought, dsbsuched voters would
be the large majority il the district
and that the honest, clean handed,
eels-respscting voters would be few
and helpless"
Is This not wanton SANDER against
the voters of the district? Ia not the |
sl.,,der amply refuted b. the fact that
Of the thirty-two thousand men who
voted in the election two years ago
sufficient number could not be bought
with avery Democratic dollar in Virginia
TO elect Stuart 10 congress7
Are nolnk6e honest, cIsan-handed, self