Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-04-04
GENERAL AYERS CANDIDACY

aoouts were not only surprised but Sc
verely shocked. Some of them remark
ed that it looked like lsy-down or give
up. One democratic leader remarked
in our presence that it meant four or
five thousand majority next November
for BascOm Slemp. They regarded it
as re-enactment of what transpired
four years ago, when the democrats of
the Ninth could find but one man will
ling to accept the nomination. We re-
member that few days after the demo-
cratic convention held at Pulaski in 1908.
we met a very prominent democratic
leader from an adjoining county on the
streets of Tazewell and remarked to
him: What made your people nomi-
nate Mr.. Byars?" His reply was:
"Well, Cloyd wanted it." This was
said with a peculiarly significant smile,
which meant that no one besides Byars
could be persuaded to make the race
against Mr.. Slemp.
When the democrats met in conven-
ton at Bristol on the 21st of last month
they found themselves in very much the
same situation that they occupied in
1908. All the aspiring gentlemen were
so engaged with private affairs that
they could not accept the nomination.
They were: Lee Trinkle, Tate Irvine,
David Cummings, Peyton st. Clair, Bob
Bruce and others, who, under ordinary
conditions, would like to go to Con-
gress, but who, on this occasion, had to
prove yoke of cattle or perform some
other urgent private duty. So, General
Ayers was persuaded to be led to the
shamble.
The Democratic papers, however, pre-
tend to be much pleased with General
Ayers as a candidate, and some of them
express hopes that he will WIN. But all
of them agree that he cannot carry the
Ninth district by purchase, as was at
tempted for Mr.. Stuart two years ago.
The Richmond Times Dispatch says:
I'VE have looked forward to the
time when the Ninth district would
be democratic, and General Ayers
has pointed out the only possible
way for achieving that end.
If 1t Is choice in the Ninth between
republicanism or redemption by
| purchase, that district for a long
time will remain unredeemed."
These remarks from the Times Dis
patch were provoked by the recolec-
ton that all the Virginia democracy
combined two years ago to debauch and
purchase the electorate of this district.
and by the following declaration of Gen.
eral Ayers in his speech of acceptance:
81 ask that you solicit votes for
me upon principle, and not for dol
lars. l would rather go down in de-
feat than accept a bought certifi-
cate. hope to lift our
party above the mire of dishonor
and disgrace practiced in politics"
We wonder how the men who con-
Quoted the Stuart campaign in 1910 felt
and thought when General Ayers ut
tered these sentiments? Did they re-
gard them as a rebuke to those who
followed the lead of the Roanoke Times
when it urged that every democratic
dollar in Virginia should be sent to the
Ninth to win (that is, purchase) the
district for Stuart? Or did they take
1t as merely a sincere determination of |
General Ayers to lead a reform move
ment and strive to purify politics in the
district and state? If such be the sin
cere purpose of General Ayers we most
heartily congratulate him upon what is
apr erently halfway self-reformation,
and aope that he and his party mey yet
become completely regenerated. But
this cannot be accomplished by abandon
ing the lesser sin and holding fast to
the greater Vote buying is a very
great sin, but vote getting by fraud. by
the use of unfair, partisan registration
and election laws is much greater
sin.
General Ayers was a member of the
late constitutional convention and voted
for all the obnoxious provisions in tho