Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-11-03
A STAgAEEG.

Editors Of the -Ncw&:: 51 ..Eo..t
As the election takes
| place on the 7th, inst. | will with
your consent, address one more word
| of dcdrain0 to the vcters Of Washing
ton county, ere the day arrives that
may determine the complexion of the
next House of Delegates. ....
| That body consists of 1873 members,
of which about eFetrird were Re
publicaifS, in the. Ia4t Legislature. \
change OF one sixth, or twenty three
members will give the House to the
! Republicans. That party expects to
gain, twelve of these castiOf the Blue
Ridge, leaving only eleven to be gain
! ed in the Valley and and the South
west. The two from Washington (if
+ gaincd) will "helpn considerably in
making this gain. Can we afford to
! run this risk? Not if we could help
/ it. The candidacy of Col. Cummings
may produce This result, but We hope
! not.
The grc0t danger now, consists in
/ the probable purpose OF some voters
/ 1--WE hope not many,) to cast only Il
SinQLc rOfc; in other words 20 vote for
| only one candidate, Let us make a
calculation of the chances }" ii this
/ policy be prudent To any considerable
eXtcnt-say to the extent of even one
! fourth of the vote nOt'caSt for tie Re
publican ticket or the caucus ticket
And when / use the term caucus
ticket" Go not use it in any invidi-
Gus sense, but merely by way of dis
tlnction. Then say there are 2400
votes polIed, of which say the Rcpub-
licans poll $50 leaving 1850 to he Civ
! Ell hy =" Conservatives ~ then say that
the "caucus ticket " POLLS $50, this
/ leaves 900 to. he divided among the
other Hrcc candidates. which if CqHGi-
! IN dirided among them, and every vO-
| ter votes for t,CO of Them they would
! have 600 votes each. This result is in
evitable under the above estimate
! Some may say | put the Republican
vote too high, and then vote the . eau
Gus ticket" too high-wcll take 30 off
of each and it gives them 600 each, to
about CSC for each of the other three
candidates, if Crcry rOtCr rOtcS for ttcO
DcrsOns. But if single ballots are cast
Ivy the friends # the three candidates,
Fulkerson. Campbell ana Kelly, to
! the extent it is done VIII their chan
ccs" of success be diminishCd-and
| consequently the chances of success
/ of the Republicans be increased.
Now, if all five of the candidates
/ continue on the track and the vote
should be divided about as ] have sta
ted the Republicans might possibly he
elected. hen how can THE possibility
/ Of so lamentable q result be avoided =?
/ Only i'm two ways. One way it could
| be done, would he hy the COitntd1Y
! Withdrawal of one of the three candi-
/ dates have naI:- cd-then two of the
Conservatives " would be certain tC
! he elected.
| The other way would he, by con-
/ cCntrGtion of the Conservative vote
/ upon two OF the candidates opposed
/ 80 the Republicans. Now can this be
/ done? 1t will he difficult of accom-
| plishment. Each candidate has his
! particular friends, devoted to his sue
cess regardless of anything else or any
consequences. 1t is too late to rear
range the A." slate One of the candi-
dates could hY an act of self-sacriiice
solve the difficulty. But which che
could justly be expected TO do this?
The weakest one of five. All! but
which one is the weakest? Who can
tel?
In any cvcnt-in any contingency
no matter whether any withdrawal
takes place or not-let crcTY voter east
double ballot-that il. vote for ttCO.
Let not one fail to do this.
The lower end of the county is justly
entitled to one of the members. 1t is
not fair for the central portion or up
per end to grasp for both. All the pco-
pie should he represented, rot part
only, and if any two portions of the
county have diSsimilar interests these
should be considered. in choosing tcO
delegates. But above all let no voter
fail 10 cast double ballot. COncen-
trate upon two, but not upon two in
the same tocdijW. This, rs 1 have
said before would show a grasping
spirit-a disposition to claim oil con-
ceiling nothing to another portion
equally entitled to favor. In any con-
tingency let every voter vote for tocO
., OBSERVER.