National Republican., 1878-06-25
THE FOURTH VIRGINIA DISTRICT.


The Forty-iiith Congress has but one Re-
publican member from virginia-IIon. Jo-
sEPH JoRGENsEN, of Petersburg. With fair
elections and strictly honest counts at least
three other Congressional districts in that
state would have been represented by
staunch Republicans. Rightfully the first,
second, third, and fourth districts sub
scribe to the Republican faith by handsome
and emphatic Republican maorities with
nearly even chances in the fifth and sixth.
lntimidations, threats and unfair dealings
at the registry, at the polls, and in the final
canvassing Of the votes have cheated us out
OF three Of these Representatives in the
Forty-ffth Congress, and IL is now openly
and loudly boasted that the fourth district
will be made to fall into line by similar
means in the approaching election of mcm-
bers Of the Forty-sixth Congress. 1t is con-
fidently asserted by the Democrats that
Hon. JOSEPH JoRGESsEN will be ignomini-
ously defeated at the count next November.
AS the fourth district is conicssedly Re-
publican, as viewed upon the color line, by
six to eight thousand, the intended revolu-
tion and Democratic victory is predicted on
the ground that multitudes of colored voters
have changed or will change their politics
and poll the Democratic ticket next fall.
No pretense is made that Mr.. JoRGrHsEY
has not most efficiently and laboriously
served his constituency. On the contrary
it is cheerfully acknowledged by his Demo-
cratic colleagues that by his constant and
vigilant efforts the passage of the reduction
OH the tobacco tax through the House was
greatly aided, and that it is extremely
doubtful whether it could have been se-
cured but for the Republican votes brought
to its favor by his influence; and II is also
known that by his personal efforts with the
committees the appropriation of $4,000 for
the improvement of the Appomatox River
was obtained. These services were directly
in the interests Of the laboring classes, who
so largely comprise the constituency of the
district. Dr. JoRGENsEN labored in season
and out Of season and had the latter appro-
priation increased $4,000 over the original
amount named in the bill by his individual
efforts.
The notorious HINTON, whose name is
the synonym for election frauds and ballot
box stuiling in Petersburg, the former right
hand of King BILLY MALONE, still aspires
to the scat now occupied by the faithful
JoRGENsEN; but II is limited that HINTON
is no longer serviceable as the right hand.
" A now deck and new deal" is to be had
this year. The role now to be enacted is
that the negro vote has been largely con-
verted to the Democracy, and partly on
account Of the great respectability and ex-
treme popularity Of the candidate to be
named by that party As the attractive fig
ure-head of the approaching canvass, it is
alleged that Mr.. CAMERON, the journalist of
Petersburg, who obtained an unenviable no.
toriety some years ago as principal in duel
with Judge II. W. HUGHES, when the latter
was the Republican candidate for Governor,
in 1873 and as the result of which CAMERON
was badly winged, has been selected HIN
TON and his associates of the regulators,
repeaters, and intimidatOrs, who were fright
ened away from the polls in 1876 by nineteen
regular soldiers who were known to be In
their quarters within call, are to be left to
do the dirty work of stufiing boxes with
Democratic ballots to fit the names Of those
colored voters whom they may succeed in
keeping away from the polls until after sun
set, or of perpetrating the old dodge of in
closing innumerable small ballots printed
upon thin paper, which may easily be recog-
nized by feeling, and recorded by the blind
folded purger of the ballot-box, which may
be found to contain too many votes. Thus
the respectability of the candidate Is ex-
pected to lure some Republican votes, while
the vigilance of our friends, it is hoped, may
be so relaxed as to permit the ballot-boxes
to be tampered with without detection.
These are both vain hopes
Whether DR.. JoRGENsEN designs being a
candidate for reelection we are not ad vised
but, judging from our observation of his in
dustry and success during his first session,
we doubt not that the Republicans of his
district will act wisely by securing contin-
uation of his services if they can ; and should
they renominate him, we have no doubt
that he may be triumphantly reelected.