French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-12-14
Kettle C3||iIlq
the Pot Black

whatever may be the final outcome |
: tho Britt-Weaver controversy it i'll |
V.comes Republicans to criticise the /!
..nods Mr.. weaver may have employ
n +he effort to secure his rights as
e. the situation. The Democratic
andidate simply wants all the ballots
tSa+ we're cast for him counted, wheth-
tbe,- no marked or unmarked. It |
tons. 70 reason that when any voter
,~.osited q ballot containing one
-, NO assumed that he was voting |
-. the candidate whose name was
.;,+o dthereon. And when Mr.. Wea-
offered to count all Of the unmark-
- ballots, or none, and abide by the
rosuIt he eliminated from Mr.. Britt's
.ron,ept whatever of reason there
was in it. This would be a perfectly
.oir solution of the points at issue and
satisfy the public mind that no injus-
tco to the Congressman is intended. |
But Mr., Britt, like some Of his Repub- |
,ican predecessors, appears to desire a
coat in congress to which majority |
Of the voters of the district failed to
elect him.
It has long been the Republican way
in this district to raise b E0T VI
the Democrats came out ahead. Rich
mond Pearson started the mischief in
1898 when Mr.. Crawford was fairly
elected over him by majority of 23S.
The House was strongly Republican
that year; Pearson wanted to stay in
congress and started a contest on the
most unreasonable pretext ever hatch
ed up by any party, sex. or creed.
There has never been fairer election
in this mountain district than that
which resulted in the election of Mr..
Crawford in 1898, but Mr.. Pearson did
not mind defying the expressed will of
the people if he might retain his seat
in the House. Mr.. Crawford received
the certificate of election and Mr..
Pearson filed notice OF contest. The
Republicans had majority of twenty
two in the House and wanted more.
The fight was fast and furious, but on
the final vote Pearson won by a bare
majority of two votes, thus succeeding
in accomplishing the most diabolicaI
political outrage ever perpetrated upon
a free people And some of the very
same crowd have been holding up
their hands in holy hororr because
Senator Weaver asks that ballots east
for him in the recent election be count
ed, sat in the House gallery at Wash
ingtOn and applauded the vote which
deprived Hon. w. T. Crawford of a seat
in that body to which he was honestly
elected by honest yeomanry of this
section. Such b1antant hypocrisy is
disgusting.
So far as honesty in politics is con-
cerned, it is an utter stranger to the
Republicans in this part of the coun-
try, The rank and file of that party
may be ignorant of the dark and de-
Vious ways of their leaders, but deal
ing on the square seldom enters the
head of the average Republican office
seeker. Of course, there are excep-
tons and numbers of Republicans ap-
parently revolted a. the treatment &C
corded to Mr.. Crawford. But all of
their announcements of fairness de-
serted them two years later $4,000
when he sought vindication at the
hands of the people for the wrong done
MN by the National Republican ma
chine. That year Maj j. NJ Moody
carried the district and Mr.. Crawford
meekly submitted to the result. In
1912, Maj. Moody was defeated by Mr..
James M. Gudger. Jr., by a majority of
49, The House was again Republi-
can and Major Moody liked Washing
Ton life. Mr.. Gudger had honestly won
the certificate after a bitter factional
Hgnt IN his own party. But what did
mat matter to Republican who was
ABOUT to be left out in the cold? Pear
son had been awarded seat four
years previous simply for the asking,
why should Mr.. Moody be discrimina
Ted against? Perish the thought. A
UoHIest was started and death only
prevented another steal from a Demo-
ClaI who had fairly won seat in con-
sless from this district. Col. Lusk and
Inomas Settle were of counsel for
.laJ Moody and now that same Mr..
'eltie IS accusing the wicked Demo
CIaIS of trying to steal the election of
MT Britt. Even if they were, it "does