Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-11-13

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RICHMOSD. Va, FRIDAY, NOV. 10, 1910.
yse E,ccGrc Froschise-.hieged frands'
The Richmond Wing is charging the Republicans oil
Shenandoah, Page. Madison and Chesterfield, WIN
fraudulent voting in the recent election. Is usua'
however il reckons w;kout is host, ana the KfPaai
cans of those uterriied counties vii c"neLn us ihs''
dious nuendocs These reckless assertions OF ie my,
will serve To rcannae the Republicans of those cou
ties and call them forth ut the Lext Spring IN SUI
greater numbers to vndica.c the reputation winch ihey
have won in the late election.
As to the fact, that many men voted whose names "cIe
not OH the land J0okS surely tins Is no evidence lal
such men were not entitled 10 vote, and any one who
has read the Constitution of Virginia, must know tt
For instance reversonary rights do not appear IN the
Land Books &c But the Wing preiends, that At can
not account for this large vote wlici has been gwen W
the counties above mentioned The solution was d. 10
finger s ends In Shenandoah Rockingham and rage,
the Democratic party has been 81 strong that lhcic Was
heretofore no occasion 10 call out is vote, eI'hcr III
Con gressona Senatorial or Delegate electon ana i
is not surprising that the honest seomanry OF 'h1se
counties, who thckcn upon their small but wen cui'''
waited farms, have come forward, when l'eir cou
try called them, strike blow for the safety OF Tue
citadel In Shenandoah all the votes, except about ~,
were eivcn in as appears from letter in this day En-
quircr from Of its most intelligent citizens; ana tue
same excitement, no doubt prodSeed similar eHeco y,
Rockinrham In fact, these great counties, Tile olh
and 10th Legons OF the Republic, have been more STR
red up by numerous speeches on both sides, ana by
the various appliances which address themselves to
the public mind, than any other region OF The otate
The Democratic party might as well charge tlauc
upon the Wings of Richmond City, as the wing
upon the Republicans Of the Tenth Legion, be-
cause she too, has given larger vote than usai I'M
der similar excitement The argument OF numbers
unless fortified by proof aud specifications oil ifau',
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charge without any proof Of its corrcctness-indeed,
confessedy before it had received any
any shadow Of complaint from the Valley OF Virginia.
The increase of votes in Madison was very satisac-
torily explained by Col r. A. Banks OF that county,
at the Democratic Association last Monday night -
lie admitted that many votes had been made IN Mad-
son, but not, had in some cases been done by Tie
Wings for the purpose Of influencing the political con
tests OF the day. lie said, that Madison had not yet
done what she capable Of eiectng, and ne be'ev-
ed she could give The Democrats majority OF upwotes
of 500 votes Votes, he admitted had been made Tor
The Inst spring elcciionbut, lie stated, that IN the cleo
ton of :5S she had sent 10 the polls more than .Gu
votes
As to the lille aty Of the act Of the Chesterfield
Commissioners, i'll first receiving votes, ana thcn purs
ing the polls, the doubt may haze lcen irregular
but there is no reason charge the Commiss with
any intention to commit fraud. Chestcrheih, mas n"
precincts like of the counties IN the Stale Her
popular vote is poured in through one channel only
Commissioners were doubt anxious to take in all The
votes pressing upon them, in one day This accounts
for the anomaly of their proceeding But, whet her lEe
proceedings were regular not il is now too late to cor
rect them; and the result of their e1purgaton by which
the Democratic ority reduced II votes, shows
disposition justice Indeed, the majority IN Chester
field will doubt be still larger, when the Republicans
Of that county come forward to y.ndcae themselves
from the imputatons cast upon them An intelligent
citizen declared on Monday night that she would much
Snrtp =
mocracy is well suited their nettle ana bring
them 10 the polls.
From considerations which must be apparent 20 every
Eirginian reluctant 10 enter into such war Of
elimination and recrlmnaion, as this Contest III winch
the Richmond Wing has thought proper TO engage, is
calculated to provoke. We do it only in self-deience
But if the Wings will accuse We pledge ourselves
to silt the matter TO the bottom, to investigate the
returns of the several counties, and to take ad7an-
taue of the early meeting OF the Legislature TO IN
onre into the TRUTH in conjunction with the mem
bers themselves We mag be forced TO carry the war
into the encniys country.-We would hint to them
of the Illegal voting which IS charged TO have been
praclised even in Frcdcrick-We point their attention
TO the which we have heard from the banks Of.
the Ohio-of the letters have received from that
regon-of the "pipc-laying charged upon Wheeling,
and Of the vote Of kanawha and Logan, which has
been swellcd far beyond lhat Of the closest party
contests in those border counties.
We repeat that this is ungracIous and unweicome
theme with US; but will not shrink from the respon
sibiy Of investigation, if necessary. We feel little
hesitation in saying that the Republicans would come
out of the fiery ordeal undismayed unscathed and
stronger than ever. But if the X. Wing willing
provide remedy for the disease, as 10 complain OF
tiff he sincere in the disposition it has expressed
guard the great right Of the Elective Franchise from
corruption and abuse for one will join heart and
hand with it.
We will not hesitate 20 cooperate with the Wing
party, any other party better defining the right Of
suffrage in the Old Commonwealth, and even to cal!
Convention to ac The subject Unfortunately there
appears to be other for probing this evil to
its bottom, and applying adequate remedy. Mr.
John Randolph, in that celebrated and thrilling but Ia
comic Speech which he delivered in the Convention, on
the facics Hypocratica, and all that, knocked out the
| clause from the Constitution, which provided the
means of its own amendment. We also regret that
vote because it easy to that grievances might
occur which required redress, without calling in the
aid of Convention and opening up the ood-gates OF
General Reform and renewed agitation. As IT is, can
we reach the evil without an appeal to the People
Would the Wings join us IN It Will they, who be-
gan the deporabe system Of carving ont reeholds in
various Counties, and multiplying the votes Of the
Cities, like many Polypi-Wll they who have
stckled for the absurd and dangerous rghtof control
ling the Counties, by the claim of voting the fac
tous privileges ofchartered companies, cooperate in
furnishing general provision against such and
other abuses Are they willing TO strip the Towns Of
their undue ascendancy the resident yeomanry of
the Counties viii they deprive wealth of the arsto-
cratic power Of multiplying its suffrage over the poor
man or the man in moderate circumstances VIII it
make residence qualification of the right of suffrage,
as it is in every State Constitution, but in our own ?
Will the Wing join hands with us in reforming the
system altogether These considerations are certain
" entitled TO serious attention The only question is,
whether it is best to bear the evils Of which so
much complain growing evils they are evils which
are calculated to sow the seeds Of corruption deeper
and deeper in society-or fly TO the remedy and
agitation Of new Convention. We want and we
wait advisement upon this proposition.
The unhallowed Amalgamation.
We touch this subject with some reluctance; and
shall only TO it when some urgent consdera-
tons call attention to it. But feel it duty
10 lay those facts before readers, which show how
much w. H. Harrison hae been indebted the votes
c L. AL.l. III, NH hal